Spiced Apple and Ginger Cake

This Spiced Apple and Ginger Cake is a delicious light fruit cake that’s easy to make and the perfect cut-and-come-again cake.

Why should I make Spiced Apple and Ginger Cake?

This is the easiest cake you’ll ever make, and it’s the perfect cut and come again cake to have in your larder. I usually make the cake in my stand mixer but I have also made it in a bowl with a wooden spoon, or with a hand held electric mixer. Just make sure you beat the mixture well.

It’s also the ideal cake if you have an apple tree or have been given some apples by a friend. My apple tree is well established and provides me with a good crop of apples every year so I’m always looking for ways to use them!  

What ingredients will I need to make the Spiced Apple Cake?

There are no unusual ingredients needed for this recipe. They are standard baking ingredients most of which you will probably already have in your larder or fridge. Here is what you need:

• Flour
• Baking Powder
• Lemon zest (optional)
• Spices
• Sugar
• Butter
• Egg
• Milk
• Apples
• Dried Fruit
• Crystalised Ginger

Scroll to the end of this article to find the full recipe and all quantities of ingredients, with step-by-step photo instructions.

What kind of flour do I need?

I use self-raising flour which already contains a raising agent. If you don’t have self-raising flour you can make it at home using plain (all-purpose flour) and baking powder.

This recipe uses 225 g self-raising flour therefore you need to add two and a half teaspoons baking powder to plain (all-purpose) flour. This gives you self-raising flour, but you will still need to include the additional baking powder as listed in the recipe.

What is baking powder?

Baking powder is a chemical raising agent that is a combination of bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar. To make homemade baking powder combine ¼ of a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda with ½ a teaspoon of cream of tartar for every teaspoon of baking powder your chosen baking recipe requires.

I don’t have a lemon, what can I substitute for lemon zest?

Lemon zest adds a subtle fresh taste that you can barely notice but it does lift the overall flavour of the cake. However, you can leave the lemon zest out of the recipe if you don’t have any or use orange zest.

What spices should I use for the Spiced Apple and Ginger Cake?

This recipe uses three different spices. Ground ginger, ground cinnamon and ground cloves this gives a balanced flavour and I’d recommend that you start with this combination.

However, I know that everyone has their own favourite spices. So you can leave out some of the spices and add a little more of the others or try adding a little ground cardamom or star anise if those are spices that you like. Obviously if you leave out the ginger then it won’t be an apple and ginger cake any more!

What kind of sugar should I use?

I use soft light brown sugar for this cake. The brown sugar goes well with the apples giving a slightly caramelised taste. If you don’t have light brown sugar then you can use soft dark brown sugar.

I don’t have any brown sugar, can I use white granulated sugar?

Yes, you can make this cake with white sugar, either caster sugar or granulated sugar. it will be missing some of the flavour that comes from the brown sugar but it will still be a delicious cake.

Can I use an alternative to butter to make the Spiced Apple and Ginger Cake?

You can use baking spread to make the cake or any plant based spread as long as it is full fat. Spreadable butter and low-fat spreads are not suitable as they contain a high proportion of water that will affect the recipe.

What kind of apples should I use?

I use the apples from my apple tree which are the James Grieve variety. However, you can use any apples, I find that if you use tart (sharp) tasting apples then you get a better flavour contrast in the cake. Cooking apples such as Bramley’s are ideal, but you can use Granny Smiths or other sharp tasting apply varieties.

Cut the apples into small pieces

It’s really important to make sure that you cut up the apples into small pieces. If the pieces are too big then the cake will be crumbly and fall apart because their is not enough cake mixture around them to hold it together.

What kind of dried fruit should I use?

I have made this cake using raisins, sultanas or the kind of mixed dried fruit that comes with candied peel in addition to standard dried fruits. You can also experiment with chopped up dried apples, apricots or dates.

Try making the cake with raisins or sultanas first then if you want to try making it with other dried fruit go ahead and add your favourites. It’s a great way to use up all those little bits left in bags in your larder!

What is crystallised ginger?

Crystallised stem ginger is fresh ginger which has been cooked until soft then boiled in a sugar syrup and dried. The pieces of ginger have a sugar coating and can be easily cut with a sharp knife. It has a strong sweet ginger flavour and brings an extra ginger zing to the Spiced Apple and Ginger Cake.

What can I substitute for crystallised ginger?

Stem ginger in syrup is a similar type of processed ginger. However, it is not dried like crystallised ginger, it is stored in a sweet ginger syrup.

You can use stem ginger in syrup in this recipe if you rinse the syrup off the pieces of ginger with water and then dry them with kitchen paper. You can then chop the ginger into small pieces and use them in the same way as the crystallised stem ginger.

How should I store the Spiced Apple and Ginger Cake?

I store this cake in a lidded box or cake tin. It will keep for up to a week stored this way.

Can I freeze Spiced Apple and Ginger Cake?

Yes, this cake will freeze well. You can either freeze the whole cake or cut it into slices and open freeze the slices on a baking tray (sheet), then store in a freezerproof container.

Defrost the cake on a cooling rack covered by a clean tea towel. Individual slices can be defrosted in a similar way or by using the defrost setting on your microwave.

Vegetarian

This recipe is suitable for vegetarians.

Gluten Free

This cake contains wheat flour and is not suitable for a GF diet.

For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.

How should I serve Spiced Apple and Ginger Cake?

This apple cake makes an easy dessert served warm with custard, you can dust it with icing (confectioner’s) sugar if liked but it doesn’t really need anything.

I like to serve the cake as a tea time treat or anytime snack with a cup of tea or coffee. The apples keep the cake moist and the warmth of the spices makes this a really comforting bake.

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SPICED APPLE AND GINGER CAKE

Janice Pattie

This Spiced Apple and Ginger Cake is a delicious light fruit cake that's easy to make and the perfect cut-and-come-again cake.

3.93 from 27 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe BookmarkSaved!

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Baking

Cuisine British

Servings 10

Calories 253 kcal

Equipment

• weighing scales
• Measuring spoons
• Lemon zester or grater
• Large bowl
• electric mixer optional
• wooden spoon
• Vegetable peeler
• Sharp knife
• chopping board
• 20 cm (8 in) round deep cake tin
• Cooling rack
• baking parchment or liner

Ingredients

• 225 grams (1½ cups) self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 lemon zest optional
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon cloves
• 100 grams (½ cups) soft brown sugar
• 100 grams (½ cups) soft butter or margarine
• 1 egg beaten
• 4 tablespoon milk
• 450 grams (3¼ cups) tart apples (Bramley, James Grieve, Granny Smith) weigh once peeled and cored
• 75 grams (⅓ cups) mixed dried fruit or raisins
• 25 grams (2 tbsp) crystallised ginger

Instructions

 

• Heat the oven to 170℃ Fan (190 ℃) 375℉
• Place into a large mixing bowl 225 g (1½ cups) self-raising flour, 1 tsp baking powder, grated rind of 1 lemon (if using), ½ tsp ground ginger, ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp ground cloves, 100 g (½ cup) soft brown sugar, Stir to mix together.
  
• Add 100g (½ cup) softened butter, 1 medium egg and 4 tbsp milk. Mix together with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer until thoroughly blended.
  
• Peel, core and finely chop 450g (3¼ cups) apples. The weight is for the whole apple before preparation.
  
• Stir in the chopped apples.
  
• Weigh out 75 g (⅓ cup) mixed dried fruit (or raisins) and 25 g (2 tbsp) chopped crystalised ginger.
  
• Stir the raisins and ginger into the cake mix.
  
• Line a 20cm (8 in) cake tin with parchment or a cake tin liner and place it on a baking tray (sheet)
  
• Spoon the cake mixture into the tin and level the top. Bake for about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
  
• The cake should be golden brown and shrinking from the sides of the tin.
  
• Cool for 5 minutes in the tin, then turn onto a cooling tray.
  
• Serve warm as a dessert with cream or custard. Or cold with a nice cup of tea!
  

Nutrition

Calories: 253kcalCarbohydrates: 40gProtein: 4gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 75mgPotassium: 183mgFiber: 3gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 310IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 50mgIron: 1mg

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