Einkorn Apple Cake With Cinnamon Sugar Crackle Top

ByJennifer Hall Published Updated


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This simple vanilla cake gets its tender, moist texture from buttermilk and yogurt, while butter adds plenty of rich flavor. Freshly grated Honeycrisp apples are gently folded into the batter with warm cinnamon, and the top is finished with a cinnamon sugar crust that crackles as it bakes, adding the perfect little crunch.

Every bite is juicy, sweet, and warmly spiced. It’s an easy fall cake that’s simple enough to enjoy with a cup of coffee, but special enough to serve for dessert.

This Spiced Apple Einkorn Cake is exactly the kind of dessert I love having in my back pocket. It feels a little special without requiring hours in the kitchen, the kind of cake that says “I brought dessert!” without a lot of fuss. There’s something especially nostalgic about a homemade apple cake in the fall. Freshly grated apples, warm cinnamon, and tender einkorn cake make this one of those cozy desserts that feels right at home alongside a cup of coffee or served after dinner with friends.

If you loved this cake, you’ll also love my Einkorn Cranberry Orange Almond Cake. I especially love making this one around Christmas, the bright citrus notes and tart cranberries make it such a festive holiday dessert.

Table of Contents

Ingredient’s You’ll Need For Einkorn Apple Cake

  • Einkorn flour: The heart of this recipe. Einkorn brings a delicate, nutty flavor and a naturally soft gluten structure, creating a tender and easy-to-digest crumb.
  • Baking powder: This leavening agent helps to lift the cake, especially with the acidity from buttermilk and yogurt.
  • Sea salt: Just a pinch to balance and enhance all the flavors.
  • Cinnamon– A touch of spice.
  • Butter: Salted butter adds rich flavor and helps create that soft, melt-in-your-mouth crumb.
  • Organic cane sugar: Just the right amount of natural sweetness to highlight the vanilla and let the berries shine.
  • Buttermilk + yogurt: This combo keeps the cake wonderfully moist and adds a gentle tang. They also help activate the baking powder, giving the cake a light, fluffy texture.
  • Eggs: Essential for binding the ingredients and providing structure while keeping the cake tender.
  • Vanilla bean paste or extract: Adds warmth and depth, rounding out the flavor with cozy vanilla notes.
  • Apples: Grated apples, lightly squeezed of excess juice. I like to use Honeycrisp as I think it has the best flavor, but you can also use granny smith.




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Kitchen Scale
9 inch- Springform Pan
Vanilla Bean paste
Einkorn Flour

Step-By-Step How to Make Einkorn Apple Cake

1

Mix Dry Ingredients and Wet

In a bowl whisk together einkorn flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside. In a measuring cup combine cold buttermilk and yogurt. Set aside.

2

Cream Butter and Sugar

In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment mix on medium low speed for 2-3 minutes until the butter is creamed together and is light and fluffy.

3

Add Eggs & Vanilla

Add in vanilla bean paste and room temperature eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. You may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

4

Alternating Flour and Buttermilk Method

On low speed add in flour and buttermilk/yogurt mixture in three alternating additions beginning and ending with flour.

5

Fold in Apples

Fold in grated and slightly squeezed apples

6

Transfer and Bake

Pour the batter into a parchment-lined 9-inch springform pan be sure to lightly butter and flour the sides. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture over the top. Bake at 375°F for 10 minutes. Then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 28-32 minutes, or until golden and set. The center should not be jiggly and a toothpick inserted should come out clean or with minimal crumbing.

Helpful Tips

  • Use a springform pan- This is a delicate cake, so using a springform pan will make transferring the cake to your desired serving dish much easier. 
  • Tent with foil towards the end– Einkorn can darken and burn more easily than AP flour, I recommend tenting the top with foil for the last 5 minutes if you notice the cake becoming a bit dark around the edges.
  • Squeeze the apples of excess juice-You don’t want them dry, but you don’t want them sopping wet either. A gentle squeeze should do the trick.

Can I use freshly milled flour in this einkorn cake?

Freshly milled einkorn can have a harder time holding heavier mix-ins in place. The bran and natural oils from the germ can interfere with einkorn’s already delicate gluten structure, making it easier for heavier fruit to sink as the cake bakes. With less structure to support the fruit, it can settle toward the bottom of the cake.

I recommend using all-purpose einkorn flour for this recipe, as it will give you a lighter, fluffier cake. If you’d like to use freshly milled einkorn, I strongly recommend sifting the flour beforehand to remove the larger bran particles. I also recommend patting the shredded apples a little drier with a paper towel to remove even more of the excess moisture, which can help prevent them from sinking.

Why is my einkorn apple cake gummy?

  1. Not enough excess liquid was strained from the apples.
    To avoid this, I recommend measuring out the shredded apples, squeezing out the excess liquid, and then weighing the apples in grams. This will give you the most accurate measurement and help prevent too much moisture from getting into the cake.
  2. The batter wasn’t rested.
    A 10-minute batter rest gives einkorn flour time to absorb the liquid, which helps create a fluffier, more tender cake.
  3. The einkorn apple cake was underbaked.
    Make sure to check several areas of the cake with a toothpick before removing it from the oven. The toothpick should come out without wet batter attached.
  4. The cake was cut before it had completely cooled.
    Apple cake needs time to fully set as it cools. Cutting into the cake too early can result in a gummy interior, even if the cake was fully baked.
  5. Your measurements may have been off.
    Measuring einkorn flour by volume can be inconsistent, especially because different einkorn brands and varieties can weigh differently. For the most consistent results, I recommend using a kitchen scale and weighing your ingredients in grams. This is especially important when baking with einkorn, where small differences in the amount of flour or liquid can affect the final texture.

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Einkorn Apple Cake with Cinnamon Crunch Top

Jennifer Hall
This Einkorn Apple Cake is a simple, tender fall cake made with einkorn flour, buttery vanilla cake batter, freshly grated Honeycrisp apples, and warm cinnamon. The apples add just the right amount of natural sweetness and moisture, while a cinnamon-sugar topping gives the cake a lightly crisp, spiced finish.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 8 Slices

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 180g (1 ½ cups) Einkorn flour all-purpose I recommend weighing your einkorn flour, or spoon and level.
  • 2 tsp Baking powder
  • ½ tsp Fine sea salt
  • 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
  • 113g (½ cup) Softened salted butter (room temperature)
  • 210g (1 cup) Organic granulated sugar
  • 3 Large Eggs (room temperature)
  • 2 tsp Vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
  • 60g (¼ cup) Plain yogurt full fat
  • 60g (¼ cup) Buttermilk
  • 115g (1 cup) Grated honey crisp apples- squeezed of excess juice about 1-1¼ large apples

Sugar Cinnamon topping

  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1/2 tsp Ground cinnamon

Instructions
 

  • Prepare Pan- Line a 9-inch circular springform pan with parchment paper on the bottom, grease the sides with butter and a dusting of flour. Set aside.
  • Combine dry ingredients- In a medium bowl whisk together einkorn flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
  • Combine buttermilk and yogurt- In a cup combine buttermilk and yogurt, mix well. Set aside.
  • Cream butter and sugar- Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment cream room temperature butter and sugar until light and fluffy. About 3 minutes on medium to low speed. Kitchenaid setting 3.
  • Add Eggs & Vanilla- Add vanilla bean paste and room temperature eggs one at a time mixing well in between each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
  • Add flour and Buttermilk mixture alternating- Add the flour mixture and buttermilk/yogurt mixture in three alternating additions, beginning and ending with flour.
  • Add Apples- Grate the apples on the large holes of the box grater. Gently squeeze out the excess juice, you don't want the apples completely dry, but you also don't want them dripping wet. Gently fold the apples into the batter with a spatula.
  • Transfer- Transfer the batter to prepared springform pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar topping and let the batter rest for 10 minutes while the oven preheats.
  • Preheat oven- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Bake- Bake at 375°F for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F and continue baking for 28-32 minutes, until the center is set and a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Tent with foil the last 5 minutes if the cake looks like its becoming too dark.
  • Cool- Let cool in pan for 10-15 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack. Flip over on a plate or flat cookie sheet, then back onto a wire rack. Allow to cool for 1-2 hours before slicing.
    • I like to sprinkle a little extra sugar over the cake once it has cooled a bit (about 1 teaspoon). It gives the top a little extra sparkle and a extra bit of crunch.

Notes

Tip: Try to avoid opening the oven during the first two-thirds of baking. Opening the door too early can cause a cake to lose heat before the structure has set, which may cause it to sink in the middle. If you need to check for doneness, wait until the cake is close to finished baking.
Keyword Einkorn apple cake, Einkorn apple cinnamon cake, einkorn cake, einkorn flour recipes, Einkorn vanilla cake, simple einkorn cake
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2 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made this last night, and it tastes even better this morning with coffee. Thank you, Tinhatseats, for another amazing einkorn recipe!!

    Reply
5 from 1 vote

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