Plush and velvety with tart cinnamon apples and a crunchy brown sugar streusel, this Sourdough Discard Apple Cake is the most comforting fall bake. Sourdough discard adds flavor and keeps the melt-in-your-mouth crumb moist and tasting fresh for days. You’ll love this easy recipe made with simple ingredients.
What makes this apple cake special?
This cake is all about the melt-in-your-mouth, velvety crumb. Words really can’t capture the incredible texture of this sourdough apple cake, you’ll just have to make it to experience it for yourself.
The base for this recipe is the same as the Sourdough Coffee Cake from my cookbook Sourdough Everyday. It’s plush, tender, and fluffy with a hint of cinnamon and a crispy brown sugar streusel. Adding tart Granny Smith Apples to this recipe makes it even more comforting and delicious.
This was absolutely delicious! I followed it exactly...My family is begging me to make it again already...Great recipe!
- Sebby
Love apple recipes? Check out my Sourdough Sweet Potato Apple Coffee Cake and Sourdough Apple Pie.
Why I love this recipe
- Unforgettable plush and velvety crumb
- Comforting fall bake with crunchy brown sugar streusel, warm spices, and tart Granny Smith Apples
- Sourdough discard imparts moisture, preserving the cake's softness and freshness for days
- Reverse creaming method makes this cake almost impossible to mess up!
- Made with simple ingredients you already have in your pantry
- Uses a lot of sourdough discard - 113 grams (½ cup)!
Ingredients and Substitutions
Apples: Choose baking apples that won’t break down as they bake. I used Granny Smith Apples here, but Honey Crisp and Golden Delicious are also great choices.
All-purpose flour: Low protein content keeps the cake soft and fluffy. Do not substitute whole wheat flour or your cake will be dense and dry.
Sour cream: Amps up the richness and keeps this cake soft and moist, substitute Greek yogurt or plant-based strained yogurt.
Sourdough discard: Both active starter or discard will work for this recipe. If you don’t have any discard, add 56 grams flour and 56 grams water to your recipe.
Dark brown sugar: I used dark brown sugar to make the streusel, but light brown sugar will work just as well.
See the recipe card for full ingredient amounts.
Baking with Sourdough Discard
Sourdough discard adds moisture and flavor to this apple cake. Since you’re not using it as a leavener, your sourdough starter does not need to be activated or fed for it to work in this recipe and you can use it straight from the refrigerator.
Older discard will impart bolder flavors than freshly-fed sourdough starter. Both active starter and sourdough discard will work for this recipe, you’ll get a slightly different flavor but your bake will still be delicious!
Looking for more creative ways to use your starter in recipes other than sourdough bread? Check out my list of sourdough recipes that aren't bread.
Variations
- Top the warm cake with homemade honey butter, fresh whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream instead of glaze.
- This cake is endlessly adaptable, use raspberries, blueberries, pears, or peaches instead of apples.
- Add more spices, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, ginger and all-spice taste great with apples!
What is reverse creaming?
I use a unique method to make this cake called, reverse creaming. It deviates from the conventional way of approach by blending the softened butter with both the sugar and flour, rather than adding the flour in at the end.
This essentially creates a waterproof barrier for the flour. Since gluten is activated when water comes in contact with it, this minimizes gluten development, it's my secret to soft and tender cakes!
I use this method to keep my Sourdough Cornbread and Sourdough Apple Sweet Potato Coffee Cake recipe light and fluffy.
How to Make Sourdough Apple Cake
STEP 1: Make the batter
Toss the apples in cinnamon and make the streusel. Cream the dry ingredients, sugar and butter. Expect the batter to be very thick.
Tip
Reverse creaming evenly coats the dry ingredients in fat. The mixture should resemble a wet, coarse sand.
STEP 2: Bake the cake
Transfer the batter into a lined pan, layer cinnamon apples and streusel on top. Bake at 325 F for 45 to 50 minutes.
Baker's Tips
- Low and slow baking keeps the crust light and the crumb airy.
- Weigh your ingredients and don’t stray from the ingredients list.
- Both active starter and sourdough discard will work in this recipe.
- You’ll need a hand mixer or stand mixer to properly cream the ingredients for this recipe.
- Use apples that won’t break down as they bake, Granny Smith, Honey Crisp or Golden Delicious are great options.
- Do not open the oven door while the cake bakes, this allows heat to escape rapidly and may cause your cake to sink. This will lead to a gummy and dense center.
- The glaze is optional but highly recommended.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely, you’ll miss out on some of the sourdough flavor, but you can just add 56 grams of flour with the dry ingredients and 56 grams of water with the sour cream.
Yes! You can bake this cake in an 8-inch or 9-inch square pan.
I’ve never tried it but it probably will work just fine! Although, you can always just bake my Sourdough Apple Muffins for a tried and tested recipe.
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Sourdough Apple Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 9-inch cake pan
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
Topping
- 120 grams apple 1 small Granny Smith, diced
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 11 grams cornstarch
- 30 grams all-purpose flour
- 50 grams brown sugar
- 42 grams unsalted butter cold and cut into cubes
Cake Batter
- 113 grams unsalted butter softened
- 210 grams all-purpose flour
- 10 grams baking powder
- 6 grams salt
- 200 grams cane sugar
- 1 egg large
- 113 grams sourdough discard
- 170 grams sour cream
Glaze (optional)
- 60 grams powdered sugar
- 14 grams unsalted butter melted
- 14 grams milk plus more if needed
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 325 F with a rack in the middle. Line a 9-inch cake with parchment paper.
- Make the toppings: Toss the apples in cinnamon. Set aside.120 grams apple, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Combine the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, brown sugar and butter. Rub the butter in until all of the flour is hydrated. Refrigerate the streusel until ready to use.11 grams cornstarch, 30 grams all-purpose flour, 50 grams brown sugar, 42 grams unsalted butter
- Make the batter: Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, blend the butter, dry ingredients and sugar together until the mixture resembles coarse, wet sand.210 grams all-purpose flour, 10 grams baking powder, 6 grams salt, 200 grams cane sugar, 113 grams unsalted butter
- Add the egg to the flour mixture. Stir in the sourdough discard and sour cream until fully incorporated.1 egg, 113 grams sourdough discard, 170 grams sour cream
- Bake: Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. The batter should be very thick, spread it to the edges of the cake pan. Spread the apples and then the streusel in an even layer over the batter.
- Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the cake is well-risen and the edges are golden brown. Pull the cake out of the oven when a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan.
- Make the glaze: Mix the glaze ingredients and stir with a spatula or spoon until smooth and silky. Add milk 1 teaspoon at a time if your glaze seems too thick. Drizzle glaze over the cake.60 grams powdered sugar, 14 grams unsalted butter, 14 grams milk
- Serve: Slice and serve cake warm. This cake is best enjoyed on the same day it’s baked but will store well in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You should refrigerate the cake if you plan to store it for a longer period of time.
Notes
- Both active starter and sourdough discard will work in this recipe.
- You’ll need a hand mixer or stand mixer to properly cream the ingredients for this recipe.
- Use apples that won’t break down as they bake, Granny Smith, Honey Crisp or Golden Delicious are great options.
- Do not open the oven door while the cake bakes, this allows heat to escape rapidly and may cause your cake to sink. This will lead to a gummy and dense center.
Nutrition
The post The Softest Sourdough Discard Apple Cake appeared first on Make It Dough.