Apple Pecan Cake

Apple Pecan Cake is the perfect holiday dessert for Thanksgiving and Christmas! Made with Greek yogurt, vanilla, pecans, and both green and red apples, it’s easy to prepare with just 20 minutes of prep time and 50 minutes of baking. Serve it dusted with powdered sugar, or top it with ice cream or whipped cream. You can also drizzle it with caramel sauce and sprinkle with chopped pecans on top. Make it for the holidays or year-round!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword apple pecan cake

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1 5

Servings

Calories 409kcal

Author Julia

Ingredients

1.5 cups all-purpose flour or baking flour, sifted or aerated (see note below)
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup salted butter melted (4 oz)
2 large eggs
½ cup plain Greek yogurt low-fat
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups raw pecan halves
1 large Granny Smith apple (peeled, cored, and diced into ½-inch cubes)
1 large sweet red apple (peeled, cored, and thinly sliced) - choose sweet, firm apples like Fuji, Gala, Envy, or Honeycrisp.

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). If your oven has a convection setting, use a convection bake setting. Grease the sides and the bottom of the 10-inch cast iron skillet with butter. Alternatively, line the bottom of the 9x3-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Grease the sides and the bottom of the springform pan with butter or cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, mix flour and baking powder.
In a large bowl, combine granulated sugar, melted butter, and eggs, and beat using a whisk for about 1 or 2 minutes until the mixture turns light in color, smooth (not grainy), and fluffy.
Mix in Greek yogurt and vanilla extract, and whisk just until combined.
Add the flour mixture gradually, whisking 1 cup of flour at a time with the wet ingredients until combined. Do not over-mix.
Fold in 1 cup of diced Granny Smith apple (peeled and cored) and 1 cup of chopped pecans into the batter.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared cast iron skillet or the parchment paper-lined springform pan. Arrange thinly sliced red apple slices (peeled and cored) in a circular pattern on top, with the remaining 1 cup of pecan halves placed in between. See photos for reference.
Bake for about 45–50 minutes on the middle rack or until a tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If not done, continue baking in 5-minute increments, checking each time. I used a convection setting and baked for exactly 45 minutes at 350°F, resulting in a fully baked, nicely browned cake. In a regular oven, it may take a bit longer, about 1 hour at 350°F.
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack. If baking the cake in a cast iron skillet, serve it right out of the skillet. If you used a springform pan, after about 30 minutes of cooling, release the cake from the pan. Once it's cool enough, you can carefully slide your hand or a large spatula under the cake, between the parchment paper and the cake, and transfer it onto a cake plate, discarding the parchment paper.
When serving, dust with powdered sugar.
I provide helpful step-by-step photos above the recipe card (scroll up).

Notes

How to measure flour correctly with cups:

To measure flour correctly with measuring cups, start by sifting or aerating the flour to fluff it up. Then, use a large spoon to gently spoon the flour into the measuring cup, rather than scooping it directly from the bag with the cup. Once the cup is filled, level it off with a knife to remove any excess. If you scoop the flour with the measuring cup straight from the bag, you may end up with more flour than the recipe calls for, resulting in a dry and dense cake batter. Be sure to aerate the flour for the proper consistency!

What baking pans can you use?

I used a 9x3-inch round springform pan, lining the bottom with parchment paper for a cleaner release.
You can also use a 9x13-inch rectangular baking pan—grease the pan, pour the cake batter in, and bake for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
For muffins or cupcakes, use a 12-cup muffin pan. Chop both apples into ½-inch pieces and fold them, along with 1 cup of chopped pecans, into the batter. Fill the muffin cups about two-thirds full, then top the muffins with the remaining 1 cup of pecan halves. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
A 10-inch or 12-inch round high-sided cast-iron skillet will give you crispy, golden-brown edges with a soft and moist center.

Other notes

Make it gluten-free. This recipe has been tested with Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, and you can also use King Arthur gluten-free measure-for-measure flour. If using these flours, you may need to add ¼ cup of Greek yogurt if the batter is too thick.
Greek yogurt can be substituted with plain kefir, regular yogurt, buttermilk, or sour cream.

Nutrition