Swedish Äppelkaka Recipe

Name: Swedish Äppelkaka Recipe
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: International
Ingredients: 125g unsalted butter, softened; 100g caster sugar; 2 large eggs; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 150g plain flour; 1½ tsp baking powder; ¼ tsp salt; 3 tbsp whole milk; 2 medium apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced; 1 tbsp demerara sugar (or caster sugar); ½ tsp ground cinnamon

ByWei Ling

Sep 15, 20251 min

5.0(51)

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

35-40 minutes

Total Time

55 min

Servings

Difficulty

easy

A cosy Swedish apple cake made with sliced apples, cinnamon sugar, and light sponge. This äppelkaka is perfect for fika or autumn teatime. Serves 6.

5.0 (51 ratings)

A cosy apple cake for autumn afternoons.

There’s something special about a dessert that doesn’t ask for perfection — just a bowl of apples, a warm oven, and the patience to enjoy a slice slowly with coffee. Äppelkaka, or Swedish apple cake, is one of those bakes. It’s rustic, homey, and endlessly forgiving.

This version is a simple light sponge topped with thinly sliced apples and a dusting of cinnamon sugar. Perfect for fika, teatime, or as a gentle way to use up apples on the verge of going soft.

👉 Curious about the origins of äppelkaka and why it’s such a beloved Swedish bake? Read the full story here.

Tip:

Tart apples like Granny Smith work well, but Swedish varieties such as Aroma or Ingrid Marie are even better if you can find them.

Rustic apple cake topped with thinly sliced apples arranged in a circular pattern, served on a ceramic plate over a linen cloth, with apples and brown sugar in the background.

Swedish Äppelkaka Recipe

Prep: 15 minutesCook: 35-40 minutesServes: 6easy

Ingredients

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 175°C (fan) or 190°C (conventional).
2
Grease a 20cm round cake tin and line the base with baking paper.
3
In a large bowl, cream the butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy.
4
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5
Stir in the vanilla extract.
6
Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt.
7
Fold gently to combine, then add the milk and mix until smooth.
8
Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the top.
9
Arrange the apple slices in overlapping circles on top of the batter.
10
Mix the demerara sugar and cinnamon together, then sprinkle over the apples.
11
Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until the top is golden and a skewer comes out clean.
12
Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
13
Serve warm or at room temperature — with a spoonful of vanilla custard, if you like.