My Apple Shortcake is a beautifully simple yet elegant dessert that comes together with minimal effort but delivers big on the flavours. Cinnamon-spiced stewed apple sandwiched between two buttery layers of soft and tender shortcake. It's the kind of dessert that feels special without requiring hours in the kitchen. Perfect for a dinner party, afternoon play date, morning tea or work potluck - this recipe is one you'll keep coming back to!
Recipe Overview: Apple Shortcake
- ✅ Recipe Name: Apple Shortcake
- 🕐 Ready In: 1 hour 15 mins (30 minutes resting time)
- 🧑🧑🧒 Serves: 6 people
- 💕 Perfect For: Fall dinner party, potluck, play date or morning tea.
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Stewed apple, butter, flour, sugar & egg.
- 📖 Flavor Profile: Comforting, warming, balanced in flavour.
- 😊 Difficulty: Beginner to confident cooks
- 💡 Quick Tip: Use canned apples to cut back on cooking time!
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Absolutely nothing beats a cozy dessert. Whether it's my Pear Upside Down Cake or my Easy Rhubarb Crumble, cooking Fall desserts when it's rainy and cold outside takes me to my happy place. This apple shortcake holds a special place in my heart. Much like my Fluffy Sponge Cake, this recipe has been in my family for over 20 years. That's when you know it's a winner!
This apple cake may look simple, but it definitely delivers on flavour. I've made this for an easy dinner party dessert and for an afternoon tea party when unexpected guests pop in. It's great with a cuppa or a mug of Rich Hot Chocolate.
Much like my Flourless Chocolate Torte, I always have the ingredients for this cake on hand. Even if I don't have apples, I always keep a can of apples in my pantry for occasions when I need a dessert on hand quickly.
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Why We Love This Recipe
- Pantry Staples - this recipe uses a few simple store-bought ingredients and pantry staples that you'll likely have on hand. The dough base is made with only 5 ingredients!
- Easy Substitutions - you can adapt this recipe with different fruits, and there is an option to make your own Stewed Apples or use canned apples depending on how much time you have on hand.
- Quick and Easy - it comes together quite quickly and easily. You do need a little patience with the dough but that is the most challenging part of this recipe.
- Make Ahead of Time - you can make and chill the dough a day in advance and have your apples stewed and ready to go a day ahead of time too. This will save you heaps of time if you're hosting!
🌨️ Planning a cozy dinner party? This apple cake pairs beautifully with my Easy Minestrone Soup and or my Lamb Shepherd's Pie. The ultimate comfort food! 🌨️
What Readers are Saying
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 It came out perfect! Followed the recipe as is...and it was lovely. Will definitely be making again and again! - Fe
Key Ingredients
Please see the recipe card for full ingredient information and step by step instructions.
❗For all baking and best results, I recommend using a set of kitchen scales and using grams (metric). Cups are not always accurate and differ among countries.❗
Butter - Use good-quality unsalted butter. Unsalted butter is always recommended in baking because it helps control the salt level of the baked goods.
Sugar - I recommend using castor super / super fine sugar in all baking recipes. Super fine sugar dissolves more easily leaving you with a smooth dough.
Flour - I use self-raising flour for this recipe which is commonly used in Australian baking recipes. You'll need 215g/8oz/half a pound of flour. This is about 1 ¼ cups plus 1 tablespoon.
Substitutions
- ➡️ Castor Sugar - In the USA is is more commonly known as super fine sugar or baker's sugar. If you can't find it regular white sugar will be ok as well.
- ➡️ Self-Raising Flour - Use the same quantity of plain white flour, but add 2.5 teaspoons of baking powder to make your own self-raising flour.
- ➡️ Fruit Substitutions - I have used drained tin pineapple in the past. Readers have also used a combination of stewed apple and rhubarb, apple and raspberry and tin apricots.
Apple Shortcake Step by Step Instructions
- Cream the butter and sugar until well combined and not lumpy.
- Add the egg and vanilla and beat further for a minute until they are combined.
- Add the flour and baking powder in small increments (approx. ¼ cup at a time) and combine.
- Turn the dough onto a piece of plastic/cling wrap and shape into a ball. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Prepare your tin while you wait for the dough to set.
- Using lightly floured hands, press one half of the dough into your cake tin until it is evenly spread.
7. Top with the apple mixture.
8. Top with the other half of the dough.
9. Bake in a moderate oven for 25-30 minutes until golden.
10. Turn the cake upside down onto a plate.
Expert Tip 👩🍳
Chill your dough to ensure the fat (butter) solidifies. This also improves the texture, flavour and makes it easy to roll out to form the base and top layer of your apple cake. Cooled dough also reduces the risk of the butter spreading and causing your cake to be sloppy.
Apple Shortcake FAQs
Granny Smith apples aka cooking apples, are the best for baking. These apples are tart, so they are not going to overpower the cake with sweetness. They also hold their shape really well.
If you don't have time to make stewed apples, you can use canned apple pie filling. You will need a 20oz can (approx. 500g). If your pie filling isn't sweetened, I suggest adding 1 tablespoon of sugar to the mix and a teaspoon of cinnamon.
Firstly, divide the dough into two even halves. This can be weighed or you can do it by eye. You're going to use your fingers to press half the dough into the greased cake tin until it is evenly spread on the bottom. For the top layer, you'll want to either roll or use your hands to spread out the dough into a disc until it is wide enough to cover the apple. Then gently place it on top of the apples. It doesn't matter if the top is rough as you will end up flipping it upside down to serve.
My favourite way to serve this cake is with a big dollop of freshly whipped cream! Serve it warm or cold.
Other Suggested Cake Recipes
If you tried this Apple Shortcake or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and a 📝 comment below to let me know how it went. I love hearing from you!
📖 Recipe
Apple Shortcake
Equipment
- 1 9" / 23 cm round cake pan
- Hand-Held or Stand Mixer
- Digital Kitchen Scales
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter at room temperature (4oz)
- ½ cup caster sugar (4 oz)
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ cups plain flour ½ lbs/8oz
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 teaspoon baking powder
- 14 oz canned apple filling
Instructions
Shortcake Dough
- Add the butter and sugar to a bowl and beat on medium with a paddle beater (or use handheld beaters) until combined. The butter should be mixed well and not lumpy.
- Add egg and vanilla and mix for 30 seconds until the egg is just combined.
- Add the baking powder and the flour in small increments. Scrape down the sides with a spatula to incorporate all ingredients.
- Turn the dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, and shape it into a ball. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F
- Grease a 23cm/9inch round cake tin
- Divide dough into equal halves.
- Using lightly floured hands, press half of the dough into your greased pan as evenly as possible. Use your hands to work the dough to the edges.
- Top with the apple pie filling.
- Roll (or use your hands to press) the other half of the dough into a rough round that fits the size of the pan. Place the dough on top of the pie filling and use your hands to gently press the dough into any missing gaps.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes in a fan-forced oven until browned on top.
- Cool for 20 minutes in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
- Transfer to a plate and serve with a dusting of icing sugar and some cream and/or ice cream.
Fe says
Chose this recipe because of the great ratings and fewer ingredients. It came out perfect. I stewed the apples myself using the recipe link on this page. Followed the recipe as it is with no changes and it’s lovely. Will definitely be making again and again. Thank you 🙂
Georgie says
Thanks so much for the feedback Fe, I'm so glad you loved the recipe!
Kate says
As good if not better than my Mother’s recipe. I make a double batch of shortcake for a large springform pan and mix up my fruits. If I use rhubarb and apple I add almond essence to the shortcake. If apple and fresh raspberries or boysenberries, I put a heaped teaspoon of cornflour in the apple and berry mix to deal with the berry juices. It’s great with apricots and flaked almond, or peaches and hazelnuts too!
This is now my go to recipe for shortcake!
Amanda Rogers says
This is the most delicious cake and so easy to bake.
Just tried a version with 2/3 stewed apple and 1/3 rhubarb.....mmmm awesome!!!
Georgie says
rhubarb would be amazing too! thank you for your kind words and review!
Emily says
Oh yum. I've only ever had US shortcake so I'm very curious about making one from- is it from your neck of the woods. Will definitely try this recipe.
Georgie says
it's similar but a little different - less biscuity!
Sara | Belly Rumbles says
Welcome back to Aus! Such a scrumptious looking shortcake recipe. It's funny how shortcake can mean two completely different desserts here and in the USA.
Georgie says
thank you! I miss it already! so many things have completely different meanings in the US compared to Australia! Like BISCUIT!
Andrea Metlika says
Looks Delicious! Like that it's easy to make and the ingredients are simple too.
Georgie says
it is 100% easy to make and bring together in a hurry! thanks Andrea 🙂
Ellen says
This would be a lovely end to any fall meal, including Thanksgiving dinner.
Georgie says
thanks Ellen, I hope you made it!
Ben Myhre says
The pictures here are leaving me drooling for dessert. I loooove apple pie and a short cake like this would be just as good. This looks so tasty.
Georgie says
ha ha thanks Ben! It does taste Kinda like an apple pie!