I’m a happy camper this year as I have more apples on my trees than ever before, enough for me and whatever animals are feasting on them at night. I feel like laying out a blanket and a picnic hamper, maybe some tooth picks or a few after dinner mints?
The apples are tart and perfect for baking as well as eating, so I picked a basket full and baked my first apple cake of the season. This apple cake recipe was adapted from The World Of Cake by Krystina Castella. 
It’s a recipe loosely based on a French Canadian version of pound cake which is called a Quatre-Quarts. The French name refers to it’s traditional ingredients consisting of one pound each of flour, butter, sugar and eggs. The addition of apples and cinnamon to this simple pound cake recipe is a lovely way to bring early Fall’s apple season into your own home where you don’t have to share your apples with critters that make noises in the middle of the night.
Apple Spelt Pound Cake
- Total Time: 75 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
Celebrate the beginning of apple season with this delightful pound cake, filled with chopped tart apples and spiced with cinnamon, perfect for a cozy autumn treat.
Ingredients
For The Cake
- 3/4 cup or 1 & 1/2 sticks(170 grams) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup(90 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 Eggs, separated
- 1 cup(120 grams) spelt flour
- 1/4 cup(30 grams) all purpose flour
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1 Generous cup(300 grams) peeled, cored and chopped baking apple, like Pink Lady
For The Vanilla Icing
- 2 tbsp(18 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup(120 grams) confectioner’s sugar
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a loaf pan.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the spelt flour, all-purpose flour, ground cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mixing until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
- Fold in the chopped apples until evenly distributed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
- Use tart apples for the best flavor.
- The cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- For a variation, try adding a handful of chopped nuts or raisins.
- Ensure the egg whites are beaten to stiff peaks for a light and airy texture.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Cake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 250
Find it online: https://honestcooking.com/autumn-apple-spelt-pound-cake/
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this recipe use both spelt flour and all-purpose flour?
The recipe is adapted from a French Canadian Quatre-Quarts (pound cake) tradition, and the combination of 1 cup spelt flour with 1/4 cup all-purpose flour gives the cake its structure while keeping it tender. Spelt has a slightly nutty flavor that pairs beautifully with the cinnamon and apple, while the all-purpose flour provides enough gluten to hold the loaf together.
Why does the recipe call for separating the eggs and beating the whites to stiff peaks?
Beating the egg whites separately and folding them into the batter is key to the cake’s light and airy texture — the notes specifically call this out. The yolks are creamed with the butter and sugar, and the stiff-peaked whites are gently folded in last, trapping air that a straight-mix pound cake would lack.
What kind of apple works best in this cake?
The recipe recommends tart baking apples — Pink Lady is listed as a good example. The article notes the author’s own tree apples are “tart and perfect for baking,” and the notes reinforce using tart apples for the best flavor. Sweeter varieties like Gala or Fuji will make the cake taste less complex.
How long does this cake keep, and how should I store it?
The notes say the cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Apply the vanilla icing only when you are ready to serve, as the icing contains milk and butter and may soften the crust if left on for extended periods.
You don’t say at what temperature to bake this cake?
What temperature do you typically cook your pound cake?
what is temp to bake
Thanks Annie, glad you enjoyed it!
Greetings from down under! I am always trying new spelt recipes and have to say this was the most divine appley apple cakes ever, 10/10. Thank you!
I recently discovered spelt and am always on the lookout for new recipes. This one sounds so good. What temperature oven did you use?
350F or 170C for the oven temperature;-)
This is such a gorgeous treat..love the fresh apples and spelt :) Delicious!
Thanks Alisha!
AHM NOM NOM NOM! If ANYONE could convince me to try spelt flour, it would be you, Patty. And now you have a neighbor with a pear tree? Can’t my lemon tree and I come live in your hood, too? :)
Thanks Hope! Come visit- you can leave the lemon tree at home and we can buy some lemons while you’re here;-)