Apple Yogurt Cake
Updated Sep 26, 2026
Apple yogurt cake made with Honeycrisp apples and whole-milk Greek yogurt for a moist crumb, finished with an apricot glaze. An easy one-bowl apple recipe.
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intro
I use Greek yogurt in baking all the time, so this apple yogurt cake was not a hard sell for me. There’s no butter or oil in the batter because the yogurt handles that part, and I like that you can actually taste the apples instead of the cake feeling heavy. I do add cinnamon and arrange sliced apples over the top, so this apple yogurt cake is very apple-forward in flavor!
I use Stonyfield’s Organic Whole Milk Greek Yogurt in this apple yogurt cake recipe. I think it makes the cake so soft and moist. It’s my go-to yogurt brand, it’s made with high-quality ingredients (more on that below), and I always have a tub in the fridge for everything from breakfast to baking.
This apple yogurt cake recipe is sponsored by Stonyfield, although the content represents my own personal opinion and experience using the product.
Recipe testing notes
For the past 10 years, I’ve tested every recipe multiple times before sharing it! These notes give you a peek into my process of developing and testing.
I tried this cake with lower-fat Greek yogurt before, and I could tell the difference. It still baked fine, but the cake was drier than I wanted. Whole-milk Greek yogurt gave me the softer texture I’m after, so I stopped messing with that part.
I also changed how I handle the apples after a few tries. The slices that go into the batter can be a little more forgiving, but the ones on top need to be thin. When I left them thicker, they stayed too firm and kind of sat on top of the cake instead of baking into it. Thin slices worked much better, so that’s how I do them now.
The apricot jam was one of those things I thought I could probably skip, and then I did. The cake still tasted good, but the apples on top looked dry once everything cooled. Brushing the warm cake with a little jam fixed that, so it stayed in the recipe.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
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Apple Yogurt Cake Ingredients
- Apples: Choose crisp, firm apples (like Honeycrisp, Gala, or Fuji) so the slices bake up tender but still hold their shape. Peel and core the apples, then cut them into thin, even slices so they soften as the cake bakes. I use a mandoline, but if you don’t have one, a sharp knife works.
- Yogurt: I use Stonyfield’s Organic Whole Milk Greek Yogurt in this apple yogurt cake. I think it keeps the texture soft and moist without butter or oil, and it’s an excellent source of protein (per serving). What I also love is knowing it’s USDA Organic and made with 100% organic milk from pasture-raised cows, sourced from family farms. Choosing it feels like a better option for both my kitchen and my family.
- Apricot jam: Warm the jam just until it spreads easily. If it has large pieces of fruit, press it through a fine-mesh strainer for a smoother glaze.
- Dry Ingredients: All-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk them together before folding into the wet ingredients to prevent clumps and avoid overmixing.
- Wet Ingredients: Eggs, sugar, and vanilla mix with the yogurt to create the batter base. Use room-temperature eggs so they beat with the granulated sugar more easily for a lighter cake crumb.
How to Make Apple Yogurt Cake
These step-by-step photos walk you through how to make Apple Yogurt Cake. For the full ingredient list and detailed instructions, head to the recipe card below, or skip straight to the → Apple Cake with Greek Yogurt recipe below
1. Combine the eggs and sugar
In a large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until the mixture looks pale and slightly thickened.
2. Add the yogurt and vanilla
Stir the yogurt and vanilla into the beaten egg mixture until smooth, with no streaks of yogurt remaining.
3. Add half the apples
Fold in the dry ingredients until no streaks of flour remain, then place half the apple slices over the batter.
4. Fold the batter
Use a spatula to gently lift the batter over the slices until they’re coated and distributed throughout.
5. Arrange the apple topping and bake
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Lay the remaining slices in slightly overlapping circles, then bake until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Brush the apple cake with apricot jam
Cool the cake in the pan and then on a wire rack, then move it to a serving plate. Spread the warm jam gently over the apples with a pastry brush.
Full Apple Yogurt Cake Recipe
Apple Yogurt Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup Stonyfield whole milk full-fat Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large apples peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons apricot jam
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line an 8-inch round or square baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In another large bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until pale and slightly thickened. Stir in the yogurt and vanilla until smooth.
- Fold the dry mixture into the wet mixture just until no streaks of flour remain. Don't overmix.
- Gently fold half the apple slices into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Arrange the remaining apple slices on top in a circular pattern, slightly overlapping.
- Bake for 40–45 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool for 10 more minutes.
- Remove it from the wire rack and place it on a serving plate. Brush it with warm apricot jam to give it a glossy finish.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
- Add orange zest and cardamom. Stir 1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest into the yogurt mixture and add ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom to the dry ingredients.
- Try an apple-pear mix. Replace 1 of the 2 apples with 1 large, firm pear, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced. Avoid very ripe pears, which can release too much juice.
- Add walnuts or pecans. Fold ⅓ cup chopped nuts into the batter with the apples for some crunch.
Recipe Tips
- Stick with full-fat Greek yogurt. Since this cake has no butter or oil, using Stonyfield’s full-fat Greek yogurt is, in my opinion, key to getting that moist, tender crumb. Reduced-fat yogurt won’t give you the same rich texture in my experience.
- Scrape the bottom of the bowl as you fold. Flour can hide underneath the thick batter. Bring it up with the spatula so you don’t end up with dry pockets or keep mixing longer than needed.
- Keep the apple topping in a single overlapping layer. Spread the slices across the surface instead of piling them in the center, where the cake takes longest to bake.
- Tent the apple cake if the top browns too quickly. Loosely cover it with foil and continue baking until the center is done.
Troubleshooting
You may not have beaten the eggs and sugar enough before adding the yogurt. Or, you may have overmixed the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Beat the eggs and sugar until pale and slightly thickened, then switch to gentle folding once the dry ingredients go in.
The center may need more baking time, especially if the apple slices are thick or piled together. A moist apple yogurt cake should still have a set crumb, with no wet batter in the middle. Check near the center before taking it out of the oven, and let it cool before slicing.
The jam may be too thick, causing the brush to drag across the topping. Warm it until it brushes on easily, then use light strokes to keep the apples in place.
Comments
Great!
Yay! So happy you liked it!!
Excellent! Made it today! Easy and delicious thank you!
Yay, so happy you liked it! Thank you!!