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This sourdough apple cake is a cozy twist on the classic French apple cake, infused with the subtle tang of sourdough starter for extra depth and moisture. Tender chunks of apple melt into a buttery, custard-like crumb. Perfect for using up extra starter, it bakes up golden and fragrant in just about an hour.
Here’s Why This Sourdough Apple Cake Recipe Works
Brown butter brings depth: Browning the butter deepens its flavor and cooks off excess water, which helps offset the added liquid from the sourdough discard.
Sourdough discard adds complexity: The discard gives the cake a subtle tang and keeps the crumb moist without weighing it down. The cake also works with fresh sourdough starter.
Eggs + yolk = custardy texture: Using two whole eggs and an extra yolk creates a silky batter that clings to the apples.
Apple-packed: With more apples than flour, this cake leans into fruit-first territory. Expect juicy bites of apple in every forkful.
Recipe Tips
Use a mix of apples: A blend of sweet and tart varieties (like Honeycrisp and Granny Smith) gives better flavor and texture.
Don’t skip the parchment: This cake tends to stick to the pan easily. Line the bottom with parchment to guarantee a clean release.
Use a metal pan: Light-colored metal pans bake evenly and prevent overbrowned edges. Avoid glass or dark metal if possible.
Cool before slicing: The crumb sets as it cools, so you’ll get cleaner slices and better flavor if you wait a few hours.
Check early for doneness: Start checking at 60 minutes. Look for golden brown edges and a toothpick that comes out clean.
Slice apples thinly and evenly: Thinner slices layer better in the batter and bake through evenly, giving the cake its signature custardy texture without raw spots.
If you love this sourdough recipe, don’t miss my sourdough vanilla cake or my sourdough pound cake. They are both good for using up extra starter.
Recipe Testing Notes
This cake was adapted from my French apple cake.
Discard hydration math: At 100% hydration, sourdough discard is half water and half flour. In this recipe, ½ cup adds about 60 grams each of water and flour.
Balancing moisture: Browning the butter cooks off 15–20 grams of water, and using 2 eggs plus 1 yolk cuts another 20–25 grams. Together, that nearly offsets the added liquid so the crumb stays soft, not heavy.
Adjusting the flour: Although the discard adds 60 grams of flour, I reduced the base flour by only 30 grams. The fermented flour in discard absorbs less liquid and provides less structure, so keeping some of the original flour maintains a sturdy crumb.
Sourdough French Apple Cake
This sourdough apple cake is cozy, custardy, and loaded with apples. It’s the kind of cake that gets better as it sits. It is moist, deeply flavored, and built for fall (or whenever your apples start piling up). No fuss, no icing, just simple, apple-forward baking at its best.
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Sourdough Discard Apple Cake
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Ingredients
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup granulated sugar, 200 grams
- ½ cup sourdough discard, about 120 grams
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour, 90 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. grease a 9-inch round pan (or an 8 inch square pan) and line the bottom with parchment paper. This cake tends to stick, so don’t skip the parchment.
- Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Let it melt, then continue cooking, swirling the pan occasionally, until the butter foams and the milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty, about 5 to 7 minutes. Pour the browned butter into a heatproof bowl (scrape in the browned bits too) and let it cool while you mix the batter.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs and egg yolk until frothy. Add the sugar and beat for about 2 minutes, until the mixture is pale and slightly thickened.
- Beat in the discard until smooth, then mix in the vanilla extract. Pour in the cooled browned butter and beat until the batter is smooth and glossy.
- Place a metal sifter over the bowl and sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold gently with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain.
- Add the sliced apples and fold until they’re completely coated in batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 60 to 75 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen it, then invert the pan onto a plate and peel off the parchment. Flip the cake again so it’s right-side up.
- For neat slices, let the cake cool completely. It cuts more cleanly once the crumb sets, and the flavor actually improves after a few hours.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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