Apple Cake with Buttermilk Sauce

A Sweet Fall Memory: The First-Grade Apple Recipe Book

During the fall semester of my first-grade year, the teacher asked every child to bring a copy of an apple recipe to class. We then cut out these recipes in the shape of an apple, cut out 2 pieces of red construction paper in the shape of an apple, and stapled all the papers together. My mom still has this first-grade recipe book all about apples. One recipe we have made every fall is apple cake with buttermilk sauce. This recipe came from my friend Thomas’s mom and is delicious!

How I Updated the Recipe with Freshly Milled Flour

 I have modified this apple cake with buttermilk sauce recipe a little bit to fit my family’s taste. One way I have altered it is by using freshly ground soft white wheat flour. When you substitute freshly ground flour for all-purpose flour, a good rule of thumb is to add ¼ cup extra freshly ground flour for every cup of all-purpose flour the recipe calls for. For example, this recipe originally calls for 3 cups of all-purpose flour. So that would be ¾ cup extra freshly ground flour bringing the total amount of flour used to 3 ¾ cups.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Apples ( I used Gala apples for this recipe.)
• Lemon Juice
• 3 3/4 freshly milled flour ( or substitute 3 cups all-purpose organic flour)
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 cup organic olive oil
• 2 cups organic sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup organic brown sugar
• 1/4 cup buttermilk (You can make buttermilk with milk and lemon juice. Instructions below!)
• 1/8 tsp. baking soda

Step-by-Step Instructions

To start, you will need to peel and chop around 4 apples. To keep the cut apples from turning brown, I add a spoonful of lemon juice to the bowl and stir.

Next, you will need to grind soft white wheat berries. Put 3 ¾ cup freshly ground flour in a mixing bowl along with ½ tsp. baking soda, ½ tsp. salt, 1 tsp. of ground cinnamon, and 1 tsp. of baking powder. Set aside.

In a different mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of olive oil with 2 cups organic sugar. Add 3 eggs, ¼ cup of milk, and 1 tsp. vanilla extract. Slowly incorporate your flour mixture into the wet ingredients. Lastly, stir in the diced apples with a silicone spatula.

Pour into a greased and floured 9×13 baking dish and bake for 45 minutes at 350°F. Check to see if it’s done by poking a toothpick in the middle. If the toothpick comes out clean or with only a few crumbs attached, the cake is done.

How to Make Homemade Buttermilk Sauce

As soon as you take the cake out of the oven, make the buttermilk sauce. I never buy buttermilk. Instead, I add lemon juice or white vinegar to milk and let it sit for 5 minutes. This recipe calls for ¼ cup buttermilk. So I added ½ tsp of lemon juice to ¼ cup of milk to make buttermilk. Melt 6 tablespoons butter in a pan. Whisk in 1 cup of brown sugar and ¼ cup of buttermilk. Bring to a boil and whisk in 1/8 tsp of baking soda. Turn off the burner and take pan off the heat. Let the buttermilk sauce sit until the cake has cooled for 10 minutes.

Once the cake has cooled for 10 minutes, poke the top with a toothpick several times. Pour hot buttermilk sauce over the entire cake. Let sit for 1 hour before serving.

Serving Tips and Storage Suggestions

I always store this cake on the counter. Storing cakes in the refrigerator can dry them out. It never lasts long, so I don’t have to worry about it going bad! Just make sure to wrap the 9×13 baking dish tightly with plastic wrap. This cake actually tastes better the next day once the flavors have had a chance to blend.

Final Thoughts: A Fall Dessert Worth Keeping Forever

This apple cake with buttermilk sauce is more than just a recipe — it’s a fall tradition that reminds me of simple childhood moments and the joy of homemade baking. The combination of tender apples, rich buttermilk sauce, and freshly milled flour creates a cozy, old-fashioned flavor that never goes out of style. Every time I bake it, the aroma fills my kitchen with warmth and nostalgia, making it the perfect fall dessert recipe to share with family and friends. It’s the kind of recipe you’ll want to keep, remake, and pass down — just like Thomas’s mom did all those years ago.

If you would like more fall themed dessert recipes, here’s my recipe for easy pumpkin bread with caramel glaze.

Want more wholesome recipes made with freshly milled flour? Subscribe to my newsletter for inspiration and simple healthy eating tips!

Apple Cake with Buttermilk Sauce

Recipe by KimberlyCourse: DessertDifficulty: Easy

Servings

15

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

45

minutes

Moist apple cake paired with a buttermilk brown sugar sauce. A match made in heaven!

Ingredients

• 1 cup organic olive oil

• 2 cups organic sugar

• 3 eggs

• 1/4 cup milk

• 1 tsp. vanilla

• 3 3/4 cups freshly milled flour (3 cups if using organic all-purpose flour)

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1/2 tsp. b. soda

• 1 tsp. baking powder

• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon

• 4 apples peeled and diced

• 1 tsp. lemon juice

• Buttermilk Sauce:

• 6 tablespoons butter

• 1 cup brown sugar

• 1/4 cup buttermilk

• 1/8 tsp. baking soda

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Peel and chop 4 apples. Put in a bowl with 1 tsp. lemon juice. Stir and set aside.
• Add 3 3/4 cups freshly milled flour (3 cups if using all-purpose flour), 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. baking soda, 1 tsp. ground cinnamon, and 1 tsp. baking powder to a mixing bowl. Stir and set aside.
  
  
• Pour 1 cup of olive oil and 2 cups sugar in a different mixing bowl. Combine, then add 3 eggs, 1/4 cup milk, and 1 tsp. vanilla. Mix and gradually add flour mixture. Fold in diced apples with a spatula.
  
  
• Grease and flour a 9×13 pan. Pour batter in pan and bake for 45 minutes.
• When cake is done baking, melt 6 tablespoons of butter in a pan on the stove. Add 1 cup of brown sugar and 1/4 cup of buttermilk. (If you don’t have buttermilk, add 1/2 tsp. of lemon juice to 1/4 cup of milk and let sit 5 min.) Whisk and bring to a boil. When boiling, add 1/8 tsp. of baking soda and whisk in. Turn off the burner and take pan off the heat.
• After the cake has cooled for 10 minutes on the counter, poke several tiny holes in the top with a toothpick. Gradually pour hot buttermilk sauce over the cake. Let sit 1 hour before serving.

Notes

• This recipe works great with freshly milled flour. But if you don’t have any available, all-purpose flour is delicious too!