Overnight Sourdough Apple Cake

A moist and fluffy apple cake recipe re-imagined with active sourdough starter (or sourdough discard) and a buttery, crumble topping. Make it now, or ferment overnight in the fridge to maximize flavor and digestibility. You’re gonna love this one!

I’m a huge fan of grandma cakes. The non-pretentious kind that are simple and straight forward to make. That’s this cake. No icing. No layers. Just a moist interior crumb with tantalizing golden edges and hints of toasty cinnamon throughout. I’ve made this sourdough discard recipe many, many times for friends and family and it always gets rave reviews.

Inspired by my fresh apple cake, this updated version includes 1/2 cup of tangy sourdough starter, baking soda, and a splash of milk to lighten the texture. It’s perfectly fluffy, not-too-sweet and it can be made in advance!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Bake now, or bake later. It’s flexible. For immediate execution: combine the wet and dry ingredients, fold in the apples, top with crumbles and bake right away.

Or, to bake later: prepare as indicated above and ferment the batter overnight in the fridge. The naturally occurring enzymes and friendly bacteria in your sourdough starter makes this cake easier to digest, while amplifying the flavor.

Plus, baking the next day is a breeze! Just pop the cake pan into the oven cold (just like my sourdough blueberry muffins) and enjoy the heavenly aroma while it bakes.

What Apples Are Best?

Use whatever apples you have on hand. Again, this recipe is flexible. I use Granny Smith apples which you can find all year round. But Macoun apples, Golden Delicious apples, or even Honey Crisp apples are delicious as well. Try a combination. Macintosh apples are the only variety to avoid. They’re great for applesauce, but tend to get mushy and break down when baked in cakes.

Note: When first testing this recipe, I used Granny Smith apples totally past their prime with wrinkly skin (they were sitting out in the fruit bowl for too long) and the end result was still great. They’re remained tart and sweet, and held their shape nicely even after 55 minutes in the oven.

How To Make Sourdough Apple Cake: Step-By-Step Recipe

• Preheat your oven to 350 F. Butter an 8-inch springform pan; set aside.
• Make the crumbles: combine the flour, sugar and salt in shallow bowl. Toss well to evenly distribute the salt. Add the butter. Mix with your fingertips to form crumbles.
• Peel and chop the apples into a rough 1/2-inch dice.

• Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Note: I use a stand mixer for convenience. However, the batter can be mixed by hand with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula as pictured above.
• Add the sourdough starter.
• Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix to combine.
• Pour in the milk.

• Fold in the chopped apples. The texture will be thick!
• Scrape the batter into the pan and smooth it out. Scatter the crumble topping over the top.
• To bake now: place cake on the center rack and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.
• To ferment overnight: cover with plastic wrap and chill up to 12 hours. In the morning, bake straight from cold.
• Cool for at least 1 hour or more before slicing.

Helpful Tips:

• I prefer an 8-inch springform pan for this recipe, which makes the cake higher and more voluminous. If you don’t have one, a standard 9-inch springform pan can be used instead (just reduce the bake time slightly to compensate for the wider pan).
• If you only have salted butter, omit the additional salt in the cake batter and the crumble topping.
• This cake is best served barely warm or at room temperature. In my opinion, the taste, texture and structure improves with time. I bake this cake in the morning and serve later in the day, giving it a few hours to cool on the kitchen counter (minimum 1 hour).

More Sourdough Discard Recipes To Try!

If you like this sourdough apple cake, I imagine you’d love the following discard recipes as well. A few ideas to consider: Best Sourdough Pancakes, Ultimate Sourdough Banana Bread & Homemade Sourdough Blueberry Muffins. Let me know your favorite!