Name: Weight Watchers Apple Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1-2 apples (cut into thin wedges); ½ cup avocado oil; ¼ cup applesauce ((unsweetened)); ½ cup granulated sugar; ¼ cup brown sugar; 3 eggs; ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste; 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg; ½ teaspoon salt; 1 tablespoon Turbinado or brown sugar (for topping)

Apples and spice and everything nice – that’s what fall foods are made of. This Weight Watchers apple cake brings all of that to the table without breaking your calorie budget for the day. It uses “normal” baking ingredients – no fake sugar or aspartame – so it’s easy to bake even if low-calorie recipes aren’t normally your thing. It is flavorful without being overly sweet, and can make an equally tasty brunch treat or after-dinner dessert.

Jump to Recipe

This spiced apple cake was inspired by a couple of different recipes, including this classic from Betty Crocker and this Weight Watchers recipe from The Pointed Kitchen. I adapted the recipe in a manner that shaved off a few SmartPoints – just to help you feel less guilty for indulging in this treat.

A spiced apple cake rests on a cooling rack, atop a piece of wax paper. The cake is topped with slices of an apple and has been dusted with brown sugar.

Smart Points in Weight Watchers Apple Cake

If you cut this spiced apple cake into 12 slices, each slice is only 6 SmartPoints. Each slice contains 145 calories, 2.5g of fat, 0.6g of saturated fat, 28.3g of carbohydrates, 15.1g of sugar, and 3.2g of protein.

I developed this recipe to share with a friend who is currently doing the WW (formerly known as Weight Watchers) SmartPoints program. Not being a part of WW myself, I used these two websites to calculate the nutrition facts and Smart Points for this recipe.

If you’re part of the WW program and are looking for more compatible recipes, check out my Weight Watchers friendly spiced banana bread, which has only 5 Smart Points per slice.

A baked weight watchers apple cake rests in its pan. The cake is topped with slices of an apple and has been dusted with brown sugar.

Ingredients

This Weight Watchers apple cake calls for the basic cake ingredients – neutral oil, granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla bean paste, flour, baking soda, and salt.

The only unique ingredients you need for this recipe are applesauce (to add some lightness to the cake), cinnamon, nutmeg, and a couple of whole apples, which we will cut into very thin wedges and place atop the cake once it is in the pan. You also have the option of using brown sugar or “raw” Turbinado/demerara sugar, to add a subtle, sweet crunch to the final cake.

How to Make WW Apple Cake

Grease an 8-inch round cake pan and preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. While your oven is preheating, slice the apples into thin wedges. I used about 1 1/2 Granny Smith apples for the cake you see pictured; you are welcome to use more if you are craving some extra fruity texture.

In a medium-seized mixing bowl, cream together the applesauce, avocado oil, vanilla bean paste, and sugar. After those ingredients are completely combined, mix in the eggs one at a time.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Slowly pour this into your applesauce mixture and stir to combine.

Pour the batter into your prepared cake pan. Layer the top of your cake with concentric circles of sliced apples. Sprinkle the apples with a dusting of raw sugar (or brown sugar, if that’s what you have on hand).

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30-45 minutes. The apple cake is done when a toothpick or sharp knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. (Yes, I realize this is a wide range for the cake baking time! Every oven will vary a little bit; start checking your cake at 30 minutes and see how it does. I usually re-check in 5 minute increments, depending on how “done” the cake seems on the initial check.)

Allow your spiced apple cake to briefly cool in the pan before transferring it to a wire rack to finish cooling. Slice and serve – maybe with a dollop of ice cream on the side.

Even if you aren’t a Weight Watchers lifetime member, this spiced apple cake is a nice recipe to make for your next autumn gathering – be it a baby shower, a potluck, or just a breakfast gathering with friends. If you made it at home and took some pictures, please tag @WhiskAverseBaking in your social media posts – I would love to see your creation! You can also click the “Pin Recipe” button in the card below if you aren’t quite sure when to use this recipe. Don’t worry – it’ll be waiting for you, whenever you’re ready.