062 / 100 · Bake Together

Apple-Cinnamon Squares

Name: Apple-Cinnamon Squares
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 9 squares
Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour; 1 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/4 tsp salt; 1/3 cup sugar; 1 large egg; 1/3 cup milk; 1/4 cup canola oil; 1 cup coarsely grated peeled apple, loosely packed

Suggested ages 9–12 Cook with help: an adult handles heat and sharp tools

9 squaresActive 20 minTotal 1 hr 20 min

Grated apple adds moisture throughout these small cake squares. The young cook mixes the batter while the adult prepares the apple. Cinnamon flavors the cake itself, so it needs no icing or extra decoration.

Start with the grown-up check

Nine golden apple cake squares with small apple shreds and cinnamon speckles, no icing or garnish. — AI-generated gouache-style food illustration. Follow the written ingredients and method.

Before you begin · grown-up check

The adult grates apple, cracks the egg, operates the oven and cuts cooled squares.

A grown-up checks ingredient labels, the workspace and the young cook’s readiness before starting.
Adult heats oven to 350°F, lines pan, peels and grates apple and cracks egg into a bowl; wash hands after handling egg.

Ages are a starting guide. A grown-up checks your readiness and stays nearby. Follow the actor label on every step.

Let’s make it

Tick off steps as you go. Your ticks stay in this browser.

TogetherWash hands with soap and water, clear the work area and read all the steps before measuring.
Young cookWhisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt in one bowl.
Young cookWhisk sugar, egg, milk and oil in the other. Stir in apple, then fold in dry ingredients until combined; do not taste batter.
Young cookScrape into the cold lined pan and spread evenly. Wash hands and clean the batter area.
Grown-upBake 25–30 minutes, until the center springs back and a cake tester comes out without wet batter. Cool in pan 15 minutes, lift to a rack for at least 15 minutes more, then cut into nine squares once cool.

The skill you’re learning

Level batter into the corners so the middle and edges bake at a similar rate. Grated apple should be measured loosely, not squeezed into a solid lump.

Try one change

Use 1 cup coarsely grated ripe pear instead of apple, prepared by the adult.

Serving & storing

A grown-up puts leftovers in a covered shallow container at 40°F or colder within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F. Use within 3 days.

Cook with a grown-up

Read the young-cook and grown-up guide for help labels, clean preparation and ingredient checks.

Keep your recipe card

The card includes the exact ingredients, grown-up setup and actor-labeled steps.

Save printable recipe card

Printable ingredients, age and actor-labeled steps for Apple-Cinnamon Squares