It’s apple everything season and I am so pumped about this vanilla apple sheet cake with pecan streusel! Maybe it is because I LOVE vanilla sheet cakes, maybe it’s because I love the smell and taste of baked apples… or because it is so dang easy and so cozy? I guess it’s all of the above but I have to admit I am super into one-bowl and quick and easy cakes these days.

The quickest and easiest apple sheet cake

Having 2 little girls around the house now (one of them turning one year old in just three week – say what??) really makes baking recipes with too many steps or dirty dishes more challenging. Who can relate? This vanilla apple sheet cake is so straight forward: Mix the dry ingredients, add the wet ingredients, mix, done! Just make sure not to overmix once you combined the flour with the wet ingredients, it will overwork the gluten and make the cake dense and tough.

How to make the best vanilla apple sheet cake

There are a few things that set this vanilla apple sheet cake with pecan streusel apart:

It’s all about the vanilla

I highly recommend using real vanilla beans here, vanilla extract just doesn’t compare. I understand not everyone has vanilla beans at hand and if you have to substitute with vanilla extract, it is certainly possible – just won’t taste quite the same!

What apples are best for this apple sheet cake?

Everyone has a different preference for the kind of apples they use in apple cake recipes. I prefer golden delicious apples not just because they are my favorite apple but they have a tart sweetness and are not too sweet and not too sour.

Super easy vanilla sheet cake

This recipe by the Kitchn is my go to recipe when I make vanilla sheet cakes, or just want a quick and easy one-bowl vanilla cake. I usually tweak it a little but, however I see fit and depending on the recipe I am making.