You will love this easy to make homemade Apple Bundt Cake. A sweet apple cider glaze adds the finishing touch to the fresh apple cake. Grab some apples and get ready to bake this apple bundt cake recipe.
Enjoy baking with apples? Try this apple cider cake or this apple crisp pie.
Why This Works
I absolutely love when fall comes around because that means time to bake all the things with apples. This apple bundt cake recipe is one of my favorite cakes to bake.
The sweet homemade cake bakes up light and fluffy, yet has a dense moist texture from the apples and caramel baked into it. Apples and caramel really are a delicious match made in heaven. Just like peaches and brown sugar go well together in this peach bundt cake.
This easy and sweet apple bundt cake will become your go to recipe for fall parties. It is easy to make, looks amazing, and tastes incredible. Plus, it will make your kitchen smell like fall as it is baking.
Serve slices of this homemade apple bundt cake with a glass of apple cider iced tea while you sit on your porch and enjoy the crisp fall weather.
Baking With Apples
What kind of apples do you use?
You can use your favorite variety of apple for this apple cake. We like using Gala apples for our baked goods. Other good options are Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Golden Delicious, Fuji, Pink Lady, or Granny Smith. Use a variety of apples to give your baked goods a better flavor.
For this fresh apple bundt cake you can dice the apples, or you can put them into a food processor for a quick pulse. I have actually made this apple bundt cake using both methods, and they both tasted great. If you like to see apple chunks in your cake slices, go with the finely diced apples.
Should apples be peeled first?
That depends on the recipe and your preference. If you are using shredded apples, leave the peels on because they soften and tend to "melt" into the cake. If you are using diced apples, peel them first if you like.
Ingredients Needed
Using apples and applesauce along with simple pantry ingredients will give you a moist and delicious homemade apple cake.
- Butter - Used to create a light and tender texture in the cake.
- Brown Sugar - Sweetens the cake and also keeps it moist.
- Oil - Using just a little bit of oil with the butter will give cakes a moist and tender crumb texture.
- Vanilla Extract & Salt - Adds flavor and balances the flavor.
- Eggs - Binds the ingredients together.
- Applesauce & Apples - Using both of these gives this apple bundt cake a great apple flavor.
- All Purpose Flour - Provides the structure by interacting with the other ingredients. See how to measure flour, so your cake turns out great every time.
- Spices - A mixture of different spices gives this cake a great flavor. Use this cake spice recipe to get the best flavor.
- Baking Soda - Gives the cake the lift it needs as it bakes.
- Caramel Baking Bits - Adds a sweet caramel taste to the homemade apple cake. You can leave these out or use toffee bits, if you prefer those instead.
How to make an Apple Bundt Cake
Making this caramel apple cake really is quite easy to make with just one bowl. Mix everything together and pour it into a bundt pan.
The hardest part is smelling the delicious apple smell in your kitchen and having to wait to dig in.
Step One: Easy Apple Cake
- Beat the butter, sugar, and oil in a large bowl until mixed together.
- Add the vanilla, applesauce, and eggs and mix again.
- Dice or shred your apples and stir them into the wet ingredients.
- Stir together the dry ingredients and slowly add them to wet mixture.
- Add the caramel bits and stir gently.
Step Two: Bake & Cool
- Spoon the apple cake batter into a greased bundt pan and bake for 55 minutes or until a large skewer inserted in the center of the bundt cake comes out with a few crumbs sticking to it.
- Remove the apple cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Do not try to flip it out earlier or the cake could fall apart.
- Flip the apple cake out onto a plate to cool completely.
Step Three: Apple Cider Glaze
- Whisk together the powdered sugar and apple cider until smooth.
- Pour or spoon the glaze over the top of the cooled apple bundt cake.
- Let it set before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Make sure you grease the bundt pan thoroughly. Your caramel apple cake will come out much easier if you do this. Baker's Joy is the nonstick spray that I use. Butter is not recommended because it can cause your cake to brown unevenly.
- Stir a little bit of lemon juice on your shredded apples to keep them from turning brown. Although, if you shred them right before stirring into the batter, you don't need to worry about it.
- If you want to see more apple chunks in your cake, dice the peeled apples instead.
- Do not let the cake sit in the pan longer than 10-12 minutes after baking because any caramel bits that are close to the pan will start to harden and stick to the pan.
- To keep the glaze from dripping all over the place, use strips of parchment or wax paper between the cake and cake plate. Once the glaze has set, you can easily remove the pieces of paper.
- Recipe Variation - skip the caramel bits and add ½ cup chopped nuts and ½ cup raisins to the cake batter before baking.
How to Frost a Bundt Cake
Whisk together your frosting or glaze ingredients until it is pourable. Drizzle or spoon it over the top of the cooled bundt cake. Turn the plate or cake slowly so the icing is evenly poured on top of the bundt cake.
FAQ'S
How do you store an apple bundt cake?
- Counter - This apple cake will be ok on your counter in a sealed container for 1-2 days.
- Refrigerator - Keep the apple bundt cake in a covered container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Refrigerating a cake can cause it to dry out, so make sure it is tightly covered.
- Freezer - The apple cake can be frozen in an air tight container for 2-3 months. It is best to freeze it without the glaze on top. Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Remove it and let it come to room temperature before adding a glaze and serving.
How many slices do you get from a Bundt cake?
Most bundt cakes will serve 12-16 people, depending on how small or large you cut the slices.
Other Easy Apple Cake Recipes
- Cranberry Apple Cake
- Maple Walnut Cake
- Apple Praline Cake
- Apple Chai Cake
- Snickers Cake
- Apple Cake recipe
- Toffee Apple Cake
- Pecan Upside Down Cake
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Recipe
Apple Bundt Cake Recipe
Fresh apples and caramel bits make this homemade Caramel Apple Bundt Cake the perfect fall dessert to enjoy with your coffee or hot apple cider.
Ingredients
For the Apple Bundt Cake
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup applesauce
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cake spice
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 3 cups shredded or finely diced apples
- 1 cup caramel baking bits
For the Apple Cider Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 4-5 teaspoons apple cider
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12 cup bundt pan with nonstick baking spray.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the butter, oil, and sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla, eggs, and applesauce and mix again.
- Stir together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Slowly best into the butter mixture until completely mixed in.
- Stir in the apples and caramel bits by hand.
- Pour the cake batter in the prepared pan. Bake for 55-58 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out with a few crumbs on it.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then flip out onto a plate or tray. Cool completely.
- Whisk together the powdered sugar and apple cider. Spoon over the top of the cooled cake.
Notes
- You can shred or dice your apples. Either way works just fine for this recipe.
- Feel free to use water or apple cider for the glaze on top. I have done both.
- You can substitute toffee bits or nuts in place of the caramel bits if that sounds better to you.
- Use cinnamon in place of cake spice if you can't find it or don't want to make it.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 359Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 295mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 1gSugar: 33gProtein: 4g
Nutrition facts are an estimate and are not guaranteed to be accurate. If you need special diet advice, please see a registered dietician.
*The post for this Caramel Apple Bundt Cake was first published on September 26, 2013. The photos and post have been updated and republished on September 3, 2021.
Gail
Jocelyn I made this cake it tasted good but the batter was very thick and when I baked it the outside was very hard and the cake was dry I followed the recipe completelyt and cooked 10 minutes under the time. What went wrong? It tasted good I'm going to zap the pieces in the microwave because I don't want to throw it away.
Jocelyn
Thank you so much for reaching out. Let me try to help figure this out with you. It is a thicker batter, but the apples should release juice as the cakes bake. What type of apple did you use? And did you shred or dice your apples? I have done both, but found that the diced ones need to be pretty small. What type of bundt pan did you use? I usually use the Nordic Ware aluminum bundt pan. And you are sure you didn't miss any ingredients. I have made this cake countless times and have quite a few variations on the blog, and I have never had to bake it 10 minutes less or had it be dry and hard. This actually has me stumped.
laura Alspaugh
looks AMAZING!! definitely making this week!!!
Sharon
I love your recipes. But I hate the layout of your page. Can you put the recipe at the start? And make the print a little darker? And maybe a little larger. I really enjoy your recipes but it is getting harder for me to read the small and light print. Thanks
Jocelyn
I'm glad you enjoy the recipes I share. The placement of the recipe has to stay where it is, but I can look into changing the font color and size.
Marilyn Stenzel
Can I use cut up carmels for this cake instead of the carmel bits which
I don't think I can get in Canada.
Jocelyn
I think as long as you cut the caramels into small, tiny pieces it should be fine. You can also leave the caramel out, or substitute toffee bits or cinnamon chips if you can find those.
joanne
Hello. I want to make this today. I do not have caramel pieces. Can I use caramel sauce?
joanne
Hello. I want to amke this today. One question. I do not have caramel baking pieces. Can I use caramel icecream topping instead?
Jocelyn Brubaker
Hi, Joanne. I would not use the caramel ice cream topping because that is an extra liquid and it will not bake right then. You can leave the caramel bits out, and your cake will still taste great. Maybe serve a slice of cake with caramel topping instead 🙂
Margaret UK
I live in England and really love American cake recipes. I made this one for my recent Clandestine Cake Club meeting, with a few additions - I grated the apple and squeezed out the juice, put in a handful of golden sultanas and chopped pieces of fudge, as well as the butterscotch bits. In my opinion this was one of the best cakes - evidenced by the fact that everyone wanted a slice and the whole thing disappeared quickly. Thanks for a great recipe.
Jocelyn Brubaker
I am so glad to hear that everyone loved the cake. Sounds like you had some great additions to it too!
Kristen Duke
YUM! I love having my kids help me bake and I think they would love this!
Mackenzie
This looks so yummy Jocelyn! Nothing better than caramel apples in the Fall! 🙂
Trish - Mom On Timeout
I have recently become a caramel addict so this cake just has to be made soon!
kristi@ishouldbemoppingthefloor
More caramel awesomeness!! YUM!