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.
Jess @ On Sugar Mountain
I am definitely the opposite: once 3pm hits I don't want to do ANYTHING productive whatsoever. Though I bet I could make an exception to stay up and make this cake! Caramel bits AND chunks of apple?! LOVE IT!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Haha, thank you Jess!! 😉
Chels R.
Mmm, that looks like the perfect cake to eat in the morning with a cup of tea (or coffee). I hope your finger is okay. No more cutting carrots in the morning-and kudos to your kid for wanting a salad!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thanks Chels! It's much better now 😉
Eat Good 4 Life
I love anything apple and caramel and this bundt cake sure looks fabulous. I need to get my bundt cake out and bake something with it. I think I have only used it a couple of times!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thank you Miryam!! You need to break that bundt pan out girl! 😉
Anne ~ Uni Homemaker
Oh wow, this cake looks absolutely amazing! I want a slice right now for a midnight snack! 😀
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thank you so much Anne!! 😉
Bouillon de Notes
thank you for sharing this delicious apple cake, a great idea for a special tea time after a walk in country side, have a nice day, liên
Jocelyn Brubaker
Mmmm, you just described a wonderful day!! Thank you so much! 😉
Kelli @ The Corner Kitchen
Yum!! Now I'm even more excited about going apple picking this weekend! Will be making this cake for sure!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Yaaaay!! Let me know how you like it if you make it!! 😉
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes
This looks sooo moist and delicious! And yes, I'm enjoying all the apples this week 🙂
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thank you Ashley!! I'm glad you enjoyed apple week!! 😉
Beth @ bethcakes
This looks delicious! I am so in love with caramel apple flavored things. I will have to try this! 🙂
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thank you so much Beth!! 😉
Lindsay @ Life, Love and Sugar
This looks so delicious!! I love caramel apple! I recently cut off a pretty good chunk of finger (in July with a Mandoline) and ended up in the ER 🙁 All better now though! I'm glad you reacted better than I did and only got a small piece!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thank you Lindsay!! Yikes! I'm glad you're ok! The dangers of cooking/baking I guess! 😉
Mary Frances @ The Sweet {Tooth} Life
I'm loving all these apple desserts! Don't stop! Bundt cakes are my favorite (purely for looks:) and I bet the apples give amazing texture. Apple cakes are SOOOO good!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thank you Mary!! I love apple cakes too!
Stephanie @ PlainChicken
looks amazing! I wish I had a piece for breakfast.
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thank you Stephanie!! 🙂
Aimee @ ShugarySweets
You make the prettiest bundt cakes! I need to taste test this though, for quality control. I trust it's good, but you know, just in case! Please send....
Jocelyn Brubaker
Haha, thanks girl!! Taste testing for quality control, I like it! 😉
Marcie
I'd be in serious trouble to have all of your yummy apple goodies around me. This cake looks just as good as your other recipes! I used to bake at night when my kids were little because I was very uptight when they'd get into everything. My boys have no interest in helping most of the time. Maybe if it had something to do with Minecraft?
Jocelyn Brubaker
That's why I give so much away! Lol! Thank you so much Marcie!! Haha, my oldest doesn't care to help much anymore either.
Tieghan
I always bake during the day so I have light for my photos, but also because I am a total morning person. It just works for me!
Love this cake. It is gorgeous!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Yes, light is much better during the day! Thank you Tieghan!!
Kelly @ old blue silo
Your pictures are always so drool-worthy. Especially the frosting in this one.
Never heard of making frosting with cider... very cool. Can't wait to try that!
I bake when my two cats are napping.
Fun fact. When I was a kid, I always said "butt cake" because I couldn't say "bundt" and to this day, it's still "butt cake" in my family ... I even caught myself reading your title as "Caramel Apple Butt Cake" 🙂
Jocelyn Brubaker
Awwww, thank you so much Kelly!! That means a lot! The frosting was delish! That's hilarious about calling it butt cake!! 😉
Chung-Ah | Damn Delicious
So can I have the entire bundt cake? 1 slice is just not enough.
Jocelyn Brubaker
That's exactly how I felt!! Thanks girl!! 😉
Lisa @ Wine & Glue
Oh my goodness! Careful Jocelyn! No kidding you use your food processor! This looks absolutely delicious!! Pinning!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Haha, thanks Lisa!! 🙂
Nancy P.@thebittersideofsweet
Lovin all the apples!! I do most of my baking in the mid morning or mid afternoon hour. It is when there are less people around and the little one is the only one have to manage unless she is napping!
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thank you Nancy!! 😉
KC @ The Real Thing with the Coake Family
OMG...that looks so good! I recently made an apple cake, but didn't put any kind of frosting on it. I think it would have put it over the top.
Thanks for the idea.
KC
Jocelyn Brubaker
Thank you KC!! The frosting definitely adds that extra pop! 😉
Happy Valley Chow
I could definitely go for a big slice of that with my cup of coffee in the morning! Yummy 🙂
Happy Blogging!
Happy Valley Chow
Jocelyn Brubaker
Haha, thank you!! It tasted delightful with my cup of joe! 😉