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Square close up shot of apple bundt cake on a cake stand.
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4.84 from 18 votes

Apple Bundt Cake

This moist apple Bundt cake with caramel sauce is an old-fashioned, easy dessert that has been loved for generations!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword apple bundt cake, apple cake, apple dapple cake, moist apple cake recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Cooling Time 2 hours
Total Time 3 hours 30 minutes
Servings 16 slices
Calories 397kcal

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt (I use regular table salt for this recipe; not kosher salt)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
  • 3 cups peeled and finely diced apples (about 3-4 medium apples)

FOR THE CARAMEL GLAZE

  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) salted butter, softened at room temperature
  • ¼ cup heavy cream or half-and-half
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

MAKE THE CAKE

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a Bundt pan; set aside. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat together the eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture; mix just until combined.
    Process shot showing how to make an apple bundt cake.
  • Gently fold in the nuts and apples.
    Adding apples and walnuts to cake batter.
  • Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake for 70-80 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Leave the cake in the pan while you prepare the glaze.
    Apple cake batter in a bundt pan.

MAKE THE CARAMEL GLAZE

  • Combine the brown sugar, butter, cream, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring or whisking frequently.
  • Once the mixture comes to a boil, continue cooking and whisking constantly for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in the vanilla.

GLAZE THE CAKE

  • While the cake is still warm in the pan, use a long wooden stick to poke holes all over.
    Poking holes in an apple bundt cake.
  • Pour about ¾ cup of the glaze over the cake. Allow the cake to sit in the pan and soak up the glaze for about 15-20 minutes. Place the remaining glaze in a microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until the cake is cool. After the cake sits in the pan to absorb the glaze for about 15-20 minutes, turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
    Pouring caramel sauce onto the bottom of an apple cake.
  • Once the cake is cool, microwave the remaining glaze in 10-second intervals until the caramel is soft and smooth again. Drizzle the remaining caramel over the top of the cool cake.
    Process shot showing how to drizzle caramel over the top of an apple cake.
  • Slice and serve!
    Square side shot of a slice of apple dapple cake with ice cream and caramel sauce on top.

Video

Notes

  • Use a firm baking apple, such as Honey Crisp or Granny Smith. These apples hold their shape and won't break down into mush.
  • To Bake the Cake in a Regular Pan: The Bundt pan gives the cake a beautiful texture -- moist on the inside and crisp on the edges. If you prefer, however, you can bake the cake in a 9 x 13-inch pan, and decrease the baking time to about 40-45 minutes.
  • I find that it's easiest to slice the cake cleanly when the cake has cooled to room temperature.
  • The cake keeps well covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for 3 months. If your house is particularly warm, it's best to store the cake in the refrigerator. Remove it from the fridge an hour before serving to let it come back to room temperature.
  • Serve a slice with a drizzle of extra caramel sauce, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of freshly whipped cream, or a sprinkle of toasted pecans or walnuts.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 397kcal | Carbohydrates: 61g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 58mg | Sodium: 336mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 382IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2mg