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This  Apple Bundt Cake is one outrageously delicious apple dessert. Delightfully simple and old-fashioned, it’s company-worthy.

Doesn’t this tempting Apple Cake Recipe scream autumn??? It’s time to get baking and treat your family.

Slice of apple cake on a round white dessert plate with a red handle fork.
Table of Contents hide
1 Why You Must Make
2 How to Make
3 Ingredient Notes:
4 Expert Tips
5 Frequently Asked Questions
6 You May Also Like
7 Best Apple Bundt Cake

Why You Must Make

  • Bundt cakes are always a super easy dessert option. No need for frosting, only one pan to wash, and typically they’re dense cakes which I happen to love.
  • This cake will feed a crowd. You can get at least a dozen servings.
  • It’s a perfect autumn dessert! Not everyone goes crazy for pumpkin spice everything!
  • You can easily jazz up a slice with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla, caramel or cinnamon ice cream with a drizzle of caramel sauce!

It can be a casual or elegant dessert! If you need more inspiration for fall baking, we also love this Apple Bread plus here’s a roundup of all my Favorite Apple Recipes.

How to Make

  1. Preheat your oven. Prep your pan by greasing or greasing/flouring.
  2. Combine and beat together the oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla.
  3. Whisk together the dry ingredients, add to the above mixture and stir until just combined.
  4. Add apples and nuts, if using. Fold into the batter.
  5. Bake as directed. Check for doneness with a toothpick
  6. Cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes first, then invert onto a rack to finish cooling.
  7. Dig in!
Apple Bundt Cake on a white cake stand next to 2 apples

Ingredient Notes:

  • Vegetable Oil – Use a neutral flavored oil like canola oil, never olive oil.
  • Sugar, Flour, Ground Cinnamon
  • Eggs – Always use large eggs unless the recipe notes another size
  • Vanilla – Make sure it’s real vanilla extract, not imitation
  • Baking Soda – Make sure it’s whisked in well with the flour so there are no clumps of the bitter, salty soda in the baked cake.
  • Salt – Table Salt (if you only have kosher salt, use twice as much, but I prefer a finer salt for baking.)
  • Baking Apples – I used Granny Smith apples which are readily available. But feel free to use three different apples for more depth of flavor. 
  • Nuts – Totally optional, but I like toasted (to bring out the natural oils) pecans or walnuts in an apple cake.
Apple Cake in a Bundt pan fresh out of the oven

Expert Tips

  • Prep your pan well. I have a non-stick coating on my Bundt pan, but if yours is old, it may not have the coating or it may have worn off. In that case, make sure to grease, then flour. Otherwise, just greasing will suffice.
  • An alternative is to spray your pan with Pam, a non-stick cooking spray, or Baker’s Joy, a non-stick flour and oil spray.
  • PRO-Tip: Use a variety of apples for more depth of flavor.
  • If you add nuts, toasting them first will release the nut oils and make them crunchier and more flavorful.
  • Once the flour is added, do not use a mixer. Beating with a mixer will over-activate the gluten, making a less tender cake.
  • Check a number of spots with a toothpick to test for doneness. If there is batter on your toothpick when you pull it out, the cake is not done. A few moist crumbs are OK, but never batter.
  • PRO-Tip: Let the cake cool in the pan for about 15 minutes to allow the crust to firm up before releasing the cake. Any longer and the cake could become stuck in the pan. And if you flip it immediately, the cake may not keep its shape.
Slice of apple cake on a round white dessert plate with a red handle fork.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Apples are Best for an Apple Cake?

Make sure you use baking apples. Check with the produce manager in your market for advice.
Granny Smith apples are excellent for baking and they’re available all year long. Other wonderful baking apples include Jonagold, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, Pink Lady, Matsu, and even a softer Golden Delicious.
Choosing 3 different apples is always a delicious option. This will provide a variety of textures and flavors making a more interesting flavor profile.

How Should You Serve an Apple Cake?

A dusting of powdered sugar is nice, but you can also drizzle slices or the whole cake with caramel sauce, white chocolate, or a vanilla buttercream frosting.
Each slice can simply be served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.

How Do You Store an Apple Cake?

Since this cake is quite moist, should only be stored at room temperature for 2-3 days. After that, it’s best to keep it in the refrigerator. It should keep well for another couple of days. Make sure to keep the cake covered with plastic wrap.

Can You Freeze an Apple Cake?

Yes, it freezes well. Just wrap airtight and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and serve slices at room temperature.

You May Also Like

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Slice of apple cake on a round white dessert plate with a red handle fork.
The Recipe:

Best Apple Bundt Cake

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Yield 10 servings

A cinnamon spiced Apple Cake that's dense and delicious!

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 medium apples, peeled, cored, and cut into bite-sized chunks*
  • 1 cup nuts, toasted, optional

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325º. Grease and flour tube or Bundt pan. Set aside.
  2. Combine oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Beat until well combined
  3. Whisk together the dry ingredients in a bowl, then add to the sugar mixture, and stir until just combined.
  4. Add apples and nuts, if using. Stir until well combined
  5. Spoon mixture into prepared pan. Even out top with spatula or knife. Bake 60-75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in a few places comes out clean.
  6. Cool for 10-15 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.
  7. Place on a serving plate to cut and serve.

Notes

Adapted from I Am Baker.

*I used all granny smith apples, but 3 different baking apples work well, too.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

10

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 774Total Fat: 42gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 29gCholesterol: 68mgSodium: 364mgCarbohydrates: 95gFiber: 3gSugar: 62gProtein: 8g

HOW MUCH DID YOU LOVE THIS RECIPE?

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© Liz Berg
Cuisine: American / Category: Cakes

My dad came to play grandpa this weekend. He and Nick will head up to South Bend tomorrow to root on Notre Dame as they play Stanford. Go Irish!!! And I love to treat him to some home cooking. He eats everything with gusto! I remember baking an apple cake for him and my mom when they came to visit me in my inaugural apartment (where Bill claims I lived off popcorn!), so this apple cake was the perfect choice for our first Friday of autumn dinner.