This Apple Bundt Cake is my mom’s recipe, and it’s an easy, elegant dessert for fall. Tart Granny Smith apples, plenty of butter, and four warm spices make it super moist and richly flavored, while chopped walnuts add a bit of crunch. A light, sweet glaze finishes it off beautifully.. It all comes together with no mixer or blender needed, and it’s perfect for making ahead when you’re entertaining.
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A Quick Look at the Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Apple Bundt Cake
⏲️ Ready In: about 55 minutes
🥣 Main Ingredients: Granny Smith apples, butter, sugar, flour, eggs, walnuts, and warm spices (cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg)
📖 Dietary Info: Vegetarian. Contains dairy, eggs, gluten, and tree nuts (walnuts)
♨️ Method: Mix by hand and bake
🍽️ Yield: 10 slices
⭐️ Difficulty: Easy
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My brother Jim and I loved Mom’s apple cake with glaze when we were growing up, and we both still love it today.
It’s such a family favorite that I included it in my cookbook, A Well-Seasoned Kitchen®. These days, it’s my go-to dessert when I’m having friends over. I bake it a day ahead, set it on a cake stand with a few flowers in the center, and let everyone help themselves.
If you love baking with apples in the fall, try this apple tarte tartin and stuffed caramel apples next.
Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
- The apples make their own syrup. Stirring the chopped apples with sugar first draws out their juice, which becomes the liquid in the batter. That’s why you don’t need milk, yogurt, or an electric mixer. Everything comes together in one bowl with a spoon.
- Melted butter makes it rich and moist. Butter gives the cake more flavor than oil, along with a tender, moist crumb that stays soft for days.
- Four spices add real depth. Cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg work together for a warm, cozy flavor that tastes like fall in every bite.
- It’s even better the next day. The spices deepen as the cake rests, so you can bake it a day ahead and have dessert ready before your guests arrive.
- It works in two pans. Bake it in a Bundt pan for an elegant cake to set on a cake stand, or in a 9×13 dish for easy squares to share at a potluck.
Ingredients Needed
- Apples. Granny Smith apples are my favorite for this fall Bundt cake. They hold their shape as they bake, so you still get tender bites of apple. Their tartness also balances the sweetness of the cake and glaze. Honeycrisp or Braeburn apples work well too, and a mix of tart and sweet apples is lovely. You’ll need about 3½ cups of chopped apples, which is 2½ to 3 large apples. Cut them into ½-inch pieces so they spread evenly through the batter. These apples also work in savory recipes, like this apple feta salad and this holiday apple sausage stuffing.
- Butter. My mom always used salted butter to make this cake, which subtly enhances the flavor. I’ve tested it with unsalted, and it also works. Melt the butter and let it cool for a few minutes before you add the eggs to avoid cooking them. Using butter instead of oil because it gives the cake a richer flavor and a moist, tender crumb, a bit like a pound cake.
- Spices. Four warm spices give this cake its cozy flavor. Cinnamon adds sweet warmth, allspice brings a gentle peppery note, cloves add deep, dark flavor, and nutmeg rounds it all out.
- Walnuts. Walnuts add a nice crunch and pair well with apples. To make the cake nut-free, leave the nuts out.
- Baking soda. Baking soda is the only thing that makes this cake rise, so be sure yours is fresh. To test it, drop a pinch into a little vinegar. If it fizzes right away, it’s good to use.
- Corn syrup. Added to the glaze so it sets up shiny and smooth instead of turning dull or grainy.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap the nuts. Pecans also work great paired with apples in this cake.
- Frost it instead. If you love the flavors of apple and caramel, then try this caramel frosting on the Granny Smith apple cake. Or for a tangy finish, this lemon cream cheese frosting makes a richer, more decadent cake. Both of these work best with the cake baked in a 9×13 pan rather than as a Bundt cake.
- Swap or skip the glaze. Try this light and tangy lemon glaze instead or simply leave the glaze off and dust the apple bundt cake with powdered sugar.
- 9×13 sheet cake. You can bake the same batter in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish. Start checking it early, at 35 minutes, since the cake bakes faster in a rectangular pan. You don’t need to turn it out of the pan; simply let it cool to lukewarm, and spread the glaze right over the top.
How to Make Apple Bundt Cake
Making our Apple Cake is super easy; you don’t even need an electric mixer. To start, gather all your ingredients, preheat the oven to 375°F, and grease a large (12 cup) Bundt pan, making sure to grease every crevice of the Bundt pan. For more bundt cake recipes, try this chocolate zucchini cake too.
- Prep the apples. Peel, core, and chop the apples. Place them in a large mixing bowl and stir in 2 cups granulated sugar. Set them aside.
- Prep dry ingredients. Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and nutmeg in a mixing bowl.
- Prep nuts. Toss together the chopped walnuts and 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture in a small mixing bowl.
- Mix wet ingredients with the apples. Add 1 cup of melted butter to the bowl of apples and stir until combined. Then, stir in the eggs and vanilla.
- Make the batter. Add the flour mixture to the bowl of apples and stir just until combined. Last, fold in the walnuts, adding any extra flour mixture from the bowl. The batter will be very thick.
- Transfer to the pan and bake. Spread batter evenly in the prepared Bundt pan and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Cool and remove from pan. Remove the cake from the oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then flip it over onto a wire rack placed over a cookie sheet. The cake should release. Allow it to cool. If using a 9 x 13 baking dish, cool the cake in the pan.
- Glaze cake. Stir together the melted butter, powdered sugar, corn syrup, and whole milk. Then pour it over the slightly cooled cake.
Tips for Success
- Toast the walnuts. Toasted walnuts bring a deeper flavor and more crunch than raw. You can toast them in a 375-degree oven on a rimmed cookie sheet for 5-7 minutes or until fragrant and lightly browned.
- Grease the pan well. Brush every groove of the Bundt pan with soft butter and dust it with flour, or use a baking spray that contains flour. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before turning it out.
- Don’t overmix. The batter will be very thick, and that’s normal. Stir just until you no longer see any dry flour, and avoid too much stirring, which can make the cake tough.
- Check for doneness early. Every oven bakes a little differently, and dark pans bake faster than light ones. Start checking the cake at 35 minutes. It’s done when a toothpick in the center comes out clean, and the cake starts to pull away from the sides of the pan.
- Cool before glazing. Let the cake cool until lukewarm before adding the glaze. If it’s too warm, the glaze will slide off; if completely cool, the glaze will sit on top rather than flow down the sides.
- Slice with a serrated knife. A serrated (bread) knife cuts cleanly through the tender cake and crunchy walnuts without squishing the slices. Use a gentle sawing motion, and wipe the knife clean between cuts for the neatest slices.
High Altitude Ajustments
- 5,000 – 7,500 feet: Reduce the granulated sugar by 1 tablespoon, reduce the baking soda by ¼ teaspoon, and add 1 extra tablespoon of butter to the batter.
- Above 7,500 feet: Make the same adjustments as above, and bake the cake in a 9-by-13-inch pan. My testing found consistent results in a rectangular pan; in a Bundt pan, the results were less consistent.
Make Ahead
- You can bake the cake 1 to 2 days ahead.
- Cool completely, then wrap it well in plastic wrap and refrigerate. On the day you serve it, bring it to room temperature, then make the glaze and spread it over the top. The spices deepen overnight, so the cake tastes even better the next day.
- Unglazed cake can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then in a layer of foil. You can also freeze slices. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, bring it to room temperature, then add the glaze.
Storage
- Wrap leftover cake well in plastic wrap and refrigerate. It will keep for up to 4 days. Let slices sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving for the best flavor and texture.
Fresh Apple Bundt Cake Recipe FAQs
Yes, this cake works well in a 10-inch bundt pan (10 or 12 cup) or a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. The cake takes longer to cook in the Bundt pan, about 45 minutes while the rectangular pan will cook faster, around 35 minutes
Grease every groove of the pan well with soft butter and a dusting of flour, or use a baking spray that contains flour. After baking, let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before turning it out. If it sticks, hold the pan upside down and gently tap it on the counter. Still stuck? Set it upside down on a wire rack and give it a little time. It should plop out on its own.
Yes, I recommend it. Because this cake is full of juicy apples and butter, it stays fresher and moister in the refrigerator. Cover it well, and it will keep for up to 4 days. Let slices sit out for about 30 minutes before serving so the cake tastes its best.
My favorite apple for this apple cake recipe is the Granny Smith apple. Its texture holds up well when baked, and its sweet-tart flavor balances perfectly with the sweetness of both the cake and glaze.
Serving
This cake is the perfect centerpiece for a fall menu for any gathering. Set the cake on a cake stand and fill the center with a vase of a few fresh flowers, sprigs of rosemary, or small apples. It’s an easy, elegant touch that makes the cake look special on a dessert table.
Amp up that caramel flavor another notch with a homemade toffee sauce instead of the glaze. Rather than drizzling it over the cake, heat it up and spoon it over slices of cake as you serve them.
Serve warm slices with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. For an even more flavorful finish, try the from-scratch cinnamon whipped cream in my baked pears recipe.
More Homemade Cake Recipes
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Apple Bundt Cake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups peeled and chopped tart apples, around 2 1/2 to 3 large
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup toasted chopped walnuts
- 1 cup melted butter
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 cup powdered (confectioners) sugar
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 12-cup Bundt pan. You can also use a 9×13 baking dish.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the chopped apples and 2 cups granulated sugar. Set aside.
- Sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and nutmeg.
- In a small mixing bowl, toss together the walnuts and 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture. Set both aside.
- To the apple mixture, add 1 cup of the melted butter and stir until combined. Stir in the eggs and vanilla. Add the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Fold in the walnuts (and any flour mixture in the bowl).
- Spread evenly in the prepared dish and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and cool in pan to lukewarm. (At this point, if using a Bundt pan, remove cake from the pan and transfer to a wire rack placed over a cookie sheet.)
- While the cake is cooling, make the glaze. Stir together the remaining 1 tablespoon of melted butter, powdered sugar, light corn syrup and milk.
- Spread over the top of the lukewarm cake. Let cool until the glaze is set before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this in a bundt pan and it cooked in around 40 minutes. Delicious!
Thanks for the feedback. Glad you liked it!