Apple Bundt Cake

This moist and flavorful Apple Bundt Cake is packed with fresh apples and warm spices, then drizzled with a decadent homemade caramel glaze.

How to make Apple Bundt Cake:

Prep Ingredients: Make caramel sauce. Coat the diced apples with lemon juice.

Make Cake Batter: Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt then set aside. In another bowl, mix together oil, sugars, applesauce, and vanilla. Add the egg and mix again. Fold in dry ingredients and diced apples.

Bake: Pour cake batter into a greased and floured bundt pan and bake at 350°F for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 5-10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack. Serve with caramel sauce drizzled on top.

Recipe

5 from 38 votes

Apple Bundt Cake

Easy and moist Apple Bundt Cake made with fresh diced apples, warm spices, and drizzled with a decadent homemade caramel glaze.

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Author Lauren Allen

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 15

Calories 318

Cost 7

Prep 30 minutes mins

Cook 1 hour hr

Total 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

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Equipment

• Bundt pan
• Johnny Apple Slicer optional
• Oil Sprayer
• Knife

Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

Apple Cake:

• ▢ 3 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 3 cups diced apples (from about 2 apples) peel optional
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• ▢ 3/4 cup oil , vegetable or canola oil
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• ▢ 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• ▢ 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 large egg

Caramel Sauce:

• ▢ 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• ▢ 3/4 cup light brown sugar
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon water
• ▢ pinch salt
• ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ▢ ¼ cup evaporated milk or heavy cream

Instructions

 

• Make caramel sauce (can be made weeks ahead):Grease the sides of a medium saucepan with non-stick spray. Add butter, brown sugar, water, and salt and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the butter has melted. Bring the mixture to a boil., stirring constantly. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 8 minutes, stirring, until golden brown and thickened (keep in mind it will continue to thicken as it cools). Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and evaporated milk.
  6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, ¾ cup light brown sugar, 1 Tablespoon water, pinch salt, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, ¼ cup evaporated milk or heavy cream
• Prep cake: Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Toss the diced apples with lemon juice (keeps them from browning) then set aside.
  3 cups diced apples, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• Dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
  3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon salt
• Wet ingredients: In another large mixing bowl mix oil and granulated and brown sugars. Mix in applesauce and vanilla. Add the egg then mix.
  ¾ cup oil, 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, ½ cup light brown sugar, ½ cup unsweetened applesauce, 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 large egg
• Combine: Stir in the dry ingredients, just until incorporated, then stir in the diced apples. Don't over-mix. The batter will be thick. 
• Bake: Pour into prepared bundt pan and bake in preheated oven for 50-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven then cool for 5-10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack.
• Serve slices drizzled with caramel sauce on top.

Notes

Apples: Any kind of apples will work. I like to use one sweet and one tart. Dice them really small. I usually leave skins on.

Freezing Instructions: Let cake cool completely then wrap in a layer of plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freezer for up to 3 months. 

Optional Cream Cheese Layer: 

• 8 ounces cream cheese , room temperature
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese just until smooth. Add the ⅓ cup sugar, vanilla and egg and blend until smooth. Set aside (or refrigerate for a few days ahead of time). Pour half of the cake batter evenly into the prepared bundt pan. Spoon the cream cheese mixture in a line along the center of the batter (being careful not to let it touch the sides of the pan). Spoon the remaining batter on top and bake as instructed in recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 318kcalCarbohydrates: 51gProtein: 3gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.05gCholesterol: 12mgSodium: 236mgPotassium: 77mgFiber: 2gSugar: 31gVitamin A: 35IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 17mgIron: 1mg

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I originally shared this recipe September 2014. Updated December 2020 and September 2025. I have since omitted the cream cheese filling, but left those instructions in the notes, if you'd like.

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