Originally published in 2014, this deliciously moist and spiced apple Bundt cake is smothered in a buttery brown sugar glaze. Use your favorite apple variety such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp. It’s like a denser, more cinnamon-y (technical terms!) version of this fresh apple cake.
I love old-fashioned desserts. The kinds of desserts grandmas make so well, often memorized in their heads. Like buttery homemade caramel corn, banana bread, and apple pie. Or peach cobbler, cornbread, and teeth-rotting sweet chocolate fudge. Yum.
Today’s recipe is just that. It’s like a big, sweet hug from grandma’s kitchen.
If you’re a regular reader, you know what my favorite dessert is. Do I talk about it all the time? Probably too much. Apple pie, apple pie, apple pie. And I’ve even written extensively about the pie crust that accompanies this holy grail of desserts.
Let me continue. Today’s apple Bundt cake was inspired by my Brown Sugar Glazed Apple Bread recipe in my cookbook. The first recipe in my cookbook because it’s the best. Soft, dense, and absolutely packed with apples. It’s the kind of bread you bake on lazy Sundays not only because it’s so good but because it makes your house smell so good.
And this cake is exactly like it. It’s a combination between buttery pound cake and apple pie. It is, simply put, the quintessential recipe to make in the fall season. Sweetened mostly with brown sugar, this cake will melt in your mouth. Cinnamon spice and apple chunks are in every bite. Seriously, I do not skimp on apple chunks in my apple dessert recipes. They’re the best part, yes? The cascade of brown sugar glaze was an afterthought, but might just be the best decision I’ve ever made.
Because the Bundt cake is so large, it will take a good amount of time in the oven. Larger recipes like this have bake times that vary greatly between ovens, but I find 1 hour and 10 minutes is the perfect number. Your bake time may be higher or lower and that’s normal, so don’t get discouraged as you watch the clock.
What Kind of Apples to Use in Apple Bundt Cake?
You can use your favorite apple variety in this apple Bundt cake. Some friends and I went to the apple orchard a couple weeks ago and picked some juicy Jonagolds and Granny Smiths. If they had Honeycrisps available that day, I would absolutely have made this cake with those. All hail the Honeycrisps! For a detailed list of my favorite apple varieties, and when to use each, you can visit my post on the best apples for baking. If you find yourself with a plethora of apples like I did, you should also make these apple cinnamon scones for breakfast.
Enjoy, my fellow apple dessert lovers. See all my apple recipes and a list of 30+ fall cake ideas.
More Bundt Cakes to Love
- Peach Bundt Cake
- Lemon Berry Yogurt Cake
- Chai Cinnamon Swirl Bundt Cake
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Chocolate Marble Banana Bundt Cake
- Hummingbird Bundt Cake
Glazed Apple Bundt Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield: serves 10-12
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Tender and moist homemade apple Bundt cake smothered in a buttery brown sugar glaze. Your new favorite cake for the crisp fall weather.
Ingredients
Apple Bundt Cake
- 3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 and 1/4 cups (300ml) vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup (120g) plain yogurt or sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/4 cups (250g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract (yes, 1 full Tablespoon)
- 3 cups (360g) peeled and chopped apples, about 2–3 large apples
Brown Sugar Glaze
- 1 cup (200g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
- 1/2 cup (60g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Spray a 10-to-12-cup Bundt pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a large bowl until combined. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, yogurt, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, and vanilla together until combined and creamy. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and slowly whisk until no large lumps remain. Try to avoid over-mixing. Carefully fold in the apple chunks. If you feel 3 large apples is too much, feel free to cut down to 2 apples. I like a lot of apple chunks in my cake!
- Spoon/pour the thick batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake for 55–75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. The baking times may vary depending on your oven, if you used a 10 cup bundt pan or 12 cup, or if you used less apple chunks. Keep your eye on the cake after 55 minutes. Feel free to cover the cake loosely with aluminum foil about halfway through to prevent heavy browning on top. Allow the cake to cool in the pan set on a wire rack, then invert onto a serving plate once cooled and ready to serve.
- Make the glaze: As the cake cools, prepare the brown sugar glaze. Combine the butter, brown sugar, and heavy cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the butter has melted, and then stop stirring and let the mixture come to a rapid boil. Boil for 1 minute. Turn the heat down to low, give it a quick stir, and let simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in the sifted confectioners’ sugar. Allow glaze to cool and slightly thicken for at least 10 minutes. Spoon glaze over the cake right before serving. (Cake can still be warm when glazing.) If your glaze thickened up too much as it cooled, warm in the microwave for 15 seconds and stir until smooth.
- I like this cake warm, at room temperature, and even cold. Cover leftovers and store at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Flavor is outstanding on day 2!
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Cake freezes well up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 10- to-12-Cup Bundt Pan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | Rubber Spatula | Cooling Rack | Saucepan | Fine Mesh Sieve
- Nuts: For some texture, add 1 cup of your favorite chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts.
- Yogurt: I prefer plain Greek yogurt here, but regular plain yogurt or sour cream works as well.
- Apples: I prefer a mix of tart and sweet in my apple dessert recipes. Here are the best apples for baking.
- Sheet Cake or Cupcakes: Try my similar recipes for apple cake or apple spice cupcakes.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hi Jessica, it will depend on the exact size of your mini Bundt pans. You can use the baking time from these mini vanilla pound cakes as a guide.
Can I use butter instead of oil
Hi Elaine, you can use melted butter, but the cake will taste a little dry so you would have to add other wet ingredients. For best results, and so you don’t waste time with a mediocre cake, I recommend making it as written.
Can I make the glaze several hours ahead and reheat
Yes. It thickens considerably over time, but reheating thins it out again.
I have this in the oven right now and it smells fabulous! Unfortunately, I just discovered my 1/2 cup of yogurt on the counter. Oops! Will this be a disaster?
Hi Fischer, it may be a little dry, but let us know how it turns out!
Very delicious! I made it just as written, placing a foil “tent” loosely over half way through baking and it didn’t get too brown. Cake was very moist. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
This cake is very tasty! Everyone that tried it has loved it so far. I used honey crisp apples (i did finely chopped) and added pecans! It was very moist too.
What a great cake, the essence of autumn all wrapped up in apple deliciousness! I followed the recipe exactly and it came out perfectly. I did add on to the baking time because my cake tester didn’t come out clean. I made a second batch which I split into two loaf pans to share. My family LOVED it! The glaze was amazing as well. This is a keeper for my recipe box for sure!
Must have done something wrong. I used 3 cups (2 1/2 apples) of honey crisp apples. The cake was loaded with apples, but came out dry and dense and apples not cooked through. I thought the honey crisps would give it some pop and hold some moistness, but that didn’t happen. If I were to do this again, I think would give the apples a little pre-cook. Also would add something to te glaze to add some flavor….maybe bourbon? Or lemon zest?
Mrs Sally this is an awesome recipe. I made it for my church family and they loved it ! I with a different sugar glaze recipe, but the cake was wonderful. Thank you for all the additional information you add to your recipes they really come in handy.
Hi Sally, My glaze did not harden very well, any suggestions? Thank you
Hi Brenda, did the glaze simmer for a full minute on the stovetop? That helps it to thicken, so you could try extending that time just a bit should you decide to try the glaze again. We hope you enjoyed the cake!
Can I make this recipe in two loaf pans. I would like to bring one to a friend who had surgery
How long to cook would be needed. Thanks very much.
Hi Penny! Yes, you can use two 9×5-inch loaf pans for this recipe (or you might enjoy this apple cinnamon bread, too). We’re unsure of the exact bake time. You can use the bake time for the apple cinnamon bread as a guide, and begin checking early to ensure it’s not over baked. Enjoy!
Do I have to use vegetable oil? Can I use canola?
Hi Marnie, you can use canola oil instead—same amount.
You adapted this recipe from a very old recipe that I’ve made for 48 years. The oil should be cut back to 1 1/8 cups.
Question for Sally and staff- what are your thoughts on soaking the apples in a small amount of Calvados prior to making? I’d like to ramp up the apple flavor.
Hi AB, I haven’t tested that before so I can’t speak from experience, but let me know if you try it.
Great success with this recipe! I did not have any heavy cream so I made a buttermilk glaze.
Would this still be good without the glaze? We’re not a glaze/icing family but i’m wondering if the cake itself is flavourful enough to make it anyway….
Yes, absolutely!
I want to bake this but always wonder what is meant by “chopped” when referring to the preparation of the apple pieces to be added to the batter. Size changes so much in most recipes. The shape affects texture, moisture and all those subtleties. I hope a few readers can comment on how they decide the shape of the chunks. Measurements appreciated!
Hi Marmar, about 1/2-inch chunks work great here. Hope you enjoy the cake!
Could I use a cup of apple cider to replace the apple chunks in the Bundt cake? Would I need to adjust anything for the extra liquid? Thank you!!
Hi Jennifer, we don’t recommend that. The apple chunks act as an add-in, whereas the apple cider would act as a liquid and change the consistency of the batter. If you’re interested, here are all of our recipes using apple cider.
This cake is delicious – much better than apple pie!!
Question: the glaze tasted a little gritty even though I whisked it well, sifted the confectionery sugar and did the boiling instructions. Is there something I should have done differently?
Made this cake today and it turned out great! Baked it for 65 minutes and did not have to cover it with foil. I used sour cream in the cake batter and actually used the Salted Caramel Frosting from this site instead of the Brown Sugar Glaze and it’s delicious!
If I could revise my previous low-star review, I would. But honestly, it has so many 5 star reviews, who is counting. I previously made this and *used tin foil across the bottom to prevent it from browning* (per instructions in the recipe!) With all the eggs, it’s no wonder it puffs up, soufflé like, and when I used the foil, it ended up deflating the puff and I was left with an uneven looking bottom that was burnt at the edges and mushy in places (but the skewer was coming out clean?!) So this time, I baked it on the bottom rack and skipped the foil. The end result was wonderful! Beautiful, super moist, soooo tasty! I am not super happy with the distribution of the apple pieces. Most of my apple pieces ended up on the top 1/3 of the cake. I refuse to make it with less than the 3 cups because we love the apple as much as the cake. The next time I make it I’m going to alternate thin sliced apples with a variety of chunks. Maybe some of the thin slices will hang out on the bottom and in the middle?! Regardless, we’ll enjoy finding out
Hi! While I am not the author of this recipe, a helpful tip here is to toss the apples in flour before folding them into your cake. It will keep them from falling while baking
What happened?! I followed the recipe exactly, even letting the sour cream come to room temp. I put a piece of foil over the bottom about 1/2 way through. The middle is soggy, the edges are bordering on overdone. It looks like it imploded. I used 4 cups of fresh, diced apples. I’m a little heartbroken.
4 cups of apples is much more than the recipe calls for, I think it overwhelmed the batter and didn’t allow for thorough baking
Can you use a tube (ie angelfood cake) pan instead of Bundt?
Hi RK, we haven’t tested this bundt cake in other cake pans, but you can certainly give it a try. A tube pan should work! Just check the size of your pan–it may be that it’s a 10-inch tube pan when a recipe calls for a 12-inch bundt pan, so you could end up with too much batter. Best of luck!
Can I switch out the yogurt or sour cream for buttermilk?
Hi CK, You can use buttermilk in a pinch. The cake may not taste as dense.
This recipe is phenomenal. It’s super moist and not too sweet. I brought it to work and everyone loved it.
Amazing! I rarely comment on recipes after I’ve made them, but this really did produce an amazing dessert for a party I hosted. Someone thought it was from a bakery because of its taste and presentation. I baked the cake. Day before the event and made the glaze the morning of. Then I heated it up and glazed the cake before serving- incredible!
First time a recipe hasn’t worked. I tried to bake this cake in a loaf pan and mini loaf pan. Cakes appeared done by toothpick test and touch but when I opened one undercooked as in heavy, dense. I put full amount of apples in ( that is lot of moisture) I am wondering if it can’t be done as a loaf only Bundt type with core middle? Any thoughts Sally.
Hi Nancy, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. This cake is certainly on the denser side, but if it seemed especially so, it’s possible that the batter was over mixed. For next time, mix the ingredients until they are just combined. For a lighter loaf, you might enjoy our apple cinnamon bread instead. You can use the glaze from this recipe on top of that bread if desired. Let us know if you try it!
Thank you for this reply. Mine also collapsed and was gummy. I did it in a stand mixer on low, trying hard not to overdo it but maybe by hand is best! It’s still delicious but not up to presentation standard. Will try again!
Can I use a combination of apples & pears
Hi Barbara, we imagine that should work just fine—let us know if you try it!
I just wanted to check – will the cake come out of the pan well with just nonstick spray? Bundt pans are notorious for cakes sticking to them without butter and flour or something similar. Love your site – it looks great!
Hi Sara, we have success using nonstick spray with our Bundt cakes. Be sure to heavily coat! You can certainly feel free to use butter and flour if you find that works better for you. Hope you enjoy the cake!
This recipe is absolutely amazing. I have a Mutsu Apple tree in my back yard and this was a wonderful way to put a handful of those apples to work. That butterscotch glaze was glorious. My lone deviation was the addition of 2/3 cup chopped walnuts. Some don’t care for tree nuts in their cakes and breads, so I get it but for me? Heaven.
I made this using shop bought GF self raising flour and it was incredible. So much so that a lot was eaten out of the tin by my teenagers before I could ice it! Thanks, you are my go to for cakes.