Apple Cinnamon Bundt Cake is moist and flavorful and is the perfect way to use up your favorite apples. This from scratch apple bundt cake recipe is great all year long!
Apple Cinnamon Cake
Remember last year when I said I wanted to start a new tradition of making half a cake for my daughter’s half birthday (last year I made a Pumpkin Chocolate Marble Bundt Cake)?
Well, that’s what this cake was. We “celebrated” her half birthday in September and by celebrated, I mean we ate this cake. This year she actually got to eat some and she loved it.
We kept half and I sent the other half to work with my husband. I think it’s a fun tradition.
Why you’ll love this Apple Bundt Cake
Perfect dessert – Not overly sweet, this perfectly moist cake is full of small chunks of apple giving it great texture.
Always appropriate – Apple desserts are so good! Because apples are readily available all year long, you don’t have to wait for apple season.
Family favorite – Even this chocolate lover goes back for seconds of this one & my kids love it, too.
It’s the perfect fall cake, especially if you’ve been apple picking. It’s full of warm fall flavors.
That being said, this cake, that would be the perfect addition to a Thanksgiving table (give the pies a break – I’d take a cake over pie any day).
Or, it’s simple enough to serve it after a dinner of Meatloaf with Brown Gravy or Zucchini Boat Turkey Tacos!
🍏 How do you prepare apples for baking? 🍏
- First, wash and peel the apples.
- Next, core the apples and cut into large chunks.
- Then, I like to use my veggie chopper to get nice, uniform small apple chunks, but you can free cut them as well. Try to keep the pieces to approximately 1/4 – 1/2″ in size for this cake.
- If you are prepping the apples ahead of time and not going to be making the cake immediately, toss the diced apple pieces into a large bowl with water and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt or a squeeze of lemon juice. Drain and store in an airtight container until you’re ready to use them. Either method will help keep the apples from browning.
Equipment you’ll need
- Bundt pan – Bundt pans are a little pricey but they’ll last forever. I’ve also seen really pretty ones at TJ Maxx/HomeGoods for good prices. Look for at least a 10 cup bundt pan.
- Hand Mixer – I use my hand mixer far more often than the stand mixer, but either will obviously work.
- Peeler – You can leave the peels on if you want, but I prefer to peel the apples.
- My favorite measuring spoons – I love that they’re magnetic so they stack nicely in my drawer.
- Veggie Chopper – I use this thing for so many things (like my minestrone soup) but it also works great for making perfectly sized apple chunks!
Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card.
- Eggs – I use large, organic eggs.
- Vegetable Oil – You use half oil and half applesauce in this cake for the fat.
- Applesauce – To cut down on using full oil, but keeping moistness, you combine applesauce with the oil.
- Sugar – I’ve only tested with granulated white sugar.
- Brown Sugar – I don’t specify light or dark brown sugar, but I typically use light. Both will work.
- Nutmeg – Warm and spicy, nutmeg is perfect in this apple cake.
- Flour – I’ve only tested with all-purpose white flour.
- Cinnamon – Sidekick to nutmeg, cinnamon perfectly spices this cake. Try to opt for a high quality cinnamon like ceylon instead of cassia for the best flavor.
- Baking soda – When baking soda is mixed with moisture, the chemical reaction causes baked goods to expand and rise. Fluffy cake.
- Salt – To balance the sweet.
- Vanilla – I know vanilla extract has gone up in price lately (there’s a shortage), but please use pure vanilla extract & not imitation. I like to buy it in bulk from Sam’s or Costco.
- Diced apples – I used Gala because that’s what we like to eat and typically keep on hand. Granny Smith apples are great for baking (like in my sheet pan apple pie). Use whichever kind you like best. You’ll likely need 3-4 large apples.
How to make an Apple Cinnamon Cake
- STEP ONE: First, beat the vegetable oil and eggs in a large bowl on medium speed until light & fluffy.
- STEP TWO: Next, add in the applesauce, sugars, nutmeg, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and vanilla. Mix well.
- STEP THREE: Then, stir in the diced apples and pour into a greased bundt pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown & a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- STEP FOUR: Finally, let it cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan before flipping it out onto a platter. Sometimes I sprinkle just a bit of powdered sugar over the top. Slice & serve!
How to serve it
Although it is plenty good plain, as-is, it is also really good warm with a slice of vanilla ice cream and maybe a drizzle of caramel.
Do you need to refrigerate apple bundt cake?
Because of how moist it is and all the apples, I prefer to store the cake, covered, in the fridge. It will likely be fine, covered, at room temperature for 2-3 days, but you’ll get more life out of it if you store it in the fridge (up to 4-5 days).
Can I freeze it?
Yes, this cake will freeze well. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap (either by the slice or whole), drop it into a freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, let thaw on the counter at room temperature.
FAQs
What apples are best for apple cake?
Use whatever kind of apples you like – I usually use Gala apples because that’s what I always have for snacks. Honeycrisp, Golden Delicious or Granny Smith would also be good and have a nice balance of tart to sweet.
How many apples do I need?
You need 4 cups of diced apples for this cake, which should be 3-4 apples, depending on their size. Mine usually take 3.5 apples which means there is leftover apple slices for me to snack on while it is baking 🙂
How many does a 10 inch bundt cake serve?
This recipe, which makes a 10″ bundt cake, should serve 12-16 people.
Can you put any cake batter in a bundt pan?
Yes, you can. But you’ll have to bake the cake for longer in a bundt pan and the texture will be slightly denser than if you were making a layer cake.
Need more bundt cakes? Try these:
Williams Sonoma Sour Cream Chocolate Bundt Cake
Kentucky Butter Cake
Lemon Bundt Cake
Caramel Apple Bundt Cake
Butter Pecan Bundt Cake
Click to view my full collection of cake recipes.
Need more apple recipes? Try these:
Caramel Apple Poke Cake
Slow Cooker Apple Crisp
Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Apple Peanut Butter Blondies
Apple Zucchini Muffins
Apple Strudel
Apple Cinnamon Bundt Cake
Equipment
- 10" Bundt Pan 10-12 cup
- One Hand Mixer
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- ¾ cup granulated white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 cups diced apples Gala or Golden Delicious work well
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350° F. Spray a 10" bundt pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the eggs and vegetable oil on medium speed until foamy.2 large eggs, ½ cup vegetable oil
- Add in the applesauce, sugars, nutmeg, flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and vanilla. Mix well.½ cup unsweetened applesauce, ¾ cup granulated white sugar, ½ cup brown sugar, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, 2 cups all purpose flour, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Stir in the diced apples with a spoon.4 cups diced apples
- Pour into the prepared bundt pan.
- Bake 30-40 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let cool for 10-15 minutes then flip onto a platter.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Originally published November 19, 2015
Happy half birthday, Boo! I can’t believe you’re well on your way to two!
Other cakes you may like…
Pumpkin Chocolate Marble Bundt Cake
Sounds like a great cake! I want to try it glazed and add cranberries or raisins.
I would serve this with ice cream!
This bundt cake sounds delicious! I think a glaze would be perfect on this cake…… and I’ll probably put some mini chocolate chips in the batter also.
Ooh, never thought to try chocolate in this.
Salted caramel frosting with finely chopped pecans served with vanilla ice cream with a sprinkle of pecan..
This sounds delicious. I would probably use gala apples because those are my personal favorite. I have two young kids so serving as is would be perfect for a snack!
yes, my kids love it!
I am trying this soon! I will use granny smith apples and frost with caramel icing- then serve as is. Thank you for the recipe!
Sounds delicious. And a sweet apple like Honeycrisp will be perfect! All it needs is some vanilla ice cream (no frosting or glaze) to be perfect.
Can you make this in a bread loaf pan (divided of course) like a sweet bread.
That should work fine but I also have an Apple Cinnamon Quick Bread that is delicious!
I often use Granny Smith for any apple recipes. I also like to use glaze instead of frosting. I love having ice cream on the side when serving just about any dessert.
I would top it with a salted caramel glaze.:)
I plan to try with Golden Delicious or honey crisp since Winesaps don’t seem to exist here. Just waiting for my new stove!
I would serve this with a drizzle of cinnamon/vanilla glaze over it. Would definitely be best while it’s still warm from the oven! Can’t wait to try it!!!
Sounds delicious! I might just mix Gala & Hunnycrisp apples. Can’t wait to try it!
This sounds good. I just need to get a bundt pan. I think a glaze would be nice over it and I’d used Granny Smith or Pink Lady apples.