This autumn caramel apple bundt cake is filled with pecans & cinnamon spice and starts with a cake mix so it’s extra easy. Served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzled with caramel sauce, you’ll love this fall dessert.
Apple Caramel Bundt Cake
Autumn is the perfect time to get your bundt cake on! There are so many different flavors and combinations you can make, but this easy recipe for an Autumn Caramel Apple Pecan & Cinnamon Spice Bundt Cake will have you coming back for more.
The smell of fresh apples, cinnamon spice, and caramel coating is just what you need to get in that autumn mood. It’s made with a boxed spice cake mix, fresh apples, pecans and topped off with a drizzle of caramel sauce. This recipe only takes about 10 minutes to prep and tastes amazing with a hot cup of tea or coffee on a chilly day.
Helpful Tools
To make this spice bundt cake recipe, you’ll need a large bowl and an electric hand mixer or stand mixer to ensure everything gets incorporated and there are no lumps in the batter. And of course, you’ll need a bundt cake pan as well!
- Bundt Pan – You’ll need a 10″, 12-cup bundt pan. There are many different designs but mine is pretty basic.
- Veggie Chopper – You’re not chopping any veggies but it works beautifully for dicing apples! It’s one of my favorite kitchen tools.
- Hand Mixer – As much as I love my stand mixer, I use my hand mixer way more often.
Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe, why you need them, and possible substitutions. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card with measurements.
Jump- SPICE CAKE MIX – Pick up a 15.25 oz box of spice cake mix in the baking aisle. I like Duncan Hines. You’ll also need vegetable oil, eggs, and water to make the cake.
- APPLES – You’ll need three cups of diced apples, which should be about 3 large apples, depending on their size. Pick a tart apple like Granny Smith or Braeburn to balance the sweetness of the cake and caramel.
- CINNAMON – Pick a high quality cinnamon like ceylon, if you’re able to. It makes a difference!
- PECANS – Pecan pieces come already chopped in the bulk section or in the baking aisle.
- CARAMEL SAUCE – I like Sanders Caramel dessert topping.
How to make a Caramel Apple Bundt Cake that Tastes Like Fall
This section shows you how to make this recipe, with process photos showing the steps to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Jump- STEP ONE: Mix the cake. To a large mixing bowl, add the spice cake mix, vegetable oil, eggs, and water. Use a hand mixer to fully combine.
- STEP TWO: Prep the apples. Wash, peel, and dice the apples then fold into the cake batter with cinnamon and chopped pecans.
- STEP THREE: Bake the cake. Pour the cake batter into a greased bundt pan and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- STEP FOUR: Serve. Once the cake has slightly cooled, flip it out of the pan, drizzle with caramel sauce, slice & serve!
What is Bundt Cake?
A bundt cake is a type of cake that gets its name from the bundt pan it’s baked in! This shape is used because it creates an even baking surface, allowing the cake to bake evenly. It creates a unique shape of its own and has become very popular in recent years!
After you’re done baking this one, try my Butterscotch Bundt Cake, Orange Banana Bundt Cake, or Pumpkin Marble Bundt Cake.
FAQs
Which types of apples should I use in the autumn spice recipe?
The best apples for this recipe are a tart apple like Granny Smith, but you can use any kind of baking apple that you prefer. You just don’t want to get overly sweet apples, or you will end up with a cloyingly sweet bundt cake.
Can you freeze bundt cake?
Yes! Bundt cakes are great to freeze. To avoid locking in excess moisture, you will want to let your cake cool completely before transferring it to the freezer. Wrap your bundt cake in aluminum foil and place it inside a large freezer bag. When you are ready to eat it, thaw it on the counter, unwrapped or loosely covered with foil until defrosted through before serving.
How long does this apple spice bundt cake last?
If you store your cake in the fridge, it will last about a week. The fresh apples add moisture and can cause the cake to spoil faster than normal, so be on the lookout for early signs of spoilage.
How do you warm a bundt cake?
Depending on how large your piece is and how much time you have, you can reheat bundt cakes in either the oven or microwave. For microwaves, you can reheat a small single-serve bundt cake in about 30 seconds. For ovens, you’ll want to heat your apple spice bundt cake for about 15 minutes at 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure to keep an eye on it, so you don’t dry it out.
Can I use homemade caramel instead of caramel topping?
Absolutely! If you’re up for making a fresh caramel topping go for it (like this brown sugar caramel would be delicious)! Just don’t pick one of those “magic shell” types.
Need more bundt cake recipes? Try these:
Apple Cinnamon Bundt Cake
Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake
Christmas Bundt Cake
Butter Pecan Bundt Cake
7Up Chocolate Bundt Cake
Click here for my entire collection of cake recipes.
More Apple Recipes? Try these:
Caramel Apple Poke Cake
Apple Cinnamon Swirl Bread
Slow Cooker Apple Crisp
Did You Make This?
If you made this recipe, I’d love to know how it went in the comments section below.
You can also tag me on Instagram – @melissa_ppplates or share a pic in the Persnickety Plates Community Facebook group. I love seeing what you’ve tried!
Caramel Apple Bundt Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 15.25 oz Spice Cake Mix
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup water
- 3 cups apples peeled and chopped
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup pecan pieces
- caramel sauce for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F and liberally spray a 12 cup (10") bundt cake pan with non-stick spray and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the cake mix, vegetable oil, eggs, and water.15.25 oz Spice Cake Mix, ¼ cup vegetable oil, 4 large eggs, 1 cup water
- With an electric mixer, beat for approximately 2 minutes until all ingredients are well combined.
- Next, fold in the chopped apples, cinnamon, and pecan pieces with a spatula or wooden spoon.3 cups apples, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ cup pecan pieces
- Pour into the prepared bundt cake pan.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool before flipping out of the pan.
- Drizzle with caramel sauce, slice and servecaramel sauce
Notes
- Fresh apples add moisture—check for spoilage early
- Homemade caramel (like brown sugar caramel) works great—avoid “magic shell” types
- Use a tart apple, like Granny Smith, for the best flavor. 3 cups is approximately 3 apples, depending on size.
- Reheat small slices in the microwave (about 30 seconds).
- Store in the fridge for up to 1 week.
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.
What temperature do you use for the Autumn Bundt cake?
I couldn’t find what temperature to use when making your Autumn Bundt Cake.
Oy, good catch! 350° – added to the card now. Thanks!
Delicious but all the apples settled in the bottom of the pan/top of cake and made it difficult to get the cake out of the pan in one piece. Cake required 18 minutes extra cooking time to test done with toothpick.
Hmm, I haven’t had that problem at all. Which type of apples did you use? I’m glad you thought it was delicious, even though you only gave it 3 stars lol
To prevent different types of fruit from settling to the bottom of a recipe like this cake or muffins, etc… shake the fruit pieces lightly in flour before adding to the recipe to prevent sinking down. This technique also works great when adding blueberries to homemade blueberry muffins.
Yes! I also do this with chocolate chips & cocoa powder =)
To prevent apples from sinking to the bottom, lightly coat them in flour before adding to the recipe. This technique also works for blueberries when adding them to muffins.