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Apple Bundt Cake, made with apples, cinnamon, walnuts, and a caramel cream cheese frosting. Makes a scrumptious fall and holiday dessert!
Apple bundt cake is the quintessential fall and holiday dessert. It’s perfect for apple picking season, one of my favorite apple recipes, makes an amazing Thanksgiving dessert, and can still be enjoyed at Christmas time!
This happens to be my mama’s recipe for apple cake. If I remember, Mom used to make it in a rectangular cake pan, and she wouldn’t usually frost it. It was perfectly delicious without icing; the outer crust has a slightly chewy texture to it.
I decided to try making it in a bundt pan. I knew that the batter would be quite thick, so I figured it’d work just fine. And man, did it ever turn out.
In fact, as soon as I was done with all of my video/photo taking for this recipe, my boys pounced. I don’t think I need to tell you that it didn’t last long. Thankfully, I was able to quickly scramble to save back a nice portion for our neighbor.
Here’s how to make Apple Bundt Cake.
Apple Bundt Cake is a pretty simple recipe to make. Wash the apples first; then core, peel, and dice them. You’ll need about 3 cups of diced apples.
This time ’round, I used Pink Lady apples.
But, judging from my recipe card, it would seem Mom and Grandma preferred using yellow apples. It’s totally up to you; just pick a sweet tarty apple, and you’ll be fine.
Mix together the sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Then sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Mix the dry ingredients together with the wet ingredients, adding in the diced apples, as well. It will all combine to make a very stiff batter, perfect for a bundt cake. At this point, you can even add in walnuts, which I highly recommend; they just add an overall oomph to the cake. You might even toss in a pinch of homemade apple pie spice!
Pour the batter into a well greased pan. Bake at 350° for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
Now I will tell you, this cake is really good without the glaze; it has a chewy texture and such a sweet flavor all by itself.
However, if you prefer the glaze, you can mix together the ingredients for a Caramel Cream Cheese Glaze. And once the cake has cooled completely, you can pour the glaze evenly over the top, letting it run down the sides. Then sprinkle walnuts on top.
Whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Mix the dry ingredients together with the wet ingredients, adding in the apples as well; it will make a very stiff batter.
Nuts are an optional add-in at this point. I highly recommend chopped walnuts, but save back 1/4 cup for the top of the cake.
Pour the batter into a well greased bundt cake pan.
Bake at 350° for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
Once you remove the cake from the oven, let it sit in the bundt pan for about 10 minutes.
Remove the cake from the bundt pan, and allow to cool completely.
Meanwhile, mix up the ingredients for the frosting, including the cream cheese, salted butter, vanilla extract, caramel extract, powdered sugar, and milk.
Mix well, making sure there are no lumps; the frosting should easily pour from a measuring cup.
Once the cake has cooled, pour the frosting evenly over the top of the cake. It will run down the sides of the cake.
Sprinkle walnuts over the frosting. Then slice and serve!
6 thoughts on “Apple Bundt Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting”
Hello, you mention in another recipe that this cake could be made with apple slices (leftover from making apple juice with the instant Pot). Would you have measurements for how much apple souce to add instead of apples?
What a wonderful cake, Mel! It looks beautiful and sounds so delicious. I love apple cakes, particularly this time of year – and the glaze – oh my! Definitely pinning!
Here’s a little hint…I make my fresh Apple Cake in a Bundt pan, but it should work with any pan. When I butter the pan, I sift sugar into the pan. It sticks to the butter and then when the cake is baked, it comes out sort of caramel-y on the outside. Sooooooooooooooooo good!!
Mel, Hope you will like it as much as we did. Kind of makes an apple cake extra special with a bit of crunch on the outside :-) I always am sure to have Cream Cheese frosting on hand to dollop on it. What the heck, if I’m cheating on my diet might as well go “whole hog” LOL
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Hello, you mention in another recipe that this cake could be made with apple slices (leftover from making apple juice with the instant Pot). Would you have measurements for how much apple souce to add instead of apples?
Thanks,
Rafael
I mean, apple souce, not apple slices :)
What a wonderful cake, Mel! It looks beautiful and sounds so delicious. I love apple cakes, particularly this time of year – and the glaze – oh my! Definitely pinning!
Here’s a little hint…I make my fresh Apple Cake in a Bundt pan, but it should work with any pan. When I butter the pan, I sift sugar into the pan. It sticks to the butter and then when the cake is baked, it comes out sort of caramel-y on the outside. Sooooooooooooooooo good!!
Ooooo, Kaye, that sounds so delicious! I’m definitely going to try that! Thank you for the tip.
Mel, Hope you will like it as much as we did. Kind of makes an apple cake extra special with a bit of crunch on the outside :-) I always am sure to have Cream Cheese frosting on hand to dollop on it. What the heck, if I’m cheating on my diet might as well go “whole hog” LOL