Apple Zucchini Bundt Cake with Crunchy Limoncello Glaze is a perfect fall Bundt cake full of apples, zucchinis and fall spices. A great way to use up end of summer zucchini. The crunchy Limoncello just may be the best part!
I really look forward to apple baking season. I am a baker that will look for an excuse to try absolutely every apple recipe I come across. There is usually not any recipe that I do not want to meet. This Apple Zucchini Bundt Cake with Limoncello Glaze is just perfect for fall!
Originally published September 2012 and updated on July 18, 2020. This is one of my all time favorite Bundt cakes! I thought maybe you would have fun trying it out on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
This past weekend was the birthday of my best friend. She also adores apple desserts and she is also a big fan of my Bundts. The perfect excuse to make another Bundt! It just came down to finding a different and little more unique apple cake for her celebration. Doesn’t everybody bring a Bundt to a birthday?
So I came across one from David Lebovitz. David adapted a beautiful cake that he found in Gina DePalma’s book. Gina DePalma was the pastry chef at Babbo in New York City. I need to get a copy of this book and I dreamed of visiting Babbo one day when I would be back in New York City.
I made some slight adaptions to the recipe. I omitted the roasted and pulsed almonds. It was a matter of time constraint. I would like to try it again with the addition of roasted/pulsed nuts.
I thought the addition of apples and rosemary would make it a nice, “I’m ready for fall apple baking season” cake. I hadn’t baked a cake with rosemary since this wonderful Lemon Rosemary Olive Oil Cake. I need to use it more often in cakes.
I also thought a little Limoncello in the glaze would be a nice idea. I hope you agree. The cake was a little more dense when mixing than the chocolate zucchini swirl bundt cake I baked. I love the flavor of extra virgin olive oil in my cakes.
I decided to mellow its flavor with some coconut oil (any mild oil will do). The cake was loved by all at the birthday dinner Friday night. I ended up baking it again for a Rosh Hashana dinner that I had at my house. Marisa was thrilled with her two birthday Bundts. The second Bundt was a chocolate vegan Bundt I make to bring almost everywhere. You can’t go wrong with a Bundt.
I just love this moist and delicious fall Bundt cake. I couldn’t decide if the crunchy glaze or the cake was my favorite part.
adapted from David Lebovitz.
What is needed to make Apple Zucchini Bundt Cake with Crunchy Limoncello Glaze
Here is all you need to make this delicious cake:
For the cake:
- flour (I used half whole wheat and half all-purpose)
- baking powder
- baking soda
- sea salt
- ground cinnamon
- ground ginger
- fresh rosemary
- 3 large eggs
- sugar
- olive oil
- vanilla extract
- zucchini
- apple
For the glaze:
- freshly squeezed lemon juice
- Limoncello (omit if needed and it will be fine)
- granulated sugar
- powdered sugar
How do you make apple zucchini Bundt cake with Limoncello glaze?
The first and very important part of making this cake is to shred the zucchini. Just shred the zucchini and wring it together in a clean dish towel to get rid of the zucchini liquid. Once you do that you set aside the zucchini while you prep the other parts of the recipe.
The next step is to sift together the dry ingredients and the rosemary in a medium sized bowl.
After that you have to beat the eggs (either in a stand mixer, with a hand mixer or by hand). Add in the sugar and oil and mix until light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla. Stir to combine.
Once you have combined the eggs with sugar and oils, it’s time to add in the dry ingredients a half a cup at a time scraping down the sides of the mixer bowl to make sure everything is incorporated. Be sure to really combine all the flour with the wet ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the bottom and combine it all.
The next step is to gently fold in the zucchini and apple.
Finally, scrape the batter into the prepared Bundt pan, smooth the top.
Bake the cake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
When the cake is done, make the glaze. When you have let cake cool and flipped it to your serving plate, brush on the glaze.
Love this cake? Pin to your favorite cake board and save to bake!
Happy Bundt baking!:)
Some more Bundt cakes:
Old Fashioned Donut Bundt Cake
Apple Zucchini Bundt with Crunchy Limoncello Glaze
Ingredients
- CAKE
- 2 cups flour I used half whole wheat and half all-purpose
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon dried ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 1 cup coconut oil or any mild flavored oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups finely grated zucchini
- 1 large apple I used Golden Delicious, peeled, cored and cut into small chunks
- GLAZE
- 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon Limoncello omit if needed and it will be fine
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease a 10 cup (2.5bundt (or tube cake pawith non-stick baking spray. I have great results with Pam. You could also butter and dust with flour. Tap the pan to shake out the excess flour.
- Shred the zucchini and wring it together in a clean dish towel to get rid of the zucchini liquid. Set aside the zucchini.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, and rosemary. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed, beat the eggs, sugar, and oils until light and fluffy; approximately 3 minutes. Stop and scrape down the sides of the mixer; then add the vanilla.
- Add the in the dry ingredients a half a cup at a time scraping down the sides of the mixer bowl to make sure everything is incorporated then beat on medium speed for 30 seconds.
- Gently fold in the zucchini and apple.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan, smooth the top.
- Bake the cake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- GLAZE
- Wait to make the glaze until the last few minutes of the cake baking. In a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice, granulated sugar, and powdered sugar. You have to wait to make the glaze until the last minute because it will get very thick.
- Let the cake cool for 10 minutes, then carefully invert it onto a cooling rack. Brush the glaze over the cake with a pastry brush and let the cake cool completely.
Looks scrumptious, the kids and I would love this! Definitely making some
That glaze sounds absolutely heavenly!
What a great recipe for fall! I am loving all the flavors in this sweet cake!
This cake couldn’t look any more perfect!
I reckon I could eat this all to myself, pass me a fork!
I love any excuse to sneak zucchini into a dessert. This is a beautiful cake!