Easy Apple Bundt Cake is the perfect fall cake! A super soft cake filled with juicy apples and warm fall spices. So lovely for the holidays and any get-together.
Apple baking season has always been one of my favorite baking times of the year. I am the sort of baker that will happily try any new apple recipe. But my soft spot is a nice apple cake!
If you’ve been following my blog since the beginning, you may even recall my exclaiming my love of apple desserts surpasses my love of chocolate desserts. I know, I know…utterly absurd! It’s true!
My adoration of apple desserts goes far and deep: easy cinnamon apple crisp, apple puff pastries, and cinnamon apple banana bread are just some on my baking rotation during colder (and cozier) fall months.
Now there is a new “must make, my super easy apple Bundt cake! This apple cake is just lovely. It’s simple perfection. The cake is really soft and filled with apple chunks.
It’s a long apple love affair, and luckily, I have some family members that share this apple obsession. Because if not, I would be eating the entire cakes by myself!
Easy Apple Bundt Cake Ingredients
You most likely have everything you need in your pantry to make this cake.
- apples (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)
- lemon (rind and juice)
- granulated sugar
- oil (vegetable oil, canola oil, or melted coconut oil)
- butter (or margarine)
- eggs
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- ground cinnamon
- ground nutmeg
- sea salt
- buttermilk (or add 1 Tablespoon lemon juice or white vinegar to a a cup of milk. Stir and let it stand for 5 minutes. Use dairy-free milk for dairy-free)
- sour cream (or unsweetened coconut milk yogurt for dairy-free)
How to make apple Bundt cake?
First thing you need to do is gather all your ingredients.
Heat up your oven and prep your Bundt pan.
Prep your buttermilk (I never have buttermilk on hand, so make my own and I use dairy-free milk...unsweetened almond or coconut milk works great).Make it by adding vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice and let it curdle.
Next step is to prep the apple chunks with the juice and cook them up. Let it cool a few minutes while you prep the dry ingredients.
In another large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt.
Combine the sugar, oil, and butter (or margarine) in a large bowl (you could stir together by hand with a mixing spoon); beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy.
Add eggs and vanilla extract, beating until incorporated.
Combine buttermilk and sour cream. Add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Carefully spoon in half of batter into prepared bundt pan. I don't combine the apples in the cake, as the apple edges will stick to the Bundt pan. Take care not to go all the way to edge of batter and touch sides of pan.
Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Check the cake at 50 minutes. Every oven is different and it may be ready sooner.
Allow the cake to completely cool down and then remove from pan; cool on wire rack. Dust on confectioner’s sugar or a sugar glaze.
Is this apple cake dairy-free?
Yes, we use all dairy-free ingredients. But go ahead and use your dairy products you have on hand if you're not dairy-free.
What kind of apples are best for an apple cake?
I typically like to use Granny Smith. If you like a combination of sweet and tart, you could try mixing Granny Smith with Honeycrisp. If you prefer a more tart apple flavor, try out Gala or even Fuji.
Can you prep the apples ahead of time?
Yes! A great time saver is to peel, core and slice your apples. Toss them in fresh lemon juice and rinse them off. Freeze them in a single layer, and once they're frozen, store them in a zipped lock freezer bag.
Keeps in freezer for up to 2-3 months. They will be ready to use when you want to enjoy them to make an apple cake on the fly!
What is the best way to prep a Bundt cake pan?
I have baked so many Bundt cakes and will tell you your best investment will be a little can of baking spray. Seriously! That’s all you need. No need to grease every nook and cranny with butter and dust with flour. The spray reaches every corner!!
I have read in baking groups about cakes sticking and not coming out of the pan. I know some bakers totally gave up on baking Bundts because they always stick.
Most important is to make sure you use a nonstick Bundt baking pan. Second most important thing is to use your baking spray!
Does baking spray affect the volume of a cake?
In all my years of baking Bundts or any cake prepping my pans with baking spray, I have never noticed any difference. So my personal experience is, no noted volume difference in any cake.
Does baking spray make your cake stick to the pan?
One annoying thing about Bundt pan is what makes them look so beautiful, all the crevices! Keep in mind, you have to clean your pans and get out any old sticky crumbs.
If you’re spraying a pan that wasn’t properly cleaned, your cake batter may end up sticking to the pan.
Be sure to clean that pan very well! And then spray it.
How long does an apple Bundt cake last in the refrigerator?
Any Bundt cake leftovers could be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It's a very soft cake from the apples, so it won't dry out. Wrap it in plastic wrap very well, or keep it in an airtight container.
When you know you would like to enjoy a slice, one hour before serving, remove the cake from the fridge so it can come back to room temperature.
Can I freeze this cake?
Yes, it's simple to freeze. The cake could be frozen in and wrapped tightly with plastic wrap and in airtight container for up to 2-3 months.
I like to freeze individual slices. Wrap cooled cake pieces in plastic wrap and place flat in a freezer bag. Lay flat in the freezer.
Be sure to thaw before eating! The slices come in handy when you're craving something sweet (especially late at night..ha ha!).
Some other apple recipes to enjoy:
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Easy Apple Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 1 lb Granny Smith apples peeled cored and, and cut into chunks (3 cups of apple chunks)
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice I used Limoncello
- 2 teaspoons lemon rind
- 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1½ cups sugar
- ⅓ cup canola oil or melted coconut oil
- 6 tablespoons butter softened or margarine for dairy-free
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice I used Limoncello
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon add more to your taste
- 2 teaspoons ginger
- 1 cup buttermilk or for dairy-free use unsweetened almond milk with apple cider vinegar)
- 2 Tablespoons sour cream or unsweetened coconut milk yogurt (for dairy-free)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour your Bundt pan (regular 10 cup bundt pan). I personally prefer to use baking spray for Bundt pans.
- In a small bowl, add the almond milk and apple cider vinegar. Mix together and let sit while you prep the other ingredients. It will start to curdle like buttermilk (takes 5-10 mins).
- Place the apple chunks in a large bowl. Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used Limoncello), cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, juice and lemon rind; stir together.
- Sauté the apples in a skillet on medium heat for about 5-7 minutes. The apples will start to get tender. The spices and sugar will melt around the apples and you will be tempted to eat the apples right out of the pan!
- Set the pan aside and let it cool for a few minutes while you prep the other ingredients.
- In another large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt.
- In a small bowl, add the almond milk and apple cider vinegar. Mix together and let sit while you prep the other ingredients. It will start to curdle like buttermilk (takes 5-10 mins).
- Combine the sugar, oil, and butter (or margarine) in a large bowl (you could stir together by hand with a mixing spoon); beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Add eggs and vanilla extract, beating until incorporated.
- Combine buttermilk and sour cream. Add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
- Spoon half of batter into prepared bundt pan. Spoon the the apple mixture on top of the batter, taking care not to go all the way to edge of batter and touch sides of pan.
- Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Check the cake at 50 minutes. Every oven is different and it may be ready sooner. Cool cake in pan 15 minutes.
- Remove from pan; cool on wire rack. Dust on confectioner’s sugar or a sugar glaze.
Notes
- Apples: I like to use a combo of Granny Smith and Honeycrisp Apples. You could use only Gala if that's what you have. I end up with 3 cups of apple chunks, as the apples make the cake super soft. Use 2.5 cups if that what you prefer, but wouldn't go less than that amount.
- Spices: I used fresh ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg. If you have only ginger on hand, use ground ginger instead of nutmeg. If you have all-spice on hand, use some of that.
- Buttermilk: I never have buttermilk on hand, so I make my own. Since we mostly bake dairy-free, I make it with unsweetened almond milk.
Lisa says
Made this cake for my boyfriend and I, he loved it so much (great for breakfast).
anne says
Really love this cake recipe. It's so easy and just full of lemon flavor. I used Granny Smith apples. My family loved it for dessert.