This lightly spiced apple bundt cake made with fresh apples and topped with sweet caramel glaze is the perfect fall dessert!
Fall is (almost) heeeeeere! And along with it, boot and sweater weather!
Or if you’re in Phoenix, boot and sweating weather, because it’s still too hot for boots and sweaters together. You have to choose one or the other or else you’ll melt. But that’s totally fine because we get to eat apple cake.
Delicious fresh apple bundt cake with caramel glaze. Look up intoxicating in the dictionary and you’ll find a picture of the smell of this incredible cake. (Don’t ask me how a picture could capture the smell but someone inventive could find a way. And maybe that person could also invent scratch ’n sniff instagram? There’s a need for this!)
The cake smells like fall and spices and fires in the fireplace and cider simmering on the stove and a nip in the air when you take your dog for a walk in the morning.
Or maybe just the cider and spices, but one whiff and you’ll be conjuring the rest of it.
It’s fairly rare for me to be this excited about a non-chocolate dessert but OH EM GEE this cake is something special. (And I’m not just saying that because I had to make and tweak this many times before it was perfect.)
It’s so moist it’s almost buttery (oddly enough, because it’s made with oil) and perfectly spiced. The caramel glaze on top adds just the right amount of extra sweetness, and makes the cake even more buttery.
Plus, can you really beat the combination of apples and caramel right now? As soon as the leaves start turning I start craving caramel apples. I’m even thinking of serving this cake along with pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving, because it’s just so perfect for the season and SO EASY TO MAKE! Like so easy it’s almost embarrassing. . .
Please don’t hate me for thinking about November already. I can’t help it. This time of year is like the Super Bowl for us bakers and all I can do is think about all the glorious food holidays we have coming up.
Have a fabulous rest of your week—I hope it includes a slice of apple bundt cake with caramel glaze!
This apple bundt cake with caramel glaze is sweet and has just the right amount of spice.
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
- 3 cups peeled cored, and chopped apples*
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Grease a 10-cup Bundt pan and set aside.
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Sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices together in a medium mixing bowl.
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Combine the sugar and eggs in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in the oil and vanilla until well combined. With mixer set to low, gradually beat in the dry ingredients. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then fold in the apples and pecans. (Batter will be fairly stiff.) Spoon batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 90 minutes, then cool in the pan for 1 hour. Invert the cake onto a wire rack and cool completely before glazing.
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Melt the butter in a small saucepan set over medium-low heat. Add the heavy cream, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Whisk until the mixture is smooth, then cook, stirring occasionally, until it just begins to bubble. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla. Cool for 10 minutes, then pour over the cake. Serve.
* For this recipe you’ll need about a pound of apples; I like a combination of Granny Smith and Braeburn.
Cake adapted from Texas Ties
Glaze adapted from How to Bake Everything
wow.. Superb Cake.
Thanks a lot for sharing this information
Thank you Stefan!
What a beautiful cake, Kelsie! I almost feel the way it tastes and smells, and this is amazing. I’ve been using oil instead of butter in muffins and cakes for a few years now, and I do like how it works. It gives the moist and light texture to all baked goods. So I think this is quite perfect cake for Thanksgiving. However, if you feel like to practice few more times, I’m volunteering. Send it to me please. Besides, we’ve got the Thanksgiving earlie, and you’ll have time to adjust the things after my feedback 🙂
Haha! I’ll gladly send you my next experiments. Thank you Ben! Have a great weekend! And watch out for coyotes 🙂
Oh yum…..This sounds really perfect ! Apple and caramel is a match made in heaven. Thanks Kelsie 🙂
Thank you Lynne! I totally agree–caramel and apples belong together 🙂
Apples and caramel in a cake…what’s not to love?
Thank you! Have a great weekend!
It’s like you knew that we just went apple picking for the last 2 weekends in a row! We seriously have so many apples on our counter, in our fridge, on our table, etc that I can barely see straight. I love (love!) a good spice cake, and I’m thinking I need to try this one out stat! Oh, and if I can ever figure out how to grow that caramel apple tree, then you’ll be the first person to get one. Hah! I’m right there with you about the love for the Fall season. It’s been oddly warm here for the past couple of weeks, but I think the weather is supposed to break next week…and then I’ll be baking up one of these cakes for sure! Hope you have an excellent weekend, Kelsie! 🙂
I’m a little psychic, haha! Please get on that caramel apple tree. There’s definitely a need! Your mom is a gardener right? Maybe she has ideas 🙂 Let me know if you bake this cake–I’m so in love with it I want everyone else to be too! Thank you David. You have a great weekend, too!
If I can’t have chocolate, I can totally and happy do this and immensely enjoy every single bite! Looks gorgeous Kelsie!!
Maybe we could have chocolate for dinner and apple cake for dessert. It’s the best of both worlds :). Thank you Kim!
Oh yeah…you’re so right, Kelsie. Fall is like the Super Bowl season for baking. Right now, I’m thinking I need to bake this fantastic cake! I can smell it already—I’m all over the apple and spice! And the caramel glaze, I’ll be taking a spoon to that!
Thank you Thao! The glaze is totally eatable on its own :). Have a great weekend, my friend!
omg i can just imagine how good your kitchen must smell in the fall (an any other time really?!) this reminds me of an apple cinnamon cake my mum used to make when we were kids! delish!
I want your mom’s recipe! Apple and cinnamon are just too perfect together right? Thank you Georgie! Have a great weekend!
Like, can you imagine scratch and sniff Instagram?!!! Then, you’d see people going around with their phones up to their faces smelling them, lol 😀 What a sight! I am so ready for fall and that crisp fall air and all those fall clothes and boots! It’s getting a little chilly around here a little more each day. My apple tree has a few apples on it and this would be awesome! I can almost smell it through my screen….almost 😉 Have an awesome weekend, Kelsie!
Hahaha! You’re right. . .maybe I should think this through a little more! I can’t wait to break out my boots, but I think a have a couple weeks left before I can :). You have an awesome weekend too, my dear!
Phoenix sounds like Orlando! I spent 31.8 years sweating it out because I wanted to wear boots AND sweaters during the winter, so I’m glad we moved to NC and I can actually wear both during the fall AND the winter and not sweat!! I’ll be sending all the breezy vibes your way, Chicka!! Maybe this will be the year Phoenix gets cooler weather!? Untill then i say you eat alllll the apple bundt cake to cope! 😉 This looks seriously delicious!! Caramel and Apple is one of my favorite combinations, so this is totally calling my name!!!!! Cheers, sweets!
I’ll take all the breezy vibes I can get. I’m so ready for my boots! Thank you Chey! Have a great weekend, my dear 🙂
Sounds so yummy!! I love big Bundts (and I cannot lie)!! The apple and spices in this cake are perfect for Fall 🙂 xoxo
Hahaha! Thank you Kelly!
We went from hot dry summer to cool rainy fall overnight, so I’m making this cake this weekend to celebrate the season… thanks!!
Oh I don’t miss the rain :). This is the perfect cake to curl up with! Thank you Carol!
I love baking with apples, they make everything so delicious. This cake looks amazing Kelsie and absolutely loving the caramel glaze…it sounds divine.Definitely including this dessert for the weekend. Love it !
Have a great weekend!
Thank you Ashika! You have a great weekend, too!
I wish I had a big slice of this in front of me right now!! I’m with you when it comes to non-chocolate desserts – but you’ve gotta make an exception sometimes!! Besides, you’ve added caramel so I’m definitely on board with this beauty. Bring on baking season!!
This is definitely the cake to make that exception with :). Thank you Katherine!
i wasn’t mentally ready for fall and spices and apples… and then i went to seattle. cold, rainy, blustery seattle. all ready for fall baking now! and that caramel glaze sounds perfect (:
Hahaha! Seattle will do that every time right? Thank you Heather!
Caramel glaze for the win. Awesome! This looks like a big bundt I’d like to get down with. 😉
Thank you Jessie! Happy Friday!
The apples, spices, pecans and that caramel glaze!! All of them scream FALL!! I love this cake :). The crumb definitely looks soft and moist. Can’t wait to try!
Thank you Deepika! Have a great weekend, my dear!
Nothing says autumn like an apple bundt cake and that caramel..Im ready!! This looks so moist and yummy! Take care.
Caramel and apples just scream fall right? Thank you Stacey! Have a great weekend!
This is the perfect fall cake!!! I always feel bundt cakes have that cozy, warm grandma’s kitchen kind of feel to it. Adding apples just completes the equation. Have a fabulous weekend Kelsie
Thank you Maria! I totally agree :). You have a fabulous weekend too!
I’ve only had apple bundt cake and it blew my minds. The little chunks of apple were my favorite part. this is truly the perfect fall dessert, especially with the caramel glaze, now you are just showing off. I’m in Northern California and it’s not sweater and boot season yet, it’s supposed to be 84 degress on monday! Yay
The little bites of apple are my favorite part too! Thank you Mary! Have a great rest of your weekend, my friend!
Awesome cake! It looks perfect and super yummy. I’m a huge fan of apple season!
Thank you Amy! Happy Saturday!
Fall baked goods do smell the best by FAR. I love love love apple baked goods and caramel makes the even better! I’d happily make and eat this for Thanksgiving!
I cannot get enough enough of baking smells this time of year :). Thank you Carlee!
I’m so excited about changing leaves, cooler weather, soup and cake!! Especially when it’s rich and warm like this – the texture looks absolutely perfect.
Me TOOOOO! Thank you Marissa!
I love this cake it sounds perfect for Fall and it really does look amazing.
Thank you Emma! Have a great rest of your weekend!
It will definitely make a wonderful Thanksgiving course Kelsie! Gorgeous! I love moist cakes, and with the caramel glaze, it could be a first Thanksgiving course, just to be sure everyone enjoys it before falling into a turkey induced food coma:) I don’t know how you always get cakes to look so pretty!
Thank you so much, Milena! I might just have to make this a first course 🙂
wow . this would be a wonderful recipe for me since I bought a large bag of organic apples! We are such apple cake fans and this is the perfect season
Thank you Judee! I hope you love it!
this is the type of thing I want to sink my face into. MAGICAL.
Thank you Kate!
Apple and Caramel and boots and sweater! Yes plsss. I can almost smell this Kelsie! It looks so moist and delicious!
Thank you Jenny!
your cake is just SWIMMING in glaze, and that’s the way it should be!
Totally agree!
My mouth is watering, your description of this is so enticing! Like you, this is the time of year I think about Thanksgiving and you’re right! This would be perfect next to a pumpkin pie, or if yo are like me, somehthing chocolate instead(!). I agree the Braeburn/Granny Smith mix is the best! Thanks for the recipe – Pinning it!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who thinks about Thanksgiving this early, haha! And I’m ALWAYS trying to find a way to work chocolate into my menu 🙂