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This Best Apple Cake Ever is super moist and delicious with the perfect amount of sweetness and spice!
If you’re still looking for an easy – and really delicious – dessert to serve over the holidays, have we got the recipe for you! My sister-in-law Pam shared this recipe with us over email with the subject line: “Best Apple Cake Ever!”
Pam celebrated her birthday last month, and a friend of hers showed up with this cake – the best apple cake ever. In fact – the cake was so good, the three of them ate the entire cake in about 24 hours.
Pam then made this apple cake for us for Thanksgiving – and it was so good, Jack and I immediately looked at each other and said, “We’re making this for our blog!”
This apple cake is moist and delicious with the perfect amount of sweetness and spice – plus large chunks of apple and chopped walnuts add great flavor and texture to the cake too. Once this apple cake comes out of the oven, a wonderful sweet buttery vanilla glaze is poured over the top which soaks in to make the cake even more delicious.
Not only is this apple cake really delicious – but it’s also very easy to prepare.
Can I make this cake in a 9×13-inch pan?
Yes – and this easy apple cake comes out just as moist and delicious. Click here to see the instructions for baking this apple cake in a 9×13-inch pan.
You may enjoy these other Bundt Cakes:
- Spiced Eggnog Chocolate Chip Cake
- Kathy’s Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cake
- Toffee Pecan Bundt Cake with Caramel Drizzle
- Chocolate Raspberry Bundt Cake
We love seeing what you made! Tag us on Instagram at @afamilyfeast or hashtag #afamilyfeast so we can see your creations!
Best Apple Cake Ever
This Best Apple Cake Ever is super moist and delicious with the perfect amount of sweetness and spice!
Ingredients
Baking spray with flour, or shortening and flour to grease the pan
For the Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 large apples, peeled and cut into large pieces (Note: The original recipe calls for tart green apples, but we used some red Cortland apples we had on hand and it was delicious!)
- 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
For the Glaze
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Sift two additional times and set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine oil and both sugars, and mix until well blended.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add vanilla and mix again.
- Add the sifted dry ingredients to the batter and mix thoroughly. By hand, fold in apples and walnuts and mix until evenly combined.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Remove cake from the oven and allow to cool in the bundt pan for 20 minutes.
- While the cake is cooling, prepare the glaze. In a saucepan, over medium heat, combine all of the glaze ingredients. Bring to a boil and allow the mixture to boil for 1 minute.
- Remove the cake from the pan, onto a serving plate. Spoon the glaze over the warm cake.
- Cool for a little longer before serving.
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Can you give details of ingredients in metric please
Hi Lorna – We don’t bake using metric measurements ourselves, so I’ll be reliant upon an online conversion calculator to provide that information to you. Do you have one that you prefer? (I’m not sure which is the most accurate.) Please let me know and I’ll be happy to make the calculations for you.
This is the best apple cake ever!!! I have made it several times and my kids (13 and 21) and their friends request it frequently. Everyone loves it. I have never made the glaze, I personally don’t feel like this cake needs anything else. The last time I made it, I was short on oil, so I subbed 1/2 cup salted butter that I had on hand with 1 cup of oil and it was amazing, so I will probably do that in the future.
Thanks for the suggestion Amber! Glad you all enjoy the recipe!
Does it have to be refrigerated, if I make it a day before and traveling 4 hrs would it work
Hi Bobbi – I’d refrigerate the cake overnight…it should be fine at room temperature for 4 hours while you travel. Hope you enjoy the cake!
On a rainy day when I was in a baking mood I came across this recipe and had all the ingredients in the kitchen so I decided to give it a try. This cake turned out well doesn’t require a lot of time and the taste is to die for. If you like apple cake this one will not disappoint. I would highly recommend so I give this a five stare.
Thank you Charlene!
I made this cake last night for a dinner party and the guests loved it. I have to say it is absolutely delicious. I just had a slice for breakfast. One of my all time favorite cakes. YUM!
So glad you liked it Joanne!
Best Apple Cake Ever is the truth!! So moist and full of flavor! I opt not to use walnuts as some of my guest are allergic to nuts, but I’m sure to make it again with nuts for my family. I have a golden delicious apple tree so I used them. Cake and the delicious glaze turned out amazing. Extra bonus serve with vanilla bean ice cream 😊 Thank you for sharing your recipes. I am a fan!❤️
Thanks Sandy – How lucky you are to have a golden delicious apple tree! (You might like our Apple Pie Jam recipe – made with golden delicious too!)
Hi There,
I have 2 apple trees and look forward to making the scale recipe every year I am thinking of making muffins instead of cake do you have any suggestions on baking time?
Hi Todd – Here is a link to a conversion chart that might help…I would think that muffins and cupcakes will be similar (although this recipe has a fairly dense batter so it might need some additional time). Please let us know how it comes out! https://www.thespruceeats.com/cake-baking-times-per-pan-305281
What a great recipe! I’ve made it a bunch of times and it’s always a hit! I do usually cut down on the sugar significantly (I only put in about 3/4 cup of brown sugar) and recently even replaced half the oil with apple sauce. It was still moist and rich without being too heavy. I’ve also made the glaze using soy milk and it was delightful!
Thanks for all of the suggestion Inna! Glad you are enjoying the recipe as much as we do!
I loved this moist decadent full flavored cake. I didn’t have vegetable oil, so I replaced it with organic Coconut Oil. I used Organic Granny Smith Apples, 1/4 cup extra Walnuts and a few dried Cranberries, and a little extra fresh grated Nutmeg. Followed the other direction exactly, and everyone enjoyed this Wonderful cake that will be a part of my Thanksgiving Menu
Thanks Iwanda!
HI there – love this cake! I’ve made it several times. Have you ever made it into cupcakes? I’m wondering if they would come out ok!
Hi Casie – We haven’t tried it ourselves but I’m sure you could bake them in muffin tins. Just watch the baking time as I’m sure it will differ from the time written in the recipe.