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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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Because I don’t like volumes of sugar or spiced apples, I beg to disagree with you that this would be the best apple cake ever. I got this recipe back in the late ’60s from a gal whose British grandmother gave it to her. Your picture looks a lot like mine, I also use a bundt pan, but there are some differences in the recipe. You start in a cold oven, you don’t put any spice in, and you don’t need any sauce! Very delicious! I guess it could be called apple bread. Please try it!
3 eggs 3 cups chopped apples
2c. sugar 1c. chopped pecans (I use my old nut grinder I’ve had since the 60s & it distributes the flavor better)
1 1/4 C. oil
3c. plain flour
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
beat eggs, oil and sugar until thoroughly mixed
add dry ingredients and mix
add apples and nuts and mix
bake at 350 for 1 hr.
Thanks for sharing Jenni!
This was the moistest, delicious apple cake I’ve ever made! Thank you for sharing!
You’re very welcome Mim – glad you enjoyed the cake!
Wonderful! I’ve even cooled this cake and used a salted caramel frosting on it. I found a Pillsbury Salted Caramel Icing in a 99cent store on a clearance shelf for 50cents. It was SO good. I have used this recipe for muffins, pancakes and waffles ( I just added an extra egg and a little milk). If someone is allergic to nuts you just leave them out. It’s a really terrific easy recipe!!!
Thanks Mary!
Delicious! A huge hit ! Will definitely make again!! Not sure of size of apples Chunks…
Thanks Andrea – you can cut the chunks smaller if you prefer.
So good! I used self rising flour because that’s what I had so I skipped the salt and baking powder and frankly I mixed dry and wet ingredients all together and added the apples after mixing well. Still turned out really moist with a good tender crumb. I did mine in a 9×13 and cooked it the full time. Next time I’m adding pecans and doubling the sauce and poking holes all on the top for even more super good stuff. And by next time I mean tomorrow when I buy more apples and make it to freeze for Thanksgiving.
So glad you enjoyed the cake Heather! Good to know that self-rising flour (with some other changes) will work!
Made this cake for a birthday, it is a keeper! Turned out perfect! Thank you!
You’re welcome Rose!
I have never had apple cake before. I tried this recipe. It was really moist and delicious. I used Granny Smith apples 🍏 because I had some. My husband and daughter really liked it and so did I. I will definitely make this again. I already have one request to make this for Thanksgiving. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
You’re very welcome Katrina – so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I followed the recipe and it has been over 2 hours baking time.
Hi Rachel – We’ve had one or two earlier readers write to tell us that theirs took that long to bake – not sure why as most readers see good success with this recipe. Hopefully it finally baked through for you, even if it took longer.
This couldn’t be any more delicious or simple to make! I’ve grated the apples, peel and all, and it turns out great that way as well! This is my new go-to recipe for apple cake.
Thanks Sandy!
Seems like a lot of oil! Is that correct?
Yes – the recipe as written is correct.