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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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First, let me say thanks for this recipe; if ‘best apple cake ever’ seems like hyperbole, it’s certainly way up there!
The first time I made it, I found it just a little sweet for my taste (which didn’t keep me away from the leftovers). I’ve since made a small substitution that I think works well, leaves the cake slightly less sweet, and adds a bit of flavor depth.
I reduced both the white sugar and the oil from 1-1/2 cups to 1-1/4 cups, and added 1/4 cup of molasses.
I would appreciate if anyone has had experience reducing the recipe for smaller bundt pans; I’ve had to scramble to distribute leftovers and keep them out of my hands!
Thanks Paul – the molasses swap sounds delicious! I don’t recall seeing any previous comments from readers using smaller bundt pans, but I know that some readers have made this cake in several loaf pans. (I’m sure the baking time is different, although I don’t know the specifics). Hopefully someone will see your question and respond!
I have small apples; how many cups of apples would you say 3 large makes up?
Hi Amanda – 3 large is around 3 to 4 cups of apples. Hope that helps!
Can you add chopped nuts to this recipe?
Hello – The recipe already includes 1 cup of chopped walnuts.
Omgoodness! Best APPLE Cake ever! Thank you for the recipe! #familyfeast
You’re welcome Tonya!
Love the recipes! Tried a few and they are delicious. Thank you so much for always posting
So glad you enjoyed the cake Debbie!
I have made this recipe over and over again my family loves this cake so much. thank you for such great recipes.
You’re welcome Marilyn – so glad you enjoyed the cake!
This is a delicious cake. However, when I make it the next time I will reduce the sugar 1/4 to 1/2 cup. Very sweet. I used not quite all of 2 large Granny Smith apples (which was more than enough). They helped balance out the sweetness of the cake. I also did not see the need for frosting. If I were making this for an event, I might dust with powdered sugar just for appearance.
Thanks Deb!
Baking time not enough, cake is still kind of wet inside. I should have baked it at 350 instead of 325. Now I have to throw it out, all that work for nothing. Tasted some and I’m not impressed.
Sorry you were disappointed Margot. Every oven is different so we do suggest that you use the toothpick method to check for doneness as well as going by cooking time.
I made the cake for my daughter she said she liked it, it was way to much for her to eat so she took it to work and the girls just ranted and raved about it. They said how good it was so my daughter ask me last night if I would make another one for work. I cant b e live how much they liked it. Thanks for sharing your we onderful receipe.
You’re very welcome Shirley – so glad the recipe was a hit!
Can I use this recipe for muffins?
We’ve never tried doing so Marie. The cake is denser than a typical muffin but I’m sure you could bake it in muffin tins.