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
Best Apple Cake Ever
This Best Apple Cake Ever is super moist and delicious with the perfect amount of sweetness and spice!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 10–12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
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.
I just made this cake and loved it. I did have to modify it just a little because I didn’t have enough sugar and vanilla, the hubby has gone back for seconds and thirds.
You’re very welcome Barbara!
My true north Husband loves it!
Thanks Cindy – glad the recipe is a hit!
Hi I just made this cake & it didn’t come out as moist as I was hoping it would .. would appreciate your expert advise on what could’ve happened..I sifted only once the dry ingredients & I used a hand mixer ..otherwise followed instructions- eggs room temp etc – also my glaze didn’t really absorb into the warm cake as pictured ..please advise – Thank you, Karen
Hi Karen – It’s hard to know without being in the kitchen with you, but if the cake was dry and the outside was too crisp to absorb the glaze, it sounds like you might have over-baked it? (Just a guess.) If you try it again, perhaps check for doneness a little sooner in the baking time. Hope that helps!
Would this turn out using a springform rather than bundt pan?
Hi Sierra – This is a very dense batter so the tube in the Bundt pan helps the middle cook through. I’m not sure you’ll see the same even baking with a springform.
This is soooo much better than store bought apple cake, thanks for the great recipe
You’re very welcome Richard!
This is the BEST apple cake ever! I shared the recipe with my sister 2-3 years ago. Lost count of how many times we’ve made it. Everyone loves it. One person said “It tastes like Christmas”. We don’t even glaze it most times and it’s delicious. Moist, just the right amount of spice and chock full of apples.
Thanks so much for the recipe.
You are very welcome Retchelle – glad the cake is such a hit!
This cake truly was the best apple cake I ever made. Several people I was serving had dietary issues so I left out the walnuts and I did not make the glaze. I simply dusted the completed cake with some powdered sugar. It was terrific. Every guest loved it. You were only stating fact when you called it the best. Thank you for sharing this wonderful treat.
FYI I used two Winesap apples and one gala. Great combination.
You’re very welcome Debra – glad you were able to adjust for dietary issues and still see great results.
My son-in-law requested an apple cake for his birthday but alas, I could not find the recipe. I ran across yours and tried it. With the exception of the glaze, it has gotten rave reviews from everyone who has tried it. After giving smaller bunt cake versions of it to 6 of my husbands siblings at a holiday get together, requests for the recipe have not stopped. Great job, and thanks for sharing!
You’re welcome Cathy – glad you enjoyed the cake!
OMGosh, this cake is SOOO GOOD! The glaze is perfect for it also. I will be making this cake again for sure. I also think I will be making this glaze for use on top of my home made cinnamon rolls, I might add a little cinnamon when I do.
Thanks Diana – great idea!
Perfect recipe. I tried it so many times with success. little change I made by adding a small cup of plain yogurt and half cup of butter plus one cup of vegetable oil to be more rich cake. Really fantastic recipe.Thank you Martha
Great suggestion – thank you!