This old-fashioned apple bundt cake recipe is a soft, moist cake filled with tart apples and cozy cinnamon, smothered with rich and creamy brown butter frosting. It’s the perfect dessert to make with orchard-fresh apples in the fall!
Tender, spice-filled apple cake is one of my favorite apple desserts! If you’re looking for more cozy fall baking ideas, you can’t go wrong with a classic homemade apple pie and this fluffy apple pie bread, too.
With the cold weather creeping up on us lately, the silver lining is that apple season is here! I recently baked this cozy apple bundt cake studded with fresh-from-the-farm apples. I was craving an old-fashioned dessert, and it delivered. Baked up in a bundt pan and topped with a halo of browned butter frosting, this apple cake recipe is absolutely, undeniably, and irresistibly delicious.
Why You’ll Love This Apple Bundt Cake Recipe
- It’s an ultra-soft, moist cake. This apple cake has the most incredibly soft, buttery texture. There are plenty of juicy bites of apple throughout, wrapped up in a tender crumb packed with cinnamon spice.
- Perfect for fall. This apple bundt cake made my house smell like a combination of heaven, apples, and a rack of holiday spices. You can’t ask for a better fall baking recipe.
- No sticking! After some practice with my Kentucky butter cake and chocolate butter cake, I’ve learned that the key to preventing a bundt cake from sticking is to grease the pan within an inch of its life. After baking, we’ll let the cake rest for about 10 minutes before unmolding it. Tada! No more stuck bundt cakes.
What You’ll Need
You don’t need any fancy-pants ingredients to make a moist and fluffy, old-timey apple bundt cake from scratch. This recipe is actually super simple. I’ve included notes on the ingredients below, and you’ll find the printable list with the full amounts in the recipe card below the post.
- Butter – Salted or unsalted butter, softened to room temperature.
- Sugar – I make this cake with a combination of brown sugar and white sugar for added moisture and a deeper, caramelized flavor. Feel free to use all of one type of sugar if you need to.
- Eggs and Vanilla – The eggs can also be at room temperature.
- Dry Ingredients – All-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt. Make sure you’re using baking soda and not baking powder, which isn’t the same product. Also, check the dates on the packaging so you know it’s fresh and not expired.
- Cinnamon – You can substitute cinnamon with apple pie spice, pumpkin pie spice, or another individual spice, like nutmeg.
- Apples – There are a few options that work well here. My favorite baking apples are Granny Smith apples. See below.
For the Brown Butter Frosting
- Butter – This should also be at room temperature.
- Powdered Sugar – Also called confectioner’s sugar or icing sugar.
- Milk and Vanilla – You can use any kind of milk to thin the frosting to the right consistency.
The Best Apples for Baking
In general, the best baking apples are tart, firm varieties that hold up to the heat of the oven. I use Granny Smith, but other good options are Braeburn, Fuji, and Cortland apples. McIntosh apples will also work.
How to Make an Apple Bundt Cake
You need only one mixing bowl and about 10 minutes to prepare this apple cake for the oven. Follow the steps below. For the printable recipe instructions, refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Grease the pan. Arguably, this is the most important step when making a bundt cake! While the oven preheats to 350°F, generously grease a 12-cup Bundt pan with cooking spray or Crisco. Make sure it’s evenly coated in all the nooks and crannies.
- Mix the wet ingredients. In the bowl of your mixer, cream the butter with both sugars. Once that’s light and creamy, beat in the eggs and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients. Mix in the baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Now, slowly add the flour to the batter until it’s just combined. Fold in the apples last. Transfer the batter to your greased bundt pan.
- Bake. Bake at 350ºF for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Afterward, let the apple bundt cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing it to a wire rack. Don’t let the cake cool completely in the pan, or it’ll get stuck.
- Make the frosting. Once your cake is completely cool, whip up a batch of brown butter frosting following the steps below.
Easy Brown Butter Frosting
We’ll start by browning the butter for the frosting, following a similar method as my brown butter chocolate chip cookies. Browning butter brings out a rich, almost nutty flavor that’s extra delicious. The key is not to burn it. Burnt butter does not have the same charm… Ask me how I know. Let’s get started:
- Brown the butter. First, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Simmer it briefly over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the butter turns a deep, golden brown. It should start to smell fragrant.
- Add the frosting ingredients. Take the butter off the heat. Then, beat in the powdered sugar and vanilla, along with 1 tablespoon of milk. Add more milk as needed to get the consistency you want.
- Frost the cake. Spread the frosting generously over the cooled cake. Afterward, slice and serve!
Tips for Success
- Trust the process. The cake batter in this recipe is thick and stiff, but it’s supposed to be that way! The apples will add moisture to the cake as it cooks. I find it helpful to dollop the batter into the pan first and gently press it down and around to fill the interior of the pan.
- Make a glaze instead. If you’d prefer a glazed apple bundt cake instead of a frosted one, thin out the frosting with extra milk to create a creamy, pourable glaze.
- Add nuts. For extra crunch, add a sprinkling of chopped walnuts or pecans. You can fold the nuts into the batter or sprinkle them on top of the frosting for a pretty finish (or both!).
How to Store
- At room temperature. Store this apple bundt cake on the counter in a covered, preferably airtight, container. It will keep for up to 3 days. You can also store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freeze. This bundt cake freezes well for up to three months. Keep the slices from drying out by pressing wax paper or parchment squares against the cut sides, and freeze them on a baking sheet or plate until the frosting is solid. Wrap the slices well in plastic wrap to store in the freezer. Thaw the cake before serving.
More Apple Dessert Recipes
Apple Bundt Cake
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This old-fashioned apple bundt cake is a soft, moist cake recipe with tart apples, cozy cinnamon, and a thick layer of creamy brown butter frosting.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 cups chopped apples, about 3 medium. I used Granny Smith
For the Frosting:
- 1/2 cup butter, room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2–3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Generously grease a fluted 12-cup bundt pan.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
- Add eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth.
- Add in baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and beat until incorporated.
- Turn mixer to low and add in flour. Mix until just combined.
- Stir in chopped apples.
- Fill the prepared pan with cake batter and bake for 55-65 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, and then remove the cake to a wire rack to continue cooling.
Make the Frosting:
- In a small saucepan, melt butter and cook over medium heat until butter is a golden color, stirring consistently.
- As soon as the butter is golden, remove it from the heat and beat in powdered sugar, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon of milk using a hand mixer. Add more milk until the consistency you desire is reached. If you prefer more of a glaze than a frosting, you will need to add a few more tablespoons of milk than the recipe calls for.
- Frost the top of the cake.
- Slice and serve.
Notes
- To store at room temperature, cover the cake and keep for up to 3 days.
- To refrigerate, place in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To freeze, wrap slices tightly in plastic wrap and keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Holy Cow this cake is awesome. I did a test run on it last night to see if it was something I wanted to take to party on Thursday. It is not hard to make and everyone at work that I shared it with loved it. It is very rich so I cut it into fairly small slices. This will become a go to. The brown butter frosting makes it rather unique.
Love that frosting!!
This is a great recipe. Made it a few months ago exactly as the recipe says- worked beautifully. Getting ready to make another one today.
Made the cake and it is delicious! So is the frosting, but I made mine too thin. I wanted it to look like the picture, but it ran down the sides. But that was okay, I just frosted it all. I will make this again and again. Mine came out of the pan in the 10 minutes as suggested. I sprayed it with non-stick cooking spray really well. Sent 3 pieces to my neighbor who loved it. Took 6 pieces to my son and his family. The cake was inhaled there!
Hi – I want to try this recipe as it sounds gorgeous. I only have a 6 cup size tin though. Please can you tell me how long I would have to cook it for, and what temperature, if I used this tin. Many thanksxxx
Hi- This cake looks amazing!!! Do you think it would still turn out yummy if I were to replace half the butter in the recipe for the cake with applesauce? Have you ever tried that? Thanks!
I haven’t ever tried it, but I am betting it would work!!
So maybe now I have two “go to” desserts! The fudge filled vanilla looks awesome but this one looks out of control! Will be testing these out in the near future and will need testers! I am gluten intolerant and hubby is diabetic but need a good cake for potluck at the church. Thanks so much for the post, will try them out soon and deliver to someone in need of some loving form the oven!
Can I use a regular 9×13 pan? Will bake time vary?
Yes, bake time will absolutely vary. I would start it at 25 minutes and go from there!
I don’t normally leave feedback on recipes, good or bad, but this frosting is one of the best things I’ve ever put in my mouth and I felt like you should know that 🙂 I made this last night for my mom’s birthday and she loved it!
I love this!!! Made my night!!
I am late to the party but just saw this recently. Made it immediately. Added a little extra spices (cardamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg) and a cup of cinnamon chips. This is one of the best cakes I’ve ever had, and I don’t even like apple cakes!! Thanks for the great recipe!
Thank you for posting such a fabulous recipe. I just took this out of the oven a few minutes ago and I cannot wait to dig in. My 3 year old daughter just got to experience brown butter frosting for the first time and I have to say I think she is in love too.
hahaha! Awesome!!