This apple Bundt cake is packed with warm spices, fresh apples, and topped with a rich homemade toffee glaze that takes every slice over the top. I've found using both shredded and diced apples gives the cake the perfect balance of moisture and texture, while applesauce, butter, and oil work together to create an incredibly soft crumb that stays fresh for days.
This apple bundt cake recipe was built from my apple cake recipe. The apple cake is a layer cake with lighter, fluffier cake layers. For a bundt, I wanted a sturdier, tighter crumb, denser cake, but I didn't want to sacrifice moisture and softness. After a couple of attempts, I settled on the right ratio of ingredients.
This recipe boasts applesauce and vegetable oil which help ensure you achieve a deliciously moist cake. A slice of this cake is perfect with your mid-morning coffee or dessert after dinner or lunch! Does anyone else need dessert after lunch too?!
For another fall-flavored bundt cake check out my pumpkin bundt cake recipe!
The Ingredients Behind the Perfect Fall Cake
- Fresh Apples: I like using a combination of shredded and diced apples so every slice has plenty of apple flavor while still giving you little bites of tender fruit.
- Applesauce: I've found applesauce is one of the secrets to keeping this Bundt cake incredibly moist for days after baking.
- Butter + Vegetable Oil: I love using both. The butter adds flavor while the oil helps create that soft, tender crumb.
- Homemade Toffee Glaze: This is what makes the cake unforgettable. I always let it thicken slightly before drizzling so it clings beautifully to the cake instead of running right off. This toffee glaze is the same one I use in my sticky toffee pudding recipe.
Adding chopped walnuts would be a great addition, if you want to add I would add ¾ cup chopped walnuts when you add the apples. I often add nuts to my banana bundt cake recipe too!
Baking is a science and to really achieve the best results I highly recommend investing in a kitchen scale. This OXO Kitchen Scale is the one I use and is also the number one recommended kitchen scale by Cook's Illustrated. Think about it -what one person scoops into a "cup" is completely different from what someone else scoops!
The Baking Queen Method
Depending on the shape of your bundt pan your cake may be wider or taller, a wider cake pan will bake quicker than a taller bundt pan.
Let the toffee glaze cool and thicken before drizzling. That's what gives it those beautiful ribbons down the sides of the cake.
Don't miss all of my best bundt cake recipes.
★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!
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PrintRecipe Card
Ultra Moist Apple Bundt Cake with Toffee Drizzle
This apple Bundt cake is packed with warm spices, fresh apples, and topped with a rich homemade toffee glaze that takes every slice over the top. I've found using both shredded and diced apples gives the cake the perfect balance of moisture and texture, while applesauce, butter, and oil work together to create an incredibly soft crumb that stays fresh for days.
- Total Time: 1 Hour 20 Minutes
- Yield: 12 Servings 1x
Ingredients
Apple Bundt Cake
- 375 grams (3 Cups) All-Purpose Flour/ Plain Flour
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Baking Soda
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Cloves
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Cardamom
- 8oz (1 Cup) Unsalted Butter, melted
- 2oz (¼ Cup) Vegetable Oil
- 100 grams (½ Cup) Granulated Sugar
- 250 grams (1 ¼ Cup) Brown Sugar
- 4oz (½ Cup) Applesauce
- 3 Large Eggs, at room temperature
- 270-290 grams (2 Medium-Large) Cooking Apples*, Granny Smith or Honeycrisp are my favorite to use and I like to do 1 cup shredded and 1 cup diced
Toffee Drizzle
- 3oz (½ Cup) Unsalted Butter
- 110 grams (½ Cup + 1 Tablespoon) Light Brown Sugar
- 3 Tablespoons Heavy Whipping Cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C and grease a 10-cup bundt pan.
- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and cloves.
- In another large bowl whisk together the melted butter, vegetable oil, sugars, applesauce, and eggs. Making sure to whisk until fully combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mix until just combined, add the apples and mix until just combined, over mixing can create a tough cake.
- Pour apple cake batter evenly into the prepared pan and bake for 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Depending on the shape of your bundt pan your cake may be wider or taller, a wider cake pan will bake quicker than a taller bundt pan. Let cool in cake pan for 10 minutes then invert into a wire rack.
Toffee Drizzle
- In a large pot add the butter and brown sugar. Whisk constantly over medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Add one tablespoon of cream at a time.
- Whisk each tablespoon of cream until it's fully combined then add the next. Let the mixture come to a roaring boil for 2-3 minutes then take off heat. Let the sauce sit in the pot and thicken for 10-15 minutes, mixing every so often.
- Using a spoon gently drizzle the sauce all over the cake. Store cake in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.
Notes
*Cooking Apples: Granny Smith, Honey Crisp, Fuji, Gala, Braeburn, Cortland
Freezing: You can totally freeze the apple bundt cake but I would not suggest freezing the toffee sauce. To freeze the cake let it cool completely then wrap in plastic wrap, tightly, then wrap it again. This helps avoid any freezer burn. Let the cake thaw on the counter overnight. You can also freeze individual slices of cake the same way. Wrap in plastic wrap tightly, twice, then store in a freezer-safe container like a plastic bag. To thaw let a slice sit on the counter at room temperature for a couple of hours.
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 60 Minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Patricia Paul says
Can this recipe be used in muffin tins rather than a Bundt pan? It sounds and looks delicious! It's just my husband and myself and a big bundt cake would sit around too long. Cupcakes could be frozen! Thanks
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Patricia, thanks for reaching out. This cake was based on my apple layer cake recipe, I would personally take this apple cake recipe and make cupcakes out of it, as the bundt cake is a denser cake you dont necessarily need for cupcakes. Or even try my apple cupcakes with a maple frosting recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions or if you try the recipe. XX Liz
Karen N. says
Novice baker here that make this yummy cake. Did the half and half with chunks and shredded Granny Smith apples. Thought I would just do with all shredded next time but family really liked the chunks. So maybe all chunks next time? Who knows!! I also did half just plain icing sugar and half the toffee glaze. Should have left the glaze a little longer to thicken up like Elizabeth’s image but was still tasty. Thinking that might do all icing sugar then the drizzle on top? That would look nice. Overall a success!!!!
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Karen, thank you so much for coming back to leave a star rating and review I truly appreciate it!! So happy you enjoyed the cake, the icing sugar and toffee would look pretty I would just worry the icing sugar would eventually melt into the cake and you wouldn't see it much, but if you're serving fairly soon it shouldnt matter!! Let me know if you try it! XX Liz
Sarah says
Hello! What if I wanted to bake it in a 6-cup Bundt pan?
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Sarah, thanks for reaching out. I would personally just cut the recipe in half! And the bake time I would guess would be around 25-35 minutes but I have personally never actually baked a 6-cup bundt pan so not 100% sure. Please let me know if I can help with anything else or if you try the recipe I would love to know what you think! XX Liz
Jan says
Hi Elizabeth!
Getting ready to make this recipe and noticed the amount of Applesauce is noted as 4 oz. (1 cup). But, 1 Cup is 8 oz. Which should it be, or am I missing something?
Thank you much!
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Jan, I am so sorry for the confusion it should be 4oz (1/2 Cup) I have updated the recipe card, thank you for letting me know. Please let me know if you have any other questions or if you try the recipe! XX Liz