Apple Bundt Cake made with fresh diced apples, a cream cheese swirl, and a simple homemade caramel sauce that’s drizzled over each slice of cake–it’s to die for!
When apple season rolls around, my biggest problem is deciding which of my ever growing list of apple recipes I should make. Should I opt for the Crisp, the Cobbler, the Cake, the Pie, or the Apple Bundt Cake? It’s these tough decisions that remind me that life is sweet!
I love everything about this Apple Bundt Cake, including how moist and soft it is from the diced apples, and the cinnamon apple flavor combined with a hint of cream cheese filling and the sweet caramel sauce. It’s really one of the best bundt cakes ever! I find any excuse to make it as it’s always a crowd favorite! If you love this one, try my Sticky Toffee Pudding!
About the Apples:
Which type of apples? Any baking apple will work great for this apple bundt cake! I tend to prefer Granny Smith apples but I also like Gala apples, Honeycrisp, and Golden Delicious. Use your favorite apple or whatever you have on hand!
Peel or no peel? For ease and to save time, I like to use my Johnny Apple Peeler to peel and slice the apples all at once. However, you could leave the peel on if you so chose, just make sure not to include any large chunks of peel.
How to Make Apple Bundt Cake:
1. Make the Caramel Sauce: this can be made and stored in the refrigerator up to 1-2 weeks ahead of time.
2. Make the cream cheese filling: beat the cream cheese until smooth, add powdered sugar, vanilla and egg and mix until smooth.
3. Make the cake batter: Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside. Toss the diced apples with lemon juice and set aside. In another bowl mix oil and sugars, applesauce and vanilla. Add the egg and mix until well blended. Stir in the dry ingredients and diced apples. Don’t over-mix.
4. Add filling: Pour half of the batter evenly into a greased and floured bundt pan. Spoon the cream cheese mixture in a line along the center of the batter (being careful not to let it touch the sides of the pan). Spoon the remaining batter on top.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 60-75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Cool for 5-10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack.
6. Serve with caramel sauce drizzled on top. Store leftover cake in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Make Ahead And Freezing Instructions:
To make ahead: The caramel sauce and filling can be made 2-3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator.
To freeze: Allow the cake to cool completely and cover it well with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw overnight in the refrigerator and set it on the counter to come to room temperature before serving. Serve with warm caramel sauce.
Consider trying these popular apple recipes:
You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for more great recipes!
Recipe
Apple Bundt Cake
Equipment
- Johnny Apple Slicer optional
Ingredients
Cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (375 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups diced apples (from about 2 apples) (360 grams)
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 3/4 cup oil , vegetable or canola oil (180ml)
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (300 grams)
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar (110 grams)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (120 grams)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
For the Cream Cheese Layer:
- 8 ounces cream cheese , room temperature (225 grams)
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar (40 grams)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
Caramel Sauce, for topping
Instructions
- Make the Caramel Sauce (can be made and store in the refrigerator up to 1-2 weeks ahead of time.)
Cream Cheese Layer:
- In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar, vanilla and egg then mix until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use (or it can be made 2-3 days ahead of time).
Prepare Cake:
- Grease and flour a 9 or 10-inch bundt pan. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside. Toss the diced apples with lemon juice (keeps them from browning) then set aside.
- In another large mixing bowl, blend the oil and sugars then mix in the applesauce and vanilla. Add the egg then mix until well blended. Stir in the dry ingredients, just until incorporated, then stir in the diced apples. Don't over-mix. The batter will be thick.
- Pour half of the batter evenly into the prepared bundt pan. Spoon the cream cheese mixture in a line along the center of the batter (being careful not to let it touch the sides of the pan). Spoon the remaining batter on top.
- Bake in preheated oven for 60-75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven then cool for 5-10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack.
- Once cooled, cut and serve with caramel sauce drizzled on top. Store leftover cake in the refrigerator.
Notes
Nutrition
Create a FREE Account to save your favorite recipes and create meal plans
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
I originally shared this recipe September 2014. Updated December 2020.
This post contains affiliate links. I love sharing my favorite products with you!
This post contains affiliate links.
This cake is absolutely scrumptious! Last evening I made it when I got home from work, and when was baking the house totally smelled like the holidays. Right now we had a piece with a cup of apple cinnamon tea. Thanks!
I sort of made this cake yesterday. I was looking for an apple dessert and I found this one. I didn’t really look very hard at it. When I went to make this I realized that it had a cream cheese filling – I didn’t want to do that, so I made just the cake part.
Wow! Both my husband and I took a piece for dessert and I was blown away with how good it was.
I was kind of worried about how thick it was going into the pan, but it was wonderful.
Thanks for a great recipe!
OMG! I didn’t know that I actually like apples until I made this cake! I used apples 🍏 from the apple tree in my yard. 😋 I shared the cake with others and everyone raved about it! 👏 My only issue was that it took me three hours to complete. 👩🍳🤷♀️ I was so proud of myself that I photographed the beautiful cake. 😁
Made this cake for a different kind of Thanksgiving dessert. Rather than put caramel sauce on, I, instead, made it with a cream cheese frosting and decorated it with apple slices (after dipping them in orange/lemon juice so they wouldn’t turn brown). Not only was it a beautiful presentation, the cake works REALLY well with the cream cheese frosting, and everybody loved the cake! The recipe makes for a wonderfully moist cake that isn’t cloyingly sweet. (Note: I cooked it 1 hr 20 minutes rather than 1 hr 30 minutes.) Thanks for the recipe. I LOVE this website! All the cakes I’ve made from it have been awesome!
I made this cake for our monthly dinner club last night.
It got RAVE reviews.
I did use 1/2 cup applesauce and 3/4 cup oil and substituted one cup of whole wheat pastry flour for white flour.
It was awkward incorporating the cream cheese into the cake though. I wonder if there are better ideas than making a slot in the cake mixture.
Delicious!
I make a breakfast bundt cake similar to this one. I pour half of the batter into the pan, put my creak cheese mixture on top, then top with the remaining batter.