This Apple Caramel Bundt Cake is one of our favorite Fall desserts. The cinnamon-spiced cake is packed with tender pieces of apples and crisp pecans, and drizzled with a rich, homemade caramel sauce.
What we love about this Caramel Apple Bundt Cake
I love Fall baking! I live in Phoenix, where I have to pretend it is getting cooler in September, and I celebrate Fall with whatever I can make with pumpkin and apple. This Caramel Apple Bundt Cake has been a tradition of ours for a long time, and it is a favorite of mine. I love the flavor and texture of the cake with its apple cinnamon flavor. The apples lend an extra moistness to the cake and are so flavorful with the cinnamon-flavored crumb of the cake. The cake is fantastic on its own, but when you add the buttery, rich caramel sauce, it really is heaven. Everyone loves this cake, and we have enjoyed serving it to family and friends.
The caramel sauce is just butter, brown sugar, cream, vanilla, and salt that you bring to a boil, and it is ready to go. I highly suggest making the sauce instead of buying caramel from the store. It is so, so good and is a perfect accompaniment to the cake.
Looking for other Fall recipes? Try our Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting, our Sweet Potato Salad Recipe, or our Homemade Chicken and Dumpling Soup
What you need to make this Apple Bundt Cake
You will need the following ingredients:
- All-purpose flour
- Cinnamon
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Granulated sugar
- Vegetable oil
- Eggs
- Vanilla
- Granny Smith apples
- Pecans
- Brown sugar
- Butter
- Cream
Apple Caramel Bundt Cake Substitutions
I know what it’s like when you don’t have everything on hand, and the last thing you want to do is run to the store and pick something up. Here are a few ideas to substitute items on the ingredients list if needed:
- You could substitute another nut for pecans, like walnuts. I have used both, and they both taste good.
- You could substitute a different kind of apple if desired. Granny Smith apples are great baking apples, and I like using them here.
- You could try substituting apple pie spice for more spice in place of the cinnamon.
- You could try a store-bought caramel sauce if you don’t want to make your own.
Step-by-step Instructions
Step 1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt until just mixed. Set aside.
Step 2. In a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer in a large bowl, beat together oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the edges of the bowl with a spatula as needed to ensure the cake batter is evenly mixed.
Step 3. Add the flour mixture to the dough, mixing until just combined. Scrape down the edges of the bowl with a spatula to ensure the cake batter is evenly mixed. Mix in the apples and pecans. The dough will be stiff.
Step 4. Pour the dough into the prepared bundt pan. Using a spatula or offset spatula, spread the dough into an even layer. Bake for 65-75 minutes; a toothpick should come out clean when checking for doneness. Let the cake cool on a cooling rack in the pan for 15 minutes, then carefully flip the pan over to remove the bundt cake onto the cooling rack to cool completely.
Step 5. To make the caramel sauce, in a small pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the brown sugar, cream, vanilla, and salt. Bring the brown sugar mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Boil for 1-2 minutes. Let cool for 20-30 minutes. Pour the sauce into a bowl or container with a spout to help it cool faster and to help with pouring. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
Step 6. You can pour the caramel sauce over the entire cake or pour it over individual slices. I like to store the cake at room temperature in a covered cake pan or container until serving. Once the caramel sauce is on the cake, the cake should be stored in the fridge, and the cake tends to dry just a bit when refrigerated, so I recommend keeping them separate until serving or making the caramel sauce 45 minutes or so before serving.
Tips
- I speak from experience when I say I 100% recommend using Pam Baking Spray with Flour or Baker’s Joy to spray the pan with. Bundt pans have so many little grooves where cake can get stuck when turning the cake out of the pan. There’s a reason they have a picture of a bundt cake on the front of each container. Nothing is worse than taking the time to prepare the cake and then having it break when turning it over to remove the cake from the pan. You can try using butter and flour in its place, but I feel like the spray does a great job applying an even coating.
Frequently Asked Questions
| Can Apple Caramel Bundt Cake be made in advance? |
| a. The bundt cake lasts for 3 days at room temperature, covered, and up to five days when refrigerated. I have made it the night before without the sauce, and then prepared the sauce before serving. b. The caramel sauce can also be made in advance, but it will thicken significantly once refrigerated. You will need to gently reheat in a pot on low heat or in the microwave, checking every 15 seconds, to reheat and thin the sauce before serving, so it is pourable. |
| How to store Apple Caramel Bundt Cake? |
| a. This depends on whether you want to pour the caramel sauce over the entire cake or over individual servings. I like to serve the caramel sauce next to the cake for guests to pour over their individual slices. This allows me to store leftovers of the cake (without the sauce) at room temperature because the cake tends to dry out a bit when refrigerated. Once the caramel sauce has been poured on the cake, it should be stored in the refrigerator. I store the cake in a covered cake container or stand, and the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge. b. You can freeze the cake, wrapped well in foil and plastic wrap, so nothing is exposed to the air for up to 2 months. I recommend freezing it without the caramel sauce for the best success when thawing and serving. |
Apple Caramel Bundt Cake
12
servings20
minutes65-75
minutes1
hour30
minutesThis Apple Caramel Bundt Cake is one of our favorite Fall desserts. The cinnamon-spiced cake is packed with tender pieces of apples and pecans, and drizzled with a rich, homemade caramel sauce.
Ingredients
Cake:
2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups granulated sugar
1 ⅓ cups vegetable oil
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups peeled, cored, and chopped Granny Smith apples
1 cup chopped pecans
Caramel sauce:
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter
½ cup cream
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
Pinch salt
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and spray a standard-sized 10-inch Bundt pan evenly and generously with a cooking spray that contains flour. We like “Pam Baking Spray with Flour” or “Baker’s Joy”.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt until just mixed. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer in a large bowl, beat together oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the edges of the bowl with a spatula as needed to ensure the cake batter is evenly mixed.
- Add the flour mixture to the dough, mixing until just combined. Scrape down the edges of the bowl with a spatula to ensure the cake batter is evenly mixed. Mix in the apples and pecans. The batter will be stiff.
- Pour the dough into the prepared bundt pan. Using a spatula or offset spatula, spread the batter into an even layer. Bake for 65-75 minutes; a toothpick should come out clean when checking for doneness.
- Let the cake cool on a cooling rack in the pan for 15 minutes, then carefully flip the pan over to remove the bundt cake onto the cooling rack to cool completely. (I put the cooling rack on top of the bundt cake and then turn both of them over at the same time.)
- To make the caramel sauce, in a small pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter. Whisk in the brown sugar, cream, vanilla, and salt.
- Bring the brown sugar mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Boil for 1-2 minutes. Let cool for 20-30 minutes. Pour the sauce into a bowl or container with a spout to help it cool faster and to help with pouring. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
- You can pour the caramel sauce over the entire cake or pour it over individual slices. I prefer individual slices because I like to store the cake at room temperature in a covered cake pan or container. Once the caramel sauce is on the cake, the cake should be stored in the fridge, and the cake tends to dry just a bit when refrigerated, so I recommend keeping them separate until serving or making the caramel sauce 45 minutes or so before serving.
Notes
- You can pour the caramel sauce over the entire cake or pour it over individual slices. I prefer individual slices because I like to store the cake at room temperature in a covered cake pan or container. Once the caramel sauce is on the cake, the cake should be stored in the fridge, and the cake tends to dry just a bit when refrigerated, so I recommend keeping them separate until serving or making the caramel sauce 30-45 minutes before serving.
- I 100% recommend using Pam Baking Spray with Flour or Baker’s Joy to spray the pan with. Bundt pans have so many little grooves where cake can get stuck when turning the cake out of the pan. There’s a reason they have a picture of a bundt cake on the front of each spray container. Nothing is worse than taking the time to prepare the cake and then having it break when turning it over to remove the cake from the pan. You can try using butter and flour in its place, but I feel like the spray does a great job applying an even coating.
This cake looks absolutely gorgeous! I love how the caramel drizzle pairs with the apple flavor, it feels so perfect for fall. I can already imagine how amazing my kitchen will smell while baking this. Definitely adding it to my weekend baking list!
Thank you so much! It is a favorite Fall recipe of ours. The caramel and apple together really are so good. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for the great feedback!
Wow, this looks do moist and delicious. I can’t wait to make it.
Thank you so much! It is definitely a favorite of ours, the caramel takes it over the top. Hope you enjoy it!