Recipe: Easy One-Bowl Apple Bundt Cake
The ultimate apple cake for fall celebrating, which comes together in one bowl and features a sweet and tangy cream cheese glaze.
Serves12 to 16
Prep25 minutes
Cook40 minutes to 50 minutes
If you only bake one thing this fall, let it be this cake. Studded with chunks of apple, scented with cinnamon, and finished with a sweet and tangy cream cheese glaze, this gorgeous Bundt cake is the very best way to welcome fall weather. Our fuss-free, one-bowl method makes it easy to throw together quickly for a crowd, and you won’t be hard-pressed to find ways to enjoy it. Serve it for dessert or as a midday treat with a hot cup of coffee or tea.
A Classic Cake That Celebrates Fall
This is the cake you crave when the air begins to get a little crisp and the season starts to change. It’s full of tender apple chunks (perfect if you’ve just gone apple picking) and has just enough cinnamon to add that quintessential warming spice. It’s finished with a generous drizzle of tangy cream cheese glaze, which is just four ingredients but makes the cake feel fancy. Finish it off with a sprinkle of chopped toasted nuts, then serve thick slices to hungry guests.
Easy One-Bowl Apple Bundt Cake
The ultimate apple cake for fall celebrating, which comes together in one bowl and features a sweet and tangy cream cheese glaze.
Prep time 25 minutes
Cook time 40 minutes to 50 minutes
Serves 12 to 16
Nutritional Info
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 tablespoon
unsalted butter
- 3 cups
all-purpose flour, plus 2 tablespoons for the pan
- 1 cup
granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup
packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon
ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons
baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon
kosher salt
- 1 cup
milk or alternative milk
- 3/4 cup
canola oil, or 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 4
large eggs
- 1 teaspoon
vanilla extract
- 1 pound
tart baking apples (about 3 medium), such as Granny Smith or Honeycrisp, peeled, cored, and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
For the glaze:
- 4 ounces
cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup
powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons
milk or alternative milk
- 1/2 teaspoon
vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup
chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (optional)
Instructions
Make the cake:
Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Generously coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with 1 tablespoon butter. Dust with the 2 tablespoons of flour and tap out any excess; set aside.
Place the remaining 3 cups flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat or whisk to combine. Add the milk, oil or butter, eggs, and vanilla and beat with an electric hand mixer or in the stand mixer on medium speed until smooth, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Fold in the apples with a rubber spatula.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the cake is lightly browned, springs back when lightly pressed with a finger, and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the pan to loosen the cake and flip it out of the pan onto a wire rack. Cool completely before glazing.
Make the glaze:
Place the cream cheese in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. (Alternatively, use an electric hand mixer, small food processor, or sturdy whisk.) Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low, gradually add the powdered sugar, and beat until combined, about 1 minute. Add the milk and vanilla and mix on low speed until smooth and creamy, about 15 seconds.
Pour the glaze over the cooled cake, making sure that the glaze drips down the sides of the cake. Sprinkle with the chopped walnuts or pecans, if using.
Recipe Notes
Storage: The glazed cake can be wrapped with plastic wrap after the glaze has set. Refrigerate for up to 5 days. Let come to room temperature before serving.
