If you’ve been searching for the ultimate glazed apple cake, my fresh apple bundt cake is it. Oil and applesauce keep every bite incredibly moist and tender, fresh apple chunks add the perfect texture, and a rich brown sugar praline glaze drizzled on top takes it completely over the top. Gluten-free modifications are included so everyone can dig in.
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Glazed Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting
Even though my homemade glazed apple cake would be hard to ignore anytime of the year, autumn begs for richly spiced cinnamon apples baked together in a warm, old fashioned bundt cake.
Settling on that perfect recipe, though, is a tough decision with so many tasty apple desserts possible. It’s a tough call between our family favorites, like caramel apple cheesecake bars, flaky pies, crisps, and the cake guests can’t keep their hands off of – a simple almond apple cake.
Although I wouldn’t turn down any of these, I wanted my apple cake made with fresh apples to replicate the old fashioned bundt cake my mom made. The simple flavors of apple and cinnamon need to shine through a moist tender crumb and chewy crust all around.
What makes this cake recipe exceptionally moist? Using a combination of oil and applesauce makes a satisfyingly dense crumb. The cake’s exterior is a crisper, chewy outer shell due to using baking soda, rather than baking powder for rising.
Once the cake has cooled and been removed from the bundt cake pan it’s time to make the quick, stove top brown sugar glaze, reminiscent tasting old fashioned pralines. Butter, brown sugar, and milk are heated together and then combined with powdered sugar. Drizzle over the top and sprinkle with additional nuts, if desired.
Secrets To a Moist Apple Bundt
We’ve highlighted the oil and applesauce combo, but what else can we do to make an apple cake exceptionally moist, but not heavy? First, use plenty of fresh chopped apples for a natural sweetness and moisture. Adding a bit of molasses also deepens not only the soft crumb, but adds a brown sugar smoky flavor.
Lastly, bake the cake at a lower oven temp, 325℉. While it takes awhile to bake through, low and slow allows for a gentler rise and liquids won’t evaporate as quickly.
Free Guide! 5 easy tips for baking like a gluten-free pro!
Simple hacks for fail-proof gluten-free dishes every time!
Let’s Make This Together!
(Below shows step-by-step photos and modified instructions. For the complete recipe, along with ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.)
No sweat cake batter
When it comes to baking, if an extra step doesn’t add to the final outcome, I will skip it. So no separate bowls for liquid and dry ingredients here. Start off with a big bowl and beat together the oil, brown sugar, applesauce, eggs, vanilla, and molasses.
Add the flour, baking soda, spices and mix well until it’s all combined. Finally stir in the chopped apples and nuts, if using.
Pour and bake
If your bundt pan doesn’t have a good nonstick finish, then I recommend greasing it with butter, dusting flour over it, and shaking out excess. You don’t want any issues when it comes to releasing the cake from the pan.
The batter will fill about three-fourths up the pan. As it bakes it will rise and dome over the top, but won’t overflow because there isn’t a lot of baking soda compared to the other ingredient amounts.
The cake takes a long time to bake, 70-80 minutes. I’m a big fan of using this cake tester because it goes down deep into the cake, which is needed with bundt pans.
Cool in the pan for about 20 minutes before inverting to a cooling rack to cool while the glaze is prepared.
World’s best praline brown sugar glaze
Brown sugar can be gritty if it’s not cooked to melting point, which is why I make my glaze for apple cake in a saucepan. Melt together the butter, brown sugar, milk, salt, and then boil for 1 minutes. Remove it from the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and vanilla.
Gooey glaze drizzles
Continue to stir gently for 3-5 minutes until frosting thickens slightly, but is still pourable. Pour it all over the cake, letting pools drip down on the the cake platter and in the center. Immediately sprinkle chopped walnuts or pecans on top.
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Fresh Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Praline Glaze
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups oil, any preferred
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, or gluten-free flour (see recipe notes)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups peeled, cored, and chopped sweet apples, I use golden delicious
- 1 ¼ cups chopped walnuts, optional
Brown Sugar Praline Glaze
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- 3 tablespoons milk, heavy cream, or half and half
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325ºF. Spray a non-stick bundt cake pan liberally with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large bowl beat together sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, molasses, applesauce, and vanilla.1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup packed light brown sugar, 1 ½ cups oil, 3 large eggs, ½ cup unsweetened applesauce, 2 tablespoons molasses, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Add in the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ground ginger, allspice, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt. Beat well until no flour streaks remain.3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground allspice, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves, ½ teaspoon salt
- Stir in fresh apples and 1 cup walnuts, if desired. Reserve remaining walnuts for topping. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 70-80 minutes, or until cake tester inserted in cake comes out clean.3 cups peeled, cored, and chopped sweet apples, 1 ¼ cups chopped walnuts
- Cool cake in pan for 15-20 minutes. Use a knife to gently go around edges. Turn cake onto wire rack to remove from pan. Cool completely before transferring to a cake platter and frosting.
Brown Sugar Praline Glaze
- In a small saucepan add softened butter, brown sugar, milk, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute. Remove from heat.½ cup packed light brown sugar, ¼ cup butter, 3 tablespoons milk, heavy cream, or half and half, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Stir vigorously until powdered sugar is smooth and incorporated. Continue to stir gently for 3-5 minutes until frosting thickens slightly, but is still pourable. Pour over cooled cake and immediately sprinkle on walnuts, if desired.1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cup powdered sugar
Notes
Gluten-Free Modifications
I use and recommend using Cup 4 Cup gluten-free flour. GF cakes require a slightly longer baking time, up to 90 minutes. Be sure to test the cake using a cake tester before removing from the oven. If the top is becoming overly browned, tent a piece of foil on top.Storing
Apple cake tastes better the next day so bake ahead of time! As the cake sits, it becomes more moist while the spices meld and deepen. Store uncut apple cake, uncovered, on the counter up to 3 days. If the cake has been cut, press a piece of plastic wrap against the cut sides, leaving the rest exposed. It will dry out if refrigerated, so leave at room temperature.This post contains affiliate links. My opinions are always my own. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, I make a small commission – at no cost to you. Read full disclosure policy here.
Any thoughts on replacing the eggs? Maybe the beans Just Eggs or flax eggs?
Thoughts?
Hi Carrie,
For this I would try Just Eggs or another commercial egg replacer.
Best,
Melissa
Delicious! I used Cup4Cup and baked the cake 90 minutes. You have to work fast with the frosting as it hardens quickly! I toasted the walnuts that I used for the topping just because toasted nuts make everything taste so good!
Hi Kristi,
Thanks for sharing! You can always pop the frosting back over the heat or thin it out with a little milk if it’s starting to set before you are done working with it. I’m glad you enjoyed the cake!
Best,
Melissa
My first GF cake made since diagnosis of Celiac. I have to say it doesn’t disappoint! Great flavor and texture. So glad I tried this recipe first. Even my non GF husband loved it as well.
Hi Kim!
Yay! I’m so glad you’re first attempt was a success! Not a lot of newly diagnosed Celiacs can say that! I hope you find more recipes that are helpful. I know the transition is very overwhelming, to say the least!
Best,
Melissa
Apple can be use for different types of recipe like apple cake, juice, cider, smoothies etc. I love people share their experiences and new recipes with others and inspire them to eat healthy foods.
Thank you for your recipe, I am going to make this.
Great, enjoy!
I baked this Apple Cake the other day. I looked in the oven and it was brown. I took a cake tester and poke the cake in different spots. It seemed done. It was baked only 40 mintues. Then when it cooled for 20 mintues, I cut the middle and the inside was raw. I was so disappointed. What did I do wrong? Do you have Apple Spice cake with cream cheese? Please email me the answers Thank you very much,
Gale
Hi Gale,
The exterior will become more brown, golden, and “done” looking before the inside of the cake because of the brown sugar and molasses. Since there is a lot more moister in this cake with the applesauce and apples, it does need a longer time to bake. I’m really sorry the cake didn’t turn out for you. What a disappointment 🙁
Best,
Melissa
Can you add spice rum to the cake? How much? Please email me the answer?
Hi Gale,
I think spiced rum would be a great addition! Adding the extra liquid to the cake ingredients would throw off the consistency of the cake and the flavor might get lost in everything else. However, you can add it to the glaze and I think the flavor would really shine through more. I will email you now how to do that!
Best,
Melissa
My new favorite apple cake recipe!! I used my farm freshly picked honeycrisp apples. Moist and delicious!
That’s great! Freshly picked honeycrisp are the perfect reason to make this cake!
Best,
Melissa
Delicious! I used maple syrup instead of molasses. It broke apart a bit when coming out of the bundt pan- probably let it cool too long in there. The glaze mostly covered it up though. Great fall recipe.
Hey Ruth, Yes, that is the beauty of frosting – it covers up everything! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe and thank you for letting me know about the maple syrup. That’s a great tip!
Best,
Melissa