This Cinnamon Apple Bundt Cake is moist, flavorful, and filled with chunks of apples! It's topped with a luscious cinnamon cream cheese frosting.
Apple season is one of my favorite baking times because it has so many possibilities when it comes to apples. If you're a big fan of apples, be sure to try some of these favorites: Apple Galette, Apple Cheesecake Brioche Buns, Salted Caramel Apple Bars, Apple Pie Tacos, and Apple Crumble Cheesecake. This Cinnamon Apple Bundt Cake is a new favorite of mine, since it has cozy spices, and frosted with a cinnamon cream cheese frosting.
Bundt cakes are so easy, versatile, and party favorites, just like my Sticky Date Bundt Cake and Carrot Bundt Cake. They're quick to put together, and even easier to frost. The only down side of a bundt pan is how cakes can easily stick and become a disaster trying to take it out of the pan. My biggest tip is to use a baking spray and heavily spray every single nook and cranny. My favorite is Baker's Joy by Nordic Ware. Ever since I started using this spray, I have never had a cake stick to the pan.
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"This cake is absolutely perfect for the fall season. Both the apple and cinnamon flavour really come through, and the cinnamon cream cheese frosting is the perfect accompaniment. I love that applesauce is used in this cake, as it gives it a lovely and tender crumb. The recipe is well written and easy to follow, but most importantly, the cake is absolutely delectable. You owe it to yourself to give it a try!"
-Melanie
♥ Why You'll Love This Recipe
Easy: There's no creaming of butter & sugar. Everything can be made using one bowl if you skip combining the dry ingredients in a separate bowl (although I recommend using a separate bowl to combine dry ingredients to avoid clumping and to ensure everything mixes together).
Moist & Tender: This cake is INCREDIBLY moist, thanks to the applesauce, oil, and the apples. And it stays moist for days!
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting: The frosting is so delicious, especially with the addition of the cinnamon. It gives it a nice spice and flavor, and goes so well with the cake.
📝 Ingredient Notes
A full list of ingredients, quantities, and instructions are located in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Cinnamon Apple Bundt Cake
- Apples: My favorite apple to bake with is honeycrisp. I've also used gala and red delicious.
- Flour: All purpose flour gives this cake the best crumb.
- Spices: This Cinnamon Apple Bundt Cake has both cinnamon and nutmeg, and both pair well with apples.
- Leavener: Make sure your baking soda is fresh!
- Salt: Always needed in cake.
- Sugar: Both brown and granulated sugar are used. You can use either dark or light brown sugar.
- Oil: Vegetable or any neutral oil.
- Eggs: Room temperature, large eggs.
- Applesauce: The applesauce adds flavor, moisture and a little sweetness, and pairs very well with the apples.
- Vanilla extract: for extra flavor.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese: Full-fat block cream cheese. Make sure it's cold out of the fridge.
- Butter: Softened, unsalted butter.
- Cinnamon: ¾ of a tsp, but you could add more or less.
- Vanilla & salt: Both are for flavor and to compliment sweetness.
- Powdered sugar: To sweeten and create a frosting texture.
See recipe card for quantities.
🍴Special Equipment
Kitchen Scale: It's so important to use a kitchen scale for accurate results.
Bundt Pan: You'll need a 10-12 cup bundt pan.
Baker's Joy: The best way to keep my Bundt cakes from sticking is using this cake release spray.
⇄ Substitutions
Sour Cream: Instead of applesauce, you could use equal parts sour cream or plain yogurt.
Brown Sugar: You can use either dark or light brown sugar for the cake.
✨ Variations
Nuts: This cinnamon apple bundt cake would be delicious with pecans or walnuts added!
Spices: You can add more spices like cloves, ginger, or allspice. Just a ⅛-1/2 teaspoon of each, depending on how much flavor you like.
Caramel sauce: Instead of a cinnamon cream cheese frosting, you can top with caramel sauce.
𓎩 Step-by-Step Instructions
A few instruction photos to help you nail this recipe every time.
Step 1
In a large bowl, add the dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil and mix using a spatula, then add the applesauce and mix until combined. Add the eggs one at a time and make sure they're completely incorporated, then add the vanilla extract and mix.
Step 2
Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Don't over mix.
Step 3
Fold in the apples.
💡 Hint: Prepare your 10-12 cup bundt pan by spraying it heavily with baking spray. Make sure to get every single nook and cranny so that the cake doesn't stick. My favorite method is to spray using a baking spray like Baker's Joy. This is the method that works 100% of the time for me.
Step 4
Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 55-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Step 1
In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until combined and smooth, for about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract, salt, and cinnamon, and beat until combined, then add the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time until each addition is incorporated, and beat for a few minutes until it's very smooth.
Once cake is completely cooled, frost and enjoy.
💬 FAQ
The number one reason cakes stick to bundt pans is that the pan was not greased enough. I know a lot of people swear by buttering and flouring the pans, but I have never had success using that. I highly recommend using a baking spray like Baker's Joy. The cakes come out in one piece.
Apples that are firm and hold their shape and texture are best for baking. I prefer to use honeycrisp or gala, but you can use your favorite in this cake. I'm no apple expert, but here is a guide from Sally's Baking Addiction on baking with apples.
Yes, peeling the apples is essential and it ensures the apples mix well with the cake and become tender in the oven while the cake cooks. Otherwise, you could end up with a bit more of a texture to your bite.
💡Pro Tips
Measure Flour Correctly - As always, with any recipe, use a kitchen scale, as it is the best form of measuring your ingredients. If you don't have a kitchen scale, fluff your flour, scoop flour with a spoon into a measuring cup and level off.
Grease Bundt Pan: It's so important to make sure your bundt pan is heavily greased when making bundt recipes because they tend to stick. To avoid a cake from sticking, grease every single nook and cranny of the pan. I HIGHLY recommend the Baker's Joy cooking spray because I have had success 100% of the time using it.
Don't over mix: Once the dry ingredients are incorporated, stop mixing, and fold in the apples with a spatula to avoid over mixing the batter.
Don't over bake: Start checking the bundt cake at 55 minutes by inserting a toothpick. If it comes out clean, remove them from the oven. Depending on your oven, it could take longer. Mine take closer to 65 minutes.
Cool cake: Before inverting the cake onto a cooling rack, make sure the cake cools down for at least 15 minutes.
❄ Storage
Once cooled and frosted, store cake covered in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It stays moist and delicious.
🍁 More Fall Recipes:
- Banana Caramel Cake
- Caramel Spice Cake
- Banana Spice Cake
- Chocolate Chip Banana Bundt Cake
- Salted Caramel Apple Bars
- Biscoff Pumpkin Pie
- Chai Cake
- Apple Crumble Cheesecake
📖 Recipe Card
Cinnamon Apple Bundt Cake
Equipment
- 1 10-12 Cup Bundt pan
Ingredients
Cinnamon Apple Bundt Cake
- 3 cups (360 g) all purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 cup (200 g) dark brown sugar packed
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup neutral oil vegetable, canola, etc.
- ⅔ cup (170 g) unsweetened applesauce
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups (366 g) peeled and diced apples about 2-3 large apples
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 oz. cream cheese cold, full fat (block)
- 4 tablespoon (56 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Cinnamon Apple Bundt Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325℉
- Prep the pan: Prepare your 10-12 cup bundt pan by spraying it heavily with baking spray. Make sure to get every single nook and cranny so that the cake doesn't stick. My favorite method is to spray using a baking spray like Baker's Joy. This is the method that works 100% of the time for me.
- Dry ingredients: In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and whisk and set aside.3 cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- Wet ingredients: In a large bowl, add the dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil and mix using a spatula, then add the applesauce and mix until combined. Add the eggs one at a time and make sure they're completely incorporated, then add the vanilla extract and mix.1 cup dark brown sugar, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 cup neutral oil, ⅔ cup unsweetened applesauce, 3 large eggs, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add dry to wet: Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Don't over mix.
- Apples: Lastly, fold in the apples.3 cups peeled and diced apples
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 55-65 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool: Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then invert it onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Beat: In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until combined and smooth, for about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla extract, salt, and cinnamon, and beat until combined, then add the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time until each addition is incorporated, and beat for a few minutes until it's very smooth.6 oz. cream cheese, 4 tablespoon unsalted butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¾ teaspoon cinnamon, pinch of salt, 1½ cups powdered sugar
- Frost: Once cake is completely cooled, frost & enjoy.
This cake is absolutely perfect for the fall season. Both the apple and cinnamon flavour really come through, and the cinnamon cream cheese frosting is the perfect accompaniment. I love that applesauce is used in this cake, as it gives it a lovely and tender crumb. The recipe is well written and easy to follow, but most importantly, the cake is absolutely delectable. You owe it to yourself to give it a try!
Your comments make me so happy, Melanie! Thank you for the best review! I especially love this cake. Gives all the cozy fall vibes. Thank you for making the cake and leaving a beautiful review, as always! 🙂