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Apple Pumpkin Cinnamon Vanilla Bundt Cake - the best and the easiest Autumn bundt cake you'll ever make. You can optionally drizzle the cake with dulce de leche (or caramel sauce) and top it with chopped pecans, even though the cake is already really delicious. Perfect Fall treat! Great holiday recipe for Thanksgiving or Christmas.
You will fall in love with this apple pumpkin bundt cake and will be making it over and over again! The cake is so moist and fluffy, so very flavorful - it's like having Autumn on your plate! It will make a great addition to your dessert menu for Thanksgiving as an alternative or a companion to a pumpkin pie! As far as I am concerned, this cake is permanently on my menu regardless of holidays!
Even if you don't care much for pumpkin, you'll love this recipe because this cake is not overwhelmed with pumpkin, yet very flavorful. And, it has lots of chopped apples in it. It has the texture and the feel of a very good carrot cake. It won't last long in your house: you'll be eating it for breakfast, mid-day snack, and dessert!
More recipes with apples and pumpkin
I love the apple and pumpkin combination and have quite a few Autumn recipes featuring both apples and pumpkin:
- Pumpkin Banana Bread with Apples
- Pumpkin Pancakes with Cinnamon Apples
- Pumpkin Banana Muffins with Apples and Cinnamon
How to store apple pumpkin cake
- Because this cake is so moist, it keeps well on the kitchen counter for several days. I like to loosely cover it with foil and keep it loosely covered like that at room temperature.
- You can also cover the cake with plastic wrap and keep it refrigerated for up to 1 week.
- This cake can be frozen for up to 1 month.
Topping for bundt cake
And don't even get me started on the caramel topping + chopped pecans! So yummy! Homemade or store-bought regular (or salted) caramel sauce will work great! Or, you can also use dulce de leche instead of the caramel sauce. Remember to heat up the caramel sauce in the microwave for several seconds to soften it up so that it's manageable before pouring it over the apple pumpkin bundt cake.
This apple pumpkin cake came out perfectly in a bundt pan: it rises high in the pan as it bakes. And, to be frank, this cake is so good on its own, it does not even need the caramel topping, but why not pour it all over and sprinkle with the cake with chopped pecans, right? 🙂
I would say it again and again: this is an absolutely amazing apple pumpkin bundt cake: moist, light, not dense. It gets only better the next day! I hope you will welcome this gorgeous and delicious Autumn on a plate into your house as well .
Apple Pumpkin Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ⅔ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 cups all-purpose flour sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 4 cups apples , cored, peeled and diced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat eggs, white sugar, and brown sugar until light in color and creamy, about 2 minutes.
- Add oil and vanilla extract and beat for 1-2 minutes more to blend in the ingredients. Add pumpkin puree and continue beating for 1 more minute to combine.
- In a separate medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix just until combined. Do not over mix. Fold in the apples.
- Spray the bundt pan with baking spray. Carefully pour the batter into the bundt pan.
- Bake in the preheated oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 50 or 60 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool on a wire rack for about 40 minutes. Invert the bundt pan onto the serving platter and let the cake to cool further.
Video
Notes
Looking for a complete THANKSGIVING MENU?
- Be sure to check out my 50 Best Thanksgiving Recipes (The Complete Holiday Menu) - it includes everything: Fall-inspired holiday appetizers, side dishes, salads, main courses, pasta recipes, desserts, and even breakfast. This holiday menu features proven, tried, and true Thanksgiving dishes that have been reader favorites for years (I've been publishing recipes since 2012). Most of these recipes can also be re-purposed for Christmas and New Year's Eve.
Looking for THANKSGIVING SIDE DISHES?
- I have created a comprehensive recipe collection of 60 Thanksgiving side dishes conveniently categorized by ingredient: Green Beans, Butternut Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Brussels Sprouts, Potatoes, Acorn Squash, Spaghetti Squash, Asparagus, Broccoli, etc. It's a great resource to browse through for a last moment holiday inspiration! This side dishes will also work great for Christmas and New Year's Eve.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer:
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Hi
What can I use instead of eggs?
Hi Niyati, try using the so-called Flaxseed Egg.
Combine 3 tablespoons of water and 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed in a small bowl. Mix.
Let it sit for 5 or 10 minutes until thickened.
This should work just fine instead of 1 egg. Double this amount if the recipe calls for 2 eggs.
What type of apples do you suggest using for this cake.
Hi Tom! I recommend using firmer apples so they don’t turn mushy when baking. My favorites are Fuji, Gala, and Envy.
Hi Julia! Can't wait to try this. What kinds of apples work best in this recipe? I was thinking of using McIntosh. Thanks
Hi Chloe! McIntosh apples would work great! As long as the apples are firm, you can use your favorites. I typically go for Gala, Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Envy.
Can you use bob mills one to one gluten free flour in this recipe. Thank you
Hi Mary, yes you can! I've made a similar cake using gluten-free flour. Here are my tips:
1) This recipe has been tested with Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour - it works great, and you can use it 1-to-1 without making any changes to this recipe. The same applies to King Arthur gluten-free measure-for-measure flour.
2) If the cake batter is too thick, add extra Greek yogurt (about ¼ cup).
3) You might also have to bake this cake a little longer using GF flour.
4) I also recommend baking in a cast-iron skillet if using gluten-free flour. But springform pan should work just fine, too!
Can this be adapted to mini Bundts?
I'm sure it can! Just check the cup volume of the mini Bundt pans and adjust the recipe accordingly. The Bundt pan I used holds 10-12 cups of batter.
Hi Julia, can you substitute veg oil with apple sauce or sour cream using same equivalent amount of 2/3 cup?
Win
Hi Winnie, I would use 1/3 cup of apple sauce (or sour cream) + 1/3 cup of vegetable oil.
This cake was super moist and delicious! I made some homemade caramel for the drizzle and added almonds instead of pecans since my husband dislikes pecans.
This is definitely going on my Thanksgiving Table this year.
The homemade caramel sounds amazing, and I'm glad the recipe paired well with almonds! It’s a perfect cake for Thanksgiving!
Hi Julia, Do you know if this recipe can successfully be made as a gluten free option? I've made the recipe, as is, in mini bundt forms; they were terrific.
Hi Candy, you can make this recipe with 1:1 gluten-free flour. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
I would use King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour or 1:1 gluten-free flour. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
1) Bake gluten-free bundt cakes at a lower temperature, about 25°F less, and extend the baking time by around 15 minutes or more (to prevent a gummy or mushy texture). Keep in mind that oven variations may affect the exact time, so watch it closely.
2) Also, in my experience, making a gluten-free version works best in shallower pans, such as a cast iron skillet, a large shallow rectangular pan, or a 9x3 inch springform pan or a similar larger pan. You can follow the recipe and bake at the same temperatures with shallower pans.
3) I also came across this helpful comment from another reader on my Facebook page about this very cake, which you might find useful:
"I use Bob’s Red Mill. I also add a dollop of sour cream to every cake recipe. I make pound cakes, carrot cakes, banana bread, tres leches cakes, etc. All come out perfect every time and no one even knows they are gluten-free except my family. I follow the recipe as written except for substituting Bob’s Red Mill 1 for 1 flour and a dollop of sour cream. Same temp, same time for same size pan, etc. I do grease and flour (GF, of course) the bundt pan rather than just spray with the Pam."
Can you make this gluten free?
Hi Margaret! I just replied to a similar comment right above yours.
Can this be made gluten free?
Hi Margaret, I just responded to this above your comment. 🙂
Can the cake be made and frozen for future use
Yes, this cake will freeze well!
What size bundt pan please?
HI Heather, it's a 10-cup bundt pan. You can also use 12-cup here.
Hi Julia. Thank you for your recipes. I’m rather new to your site but I have made this Bundt cake 4 times now in the last 2 months and it’s been a big hit every time! The key is it’s not overly sweet. I’ve served it with homemade caramel sauce, chopped pecans, my homemade vanilla ice cream/and or homemade whipped cream. Moist, decadent and delicious! I look forward to trying your other recipes. Consider me a new fan!
Julie, I am so happy you discovered my site through this recipe! ❤️ I do not like overly sweet desserts, and this recipe is one of my favorites in the winter. I hope you love my other recipes as much as this one. 🙂
Having just made an apple cake that’s similar I’m eager to try this. Question: Do you have a caramel sauce recipe or do we just do store bought?
Thanks for sharing your warm and yummy ideas with the world!♥️
Rachael, I actually used Dulce De Leche in this recipe, but the store-bought caramel sauce would work just fine. Just heat it up gently in a small saucepan until just warm on stovetop to thin it out (but don't let it get hot). If it's too thick, add a tablespoon of heavy cream to dilute it.
Enjoy and Happy New Year! ❤️❤️
First-time effort = first-time success! Prepped all ingredients and then followed steps to create a baked masterpiece. Easy release with flour spray and 40-minute cooling period. Cake is beautiful, moist and smells wonderful. Thank you!
Rhonda, thank you for your great review - so glad the cake turned out great! ❤️ Wishing you and your loved ones a very Happy New Year!