Apple Dapple Cake (Apple Bundt Cake)

This Apple Dapple Cake recipe is the epitome of fall flavors. This moist and spiced cake, brimming with tender chunks of apple, toasted pecans, and a rich caramel glaze, is the perfect treat to savor on a crisp, cozy afternoon with a cup of coffee.

Caramel glazed apple dapple cake on a dark plate on a dark surface.

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Why You’ll Love This

This old fashioned apple dapple cake recipe stays super moist and delicious due to the oil and juicy apples.

  • Moist and Tender – Thanks to the addition of fresh juicy apples, this cake stays incredibly moist and tender, ensuring each bite is a delectable delight.
  • Crispy Edges – This apple cake has crispy edges while the cake itself soaks up the glaze for a nice moist bite!
  • Perfect Fall Treat – With its warm and comforting flavors, this apple cake recipe is an ideal dessert to enjoy during the season, making it a comforting addition to Thanksgiving and Christmas.
  • Easy Preparation – It’s a super easy apple bundt cake recipe to make.
  • Caramel Goodness – The rich caramel glaze adds a layer of sweetness and decadence to this easy apple cake.

Some of our other favorite fall dessert recipes to make are Dark Chocolate Fudge, Old Fashioned Molasses Cookies, Gingerbread Biscotti, and Jumbo Pumpkin Muffins.

Apple Dapple labeled ingredients laid out on a dark surface.

Key Ingredients

Please see the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and instructions.

  • Dry Ingredients – All-purpose flour, baking soda, and kosher salt.
  • Flavorings – Ground cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, ground allspice, and vanilla extract.
  • Wet Ingredients – Large eggs, vegetable oil (or canola oil), and granulated sugar.
  • Apples and Pecans – You can use Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Gala apples. Toasted and chopped pecans.
  • Glaze – Dark brown sugar, unsalted butter, heavy cream, vanilla, and kosher salt.

How to Make Apple Dapple Cake

Pro Tip

Refrigerate the greased and floured bundt pan while you prepare the cake batter. This will give you extra assurance that the cake will never stick to the pan.

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt until well combined. In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs, granulated sugar, oil, and vanilla together for at least 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
  • Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined and a small amount of dry flour remains.
Apple Dapple Cake wet ingredients in a glass mixing bowl with the dry ingredients in a metal bowl on a dark surface.
Dry ingredients mixed into the wet ingredients for apple dapple cake in a glass bowl on dark surface.
  • Fold in the apples and nuts just until well combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread out evenly. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Apple Dapple Cake batter mixed in a glass mixing bowl on a dark suface.
Unbaked apple bundt cake batter in a bundt pan on a dark surface.
  • Meanwhile, combine the brown sugar, butter, cream, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, whisk constantly for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Brown sugar, butter, heavy cream, and kosher salt in a medium saucepan on a dark surface.
Caramel glaze for apple bundt cake boiling in a medium saucepan.
  • While the cake is still hot in the pan poke holes using a wooden stick (wooden skewer) all over the cake. Pour about 3/4 of the glaze evenly over the cake. Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 1 hour.
Holes being poked into the baked apple dapple cake in a bundt pan on a dark surface.
Caramel glaze poured over the apple dapple cake still in a bundt pan.
  • Invert the cake onto a serving plate and allow it to cool completely. Once the cake is completely cooled drizzle the reserved brown sugar glaze over the top of the cake.

Invert the cake onto a serving plate and allow it to cool completely. Once the cake is completely cooled drizzle the reserved brown sugar glaze over the top of the cake.

A slice of apple dapple cake on a dark plate on a dark surface.

Serving Suggestions

This fresh apple cake is delicious on its own! But it can be served as an apple coffee cake for breakfast or afternoon tea.

Or you can the cake with whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Tips

  • Measure the flour properly. Aerate, spoon, and swoop level.
  • Select firm tart and sweet apples for the best flavor. We use a mix of Granny Smith apples and Honeycrisp apples. But you can use other kinds of apples such as Gala, Brauburn, or Jonagold.
  • Dice the apples small and in equal sizes for an even distribution.
  • Be sure to grease the bundt pan. I use a baking spray that contains flour.
  • Use room-temperature eggs. This helps the ingredients combine more easily and evenly.
  • Don’t overmix! Once you add the dry ingredients mix only until there is a small amount of dry flour remaining, then add the apples and pecans and fold them in just until combined.
  • When making the caramel glaze, cook it until it’s smooth and slightly thickened, but be careful not to overcook it, as it can become too thick.

Variations

  • Add some ground ginger if desired.
  • Swap the pecans for toasted walnuts.
  • Use a good bourbon or whiskey instead of vanilla extract in the caramel sauce.

FAQs

Can I bake this in a 9×13 baking pan?

Yes, you can but a bundt pan gives this cake a crispy exterior and extremely moist interior. To bake in a 9×13 pan bake the cake for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Storing

Place the cooled cake in an airtight container and store it at room temperature for up to 4 days.

Freezing

Wrap the cake tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.

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Caramel glazed apple dapple cake on a dark plate on a dark surface.

Apple Dapple Cake Recipe (Apple Bundt Cake)

This moist and spiced cake is generously studded with chunks of tart apples and crowned with a luscious caramel glaze.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Servings: 12
Calories: 701kcal
Author: Leigh Harris

Ingredients
 

Cake

  • 3 cups All-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp Baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1 tsp Ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp Ground nutmeg fresh is best
  • 1/4 tsp Ground allspice
  • 2 cups Granulated sugar
  • 3 large Eggs room temperature
  • 1 cup Vegetable oil or Canola oil
  • 2 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 3 cups Apples peeled and finely diced (Granny Smith and Honeycrisp)
  • 1 cup Pecans toasted and rough chopped

Caramel Glaze

  • 1 cup Dark brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup Unsalted butter 1 1/2 sticks
  • 1/4 cup Heavy cream
  • 1/8 tsp Kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract

Instructions

Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour or use baking spray in a 12-cup bundt pan.
  • In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt until well combined. Set aside.
    3 cups All-purpose flour, 1 tsp Baking soda, 1/2 tsp Kosher salt, 1 tsp Ground cinnamon, 1/2 tsp Ground nutmeg, 1/4 tsp Ground allspice
  • In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the eggs, granulated sugar, oil, and vanilla together for at least 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
    2 cups Granulated sugar, 3 large Eggs, 1 cup Vegetable oil, 2 tsp Vanilla extract
  • Turn the mixer to low speed and gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined and a small amount of dry flour remains.
  • Fold in the pecans and diced apples.
    3 cups Apples, 1 cup Pecans
  • Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread out evenly. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Caramel Glaze

  • Meanwhile, combine the brown sugar, butter, cream, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, whisk constantly for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
    1 cup Dark brown sugar, 3/4 cup Unsalted butter, 1/4 cup Heavy cream, 1/8 tsp Kosher salt, 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
  • When the cake is done and still hot in the pan, poke holes using a wooden stick (wooden skewer) all over the cake. Pour about 1 cup of the glaze evenly over the cake, reserving 1/2 cup for later. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 1 hour.
  • Invert the cake onto a serving plate and allow it to cool completely.
  • Once the cake is completely cooled drizzle the reserved glaze over the top of the cake. Microwave the glaze at 10-second intervals, stirring between until it's smooth and creamy again.

Notes

Use a 12-cup bundt pan. If you only have a 10-cup bundt pan the cake will rise to the very top or over. The glaze will run over the sides. Use only half of the glaze for this and pour slowly giving it time to soak into the cake.
Select firm tart and sweet apples for the best flavor. We use a mix of Granny Smith apples and Honeycrisp apples.
Dice the apples small and in equal sizes for an even distribution.
To toast the chopped pecans place them on a baking sheet and toast at 350 degrees F for 4-5 minutes. Pecan halves will take 8-10 minutes.
Don’t overmix! Once you add the dry ingredients mix only until there is a small amount of dry flour remaining, then add the apples and pecans and fold them in just until combined.
Storing and Freezing – See FAQ section in the post.

Nutrition

Calories: 701kcal | Carbohydrates: 85g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 13g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 83mg | Sodium: 248mg | Potassium: 156mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 59g | Vitamin A: 517IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 2mg

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