Apple cake should be tender enough to almost collapse under its own weight. It should taste like apples—not just a hint of apple flavor buried under cinnamon, but actual fruit. And it should stay moist for days, getting better as the flavors settle into each other.
This cake delivers all of that. It’s loaded with fresh apples that release their juice as they bake, creating pockets of soft fruit throughout. The crumb is tight but not dense, sweet but not cloying. It’s the kind of cake you can serve for breakfast with coffee or as dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
What You’ll Need
For the Cake:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1½ cups vegetable oil
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup apple cider or apple juice
- 4 cups peeled and diced Granny Smith apples (about 3-4 medium apples)
- 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
For the Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 tablespoons apple cider or milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Tools:
- 10-inch Bundt pan
- Large mixing bowl
- Medium mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Vegetable peeler
- Chef’s knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Wire cooling rack
Preparing the Pan and Apples
Preheat your oven to 325°F. Grease your Bundt pan thoroughly—every groove, every crevice. Use butter or a baking spray with flour. Missing a spot means half your cake stays in the pan.
Peel your apples. Cut them into small dice, about ½-inch pieces. You want them small enough to distribute throughout the batter but large enough to hold their shape. Granny Smiths hold up well and provide a nice tart contrast to the sweet cake.
Making the Batter
In your medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Set it aside.
In your large bowl, whisk the oil, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition. The mixture should look smooth and slightly thickened.
Stir in the vanilla extract and apple cider.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three additions, stirring gently after each. Don’t overmix. Stir just until you no longer see dry flour.
Fold in the diced apples and pecans (if using). The batter will be thick and heavy with fruit. That’s exactly what you want.
Baking
Scrape the batter into your prepared Bundt pan. Smooth the top with your spatula.
Bake for 75-85 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick or skewer inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs. The top should be deeply golden and spring back when you press it lightly.
Start checking at 75 minutes. Ovens vary, and all those apples add moisture that can extend baking time.
Cooling and Glazing
Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. This is critical. Too short and the cake will fall apart when you invert it. Too long and it’ll stick.
After 15 minutes, run a thin knife around the edges and center tube. Place your wire rack over the pan and flip the whole thing. Give it a gentle shake. The cake should release. If it doesn’t, wait another 5 minutes and try again.
Let the cake cool completely on the rack—at least an hour.
For the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar, apple cider, and vanilla. Start with 2 tablespoons of liquid and add more if needed. You want it thick enough to cling to the cake but thin enough to drizzle.
Pour the glaze over the cooled cake, letting it drip down the sides.
Serving
Slice thick wedges. The cake is dense with apples, so each slice should have plenty of fruit. It serves 12-14 people.
Store it covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week. The cake actually improves after a day as the apples continue to release moisture into the crumb.
