Fresh Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze
If you are looking for a delicious apple cake that has a blend of delicious flavors, THIS is the one! It’s delightfully easy to put together and the aromas coming from your kitchen while it bakes is going to make your mouth water!
My husband absolutely loves apple desserts! This works perfectly since his birthday is in the fall when the apples are harvested. Instead of a traditional birthday cake, I almost always make him something with apples for his birthday. Some years it’s an apple pie, but some years it might be this apple cake!
One of the best things about this recipe is that anyone can make it! It doesn’t require a mixer or any special equipment to put it together. The recipe calls for baking it in a bundt cake, but you could really use whatever pan you have and I’m sure it would come out just fine with the baking time adjusted for the pan you’re using!
Favorite Apples to Use:
Some of my favorite apples to use in this recipe are granny smith apples or honeycrisp apples. However, I’ve used a variety of other types and every single one has made a delicious cake! All that to say, just use whatever you have on hand. You don’t have to go buy a special kind of apple in order for this to be yummy!
Great Addition to Holiday Menu!
This is one of those cakes that I think is such a welcome addition to a holiday gathering! When you are likely to have a variety of desserts for meals such as Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, this one would be a really nice choice! It pairs well with that cup of coffee after dinner to sit and enjoy while visiting with friends and family. If your family is anything like mine, we all love the dessert sampler at meals like this, taking a small sliver of several choices!
Fresh Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Glaze
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 cups plain all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 3 cups diced apples
- 2 tsp cinnamon (divided)
Brown Sugar Glaze
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup half & half
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
- Grease and flour bundt cake pan.
- Combine oil, eggs and sugar and mix together until smooth.
- Combine flour, baking soda and 1 tsp. cinnamon together.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and mix well. Batter will be stiff.
- Fold in the apples, salt and vanilla.
- Pour into bundt pan and sprinkle 1 tsp cinnamon over the cake in pan.
- Bake at 325 for 1 hour.
- Let cake cool.
- Cook butter, brown sugar and half & half in saucepan over medium heat until melted and smooth.
- Pull pan off heat and add the powdered sugar. Whisk until smooth.
- Let sit for about 10 minutes before pouring over cool cake. You may need to pour part of glaze and come back to pour the rest in a few mintues, giving glaze time to set up a litte more. It will spill over into the middle of cake.
- Top with chopped nuts if desired.
I will try making this limiting 1.5 cups of oil by substituting with 1.5 cups unsweetened sauce. This will make it healthier. I have done this with baking recipes requiring oil and it adds the moisture without the fats. Thanks for sharing.
What kind of sauce are you talking about?
It was probably the brown sugar glaze that I called sauce!
I think she meant unsweetened applesauce as I sometimes substitute this instead of oil. I am making the cake today and I will be substituting the oil with applesauce too. Thanks for all your videos..
I made this cake for dessert today and it was wonderful. Very moist. My husband says it’s another keeper. This is the 3rd recipe of yours that we have made and all 3 turned out great. Thank you for sharing.
So very delicious !! Especially the brown sugar glaze that just takes it to another level. Thanks for sharing making another one to take to my Bible study on Tuesday. I can’t wait.
Wonderful! So glad you liked it. We sure do!
So moist and wonderful! This receipt takes me back when momma made us fresh apple cake in the fall. This is a keeper.
Yes, it is a delicious recipe! My mom always made apple cake too! 🙂
Havent made the cake yet but im in the process of gathering ingredients.
Please let me know how it turns out. This is one of our favorites.
Hello, I love your recipes . Would love to make the Pumpkin Crunch cake and this Apple cake. Do you use salted or unsalted butter for the Pumpkin cake ? It’s not specified. Thank you.
I use salted butter, although either one would work for these! Hope you enjoy!
I have recently made this wonderful Pumpkin Crunch Cake (past two weeks) and I seriously doubted I’d be able to make it look as Ms. Mary Kathrine but boy oh boy! It was a hit! My family and I simple loved it 😍. Give it a try, smells great , looks so fancy, and tastes absolutely delicious!
Oh wonderful! 🙂
Just realized I commented on th wrong recipe but this Apple Cake is next on my list to make. I super duper love your YouTube channel! 🥰
Thank you! We love this apple cake! 🙂
What pan can you use if you do not have bundt pan?
You could make this in a 9×13 pan and it would be great! Hope that helps. 🙂
I made this several weeks ago. I didn’t make the glaze,as I wanted to taste the actual cake. It is wonderful. I will make it again and try the glaze this time, but frankly it is just out of this world on its own!!It’s definitely Five Star.
Yes, so glad you enjoyed it!
Seems like a great tasting dessert. How many cups in the bundt pan? I have a 10 cups bundt pan. Thank you.
This is a standard size bundt pan, which holds 10-12 cups!
Mary Catherine,
I give 5+ Stars! (The stars were not working.)
This cake is fabulous. I used fresh picked Granny Smith Apples. The only issue I had was the baking temperature. 325° F for 55 minutes didn’t work. After many extra minutes, I bumped the temp up to 350°. Is the temp in the recipe an error?
I plan to bake this cake again for the holidays. This cake is totally YUM and even better with vanilla ice cream!
Hi Linda! I’m so glad you enjoyed this cake. It is a good one. The recipe is correct with a 325 degree temperature. However, ovens do vary and I’m glad you were able to make adjustments with yours to make it work!
I would like to know how far ahead this cake can be made and the best way to store it before serving.
This cake will keep in the fridge for several days. Just make sure it is sealed/covered well. You could even freeze it for up to one month ahead. Most cakes will be even more moist after freezing for this length of time.
Excellent tasting and so true about 🍎 being the fruit of the season.
rally looks yummy TYOU VERY MUCH. QC. canada
Not too healthy, but this is one of three desserts I’ll be making for Thanksgiving!
After all, calories don’t count when desserts are made for a Holiday right?
Thanks for recipe. Pat
Yes,it’s one day a year! We don’t eat like this every day!
Hi. Just discovered you! I’m making the Pumpkin Crunch Cake now. Have a question about the apple cake. Is there a way to use canned apples instead of fresh? Thanks!
Hmmm…that mmight work. If they have added sugar and cinnamon, you’ll probably want to cut down on those ingredients in the cake. Also, you may want to still cut up the apples a bit if they are large slices in the can! Let me know if you try it that way!
I am baking two of these cakes today to take for our family dinner tomorrow! My family love it, and requested it! I want Mama’s apple cake! I printed copies for all the girls so they could make some.
Thank you Mary Katherine! You are a Godsend
Oh, I’m so glad you can make it for everyone and share the recipe! 🙂
make it n it was a great hit😋😍 my husband n children couldn’t stop eating it❤️🙏
Oh, I’m so glad you all loved it! 🙂
Best recipe I have found for Apple Cake yet!!! I am 88 years young and love to follow Mary Katherine’s recipes.
Oh, thank you, Mary! I’m so glad you like it. 🙂
Found me a new recipe – love the cake!! Thank you, Ms. Mary K
You’re welcome! Enjoy! 🙂