Our amazingly moist Apple Spiced Bundt Cake Recipe is smothered in homemade salted caramel bourbon sauce and toasted pecans for an out-of-this-world Fall dessert! This apple bourbon bundt cake is definitely on our top 30+ Best Apple Recipes for Fall.
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Forget pumpkin spice - one bite of this rich and moist apple spice cake drizzled with a salted caramel sauce and you'll fall in love.
In a word - amazingly delicious... ok, so that was two words. But this cake is so amazing that it needs the extra adjective to describe it!
You know the old song, "It's My Party and I'll Cry if I Want to?" Well, it's my birthday and I'll bake what I want. I know you're used to a lot of kid-friendly recipes here, but this one is adult-only. We moms need to treat ourselves, right?
💭 Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some questions (and answers!) readers often ask about this recipe.
I like to use a combination of Golden Delicious and Pink Lady or Honeycrisp apples for a variety of flavors and textures in my cake.
If you don't have a bundt cake pan, you can use a deep round cake pan. Use a ramekin in the center to create the hole. Alternatively, this cake can be baked in two loaf pans instead of a bundt pan.
Cinnamon
AllSpice
Nutmeg
Ginger
Cardamom
For the apple pie spice mix, I use my homemade blend. It's so much less expensive than the store-bought variety. You can get the recipe here.
I used a yellow bourbon that pairs really well with the apple and warm spice flavors in the cake. It adds moisture and depth of flavor to what could be just an ordinary apple spice cake recipe.
Certainly, if you were making this for children or someone that doesn't drink alcohol, you could use an apple cider in place of the bourbon. It changes the flavor, of course.
If you allow the cake to cool in the bundt cake for too long, the cake will become damp and stick to the pan.
Instead, allow the cake to rest for 10 minutes, then invert it onto a baking rack to cool completely.
Be sure to thoroughly grease your bundt pan. Instead of butter, use non-stick vegetable oil spray (such as PAM) or melted shortening.
🧂 Ingredients
In addition to standard pantry items like granulated sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, you will need the following ingredients:
- Apples - I like to use a mixture of sweet and tart apples.
- Sour Cream - Adds richness to the cake.
- Bourbon - With notes of vanilla and caramel, this helps pump up the flavor.
- Apple Sauce - Adds moisture to the cake. Use unsweetened for best results.
- Pecans - For a crunchy element to go with the soft cake and smooth caramel.
- Heavy Cream - An absolute must for making the caramel sauce.
🔪Instructions
This is meant to be a brief overview of the apple spiced bundt cake recipe. For step-by-step instructions and a full printable recipe card with ingredients, please scroll down to the teal box below or Jump to Recipe.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Butter and flour the bundt pan.
- Whisk the flour, 1-⅓ cup of the sugar, 1 teaspoon of the pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
- Toss the apples with the remaining ¼ cup sugar and ½ teaspoon pie spice. Set aside.
- Whisk the eggs, oil, and applesauce together in another bowl.
- After that, whisk in the sour cream, orange zest and juice, and bourbon.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon just until combined - lumps are OK!
- Using a slotted spoon, scatter about ½ cup of the apples in the bottom of the bundt pan.
- Put about ⅓ of the batter on top.
- Repeat, alternating apples and batter, but make sure you end with batter.
- Bake the cake until it pulls away for the sides of the pan and a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool 10 minutes and then invert onto a rack placed over a baking sheet.
Equipment
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Here is what you will need to make this apple recipe:
- Vegetable Peeler
- Paring Knife
- Cutting Board
- Liquid Measuring Cup
- Dry Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Bundt Pan
- saucepan
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How to Make Caramel Sauce
While the cake cools, make the caramel sauce:
- Stir the sugar, corn syrup, and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, swirling the pan but not stirring, until the sugar is dark amber-colored caramel, about 15 minutes.
- Pull the pan from the heat and carefully pour in the cream (take care it will splatter).
- Stir in the pecans, the rest of the bourbon, and salt.
- Cool until caramel thickens and has the texture of syrup.
- Evenly pour over the cake and cool until set.
Do you need to toast pecans?
I strongly recommend that you toast the pecans to bring out their full flavor. If you cannot find toasted pecans in your grocery store, you can toast them yourself.
How to toast Pecans
- Preheat the oven to 375-degrees F.
- Spread the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer.
- Bake for 5-10 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes until you start to smell the pecans.
- Transfer the toasted pecans to a bowl so that they do not continue to cook.
Toasted pecans should be stored in an airtight container or resealable bag. They will keep for 3-6 months in the freezer.
📖 Variations
We recommend that you try our recipe for the first time just as it is written for the best results, because that is how the recipe has been tested.
However, the next time you make it, you might consider one of these different ways of making this great recipe.
- If you prefer not to use bourbon, you can use an alcohol-free bourbon syrup or extract, or you can skip it and just use apple cider or apple juice. Or you can make my homemade caramel sauce and drizzle it on instead.
- If you do not have any sour cream on hand, you can substitute 1 cup of yogurt.
- Substitute walnuts for the pecans.
If you love pumpkin spice, you could use this Pumpkin Bundt Cake recipe from Two Peas & Their Pod. The caramel and bourbon work wonderful with the pumpkin flavor as well.
⏲️ Storage
As this cake sits with the caramel on top, it will become more moist. I recommend storing this apple bourbon cake in the refrigerator for no more than 3-4 days. (These are my favorite airtight containers.)
Make ahead: To make this cake 1-2 days ahead of time without the caramel and pecans. Wrap it in two layers of plastic wrap and freeze the cake. Thaw in the fridge and add the caramel and pecans before serving.
😋 Similar Recipes
If you love apples and cinnamon, check out our Slow Cooker Apple Cobbler or Easy Toffee Apple Dip, Of course, you can't go wrong with Easy Apple Pie either!
But if chocolate is your jam, try my Easy Chocolate Bundt Cake.
More Fall Recipes
📋 Apple Spiced Bundt Cake
Not ready to make it yet? Don’t forget to pin this recipe for later! When you do make it, please be sure to tag me on Instagram @jugglingactmama or #jugglingactmama – I’d love to see your pictures! And finally, if you get a chance, please comment and leave me a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below!
Apple Spice Cake with Salted Caramel Bourbon Sauce
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Equipment
- Vegetable Peeler
- Bundt Pan
- saucepan
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1-⅓ cups sugar plus additional ¼ cup for the apples
- 1 ½ teaspoons apple pie spice blend
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 4 large Golden Delicious and Honeycrips apples peeled, cored, and roughly chopped (about 5 cups)
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup apple sauce
- ½ cup sour cream
- Finely grated zest from 1 orange
- Juice of 1 orange about ⅓ cup
- 1 tablespoon bourbon
Caramel Sauce
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons water
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup pecans toasted and roughly chopped
- ½ teaspoon bourbon
- Pinch salt
Instructions
Apple Spice Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour the bundt pan.
- Whisk the flour, 1 ⅓ cup of the sugar, 1 teaspoon of the pie spice, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
- Toss the apples with the remaining ¼ cup sugar and ½ teaspoon pie spice. Set aside.
- Whisk the eggs, oil, and applesauce together in another bowl. Whisk in the sour cream, orange zest and juice, and bourbon.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon just until combined - lumps are OK!
- Using a slotted spoon, scatter about ½ cup of the apples in the bottom of the bundt pan. Put about ⅓ of the batter on top. Repeat, alternating apples and batter, but make sure you end with batter.
- Bake the cake until it pulls away for the sides of the pan and a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and invert onto a rack placed over a baking sheet. Cool.
Caramel Sauce
- Stir the sugar, corn syrup, and 2 tablespoons water in a small saucepan.
- Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook, swirling the pan but not stirring, until the sugar is dark amber-colored caramel, about 15 minutes.
- Pull the pan from the heat and carefully pour in the cream (take care it will splatter).
- Stir in the pecans, bourbon, and salt.
- Cool until caramel thickens and has the texture of syrup.
- Evenly pour over the cake and cool until set.
Notes
Can I make a bundt cake in a regular pan?
If you don't have a bundt cake pan, you can use a deep round cake pan. Use a ramekin in the center to create the hole. Alternatively, this cake can be baked in two loaf pans instead of a bundt pan.Do you need to toast pecans?
I strongly recommend that you toast the pecans to bring out their full flavor. If you cannot find toasted pecans in your grocery store, you can toast them yourself.How to Toast Pecans
- Preheat the oven to 375-degrees F.
- Spread the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer.
- Bake for 5-10 minutes, stirring every 2-3 minutes until you start to smell the pecans.
- Transfer the toasted pecans to a bowl so that they do not continue to cook.
Do you flip a bundt cake over right away?
If you allow the cake to cool in the bundt cake for too long, the cake will become damp and stick to the pan. Instead, allow the cake to rest for 10 minutes, then invert it onto a baking rack to cool completely.Why does my cake stick to the bundt cake?
Be sure to thoroughly grease your bundt pan. Instead of butter, use non-stick vegetable oil spray (such as PAM) or melted shortening.📖 Variations
We recommend that you try our recipe for the first time just as it is written for the best results, because that is how the recipe has been tested. However, the next time you make it, you might consider one of these different ways of making this great recipe.- If you prefer not to use bourbon, you can use an alcohol-free bourbon syrup or extract, or you can skip it and just use apple cider or apple juice. Or you can make my homemade caramel sauce and drizzle it on instead.
- If you do not have any sour cream on hand, you can substitute 1 cup of yogurt.
- Substitute walnuts for the pecans.
⏲️ Storage
As this cake sits with the caramel on top, it will become more moist. I recommend storing this apple bourbon cake in the refrigerator for no more than 3-4 days. (These are my favorite airtight containers.) Make ahead: To make this cake 1-2 days ahead of time without the caramel and pecans. Wrap it in two layers of plastic wrap and freeze the cake. Thaw in the fridge and add the caramel and pecans before serving.For best results, be sure to check our Tips and FAQs above with important tips and questions that can help your delicious recipe come out perfectly.
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Ally says
Mmmm! Bourbon in my cake, sign me up! This looks delicious!
Ang Paris says
It adds such a great flavor to the cake! I hope you get a chance to try it soon!
Javier says
This looks yummy!