Honey Apple Bundt Cake with Honey Caramel Glaze

This Honey Apple Bundt Cake with Honey Caramel Glaze is sweet and moist, studded with chunks of fresh apple, warm spices and doused in a sticky honey caramel glaze. Perfect for all fall occasions and festivities. This recipe is a keeper!

This Honey Apple Bundt Cake is moist, warmly spiced and packed with fresh apples, then finished with a rich honey caramel glaze.

The recipe was originally shared with me by a Jewish friend who made it each year for Rosh Hashanah with her family. Apples and honey are traditionally served during the holiday as a symbol of hopes for a sweet new year, which makes this cake especially meaningful for the occasion.

Over the years, it has also become one of those recipes I think of simply as a great fall cake — festive enough for a holiday table, but approachable enough to make for brunch, dinner with friends or any autumn gathering.

If you’re new to bundt cakes, you may wonder: Should I peel the apples? Can I make it ahead of time? How do I keep it from sticking to the pan? Don’t worry—I’ve got tips for all of these common apple bundt cake questions below.

The Short & Sweet

• The Concept: A moist, warmly spiced Bundt cake filled with fresh apples and pecans, then drizzled with a rich honey caramel glaze.
• Why It’s Worth Making: The batter is simple, the cake can be made ahead, and the apple-honey combination makes it feel special enough for a fall holiday or dinner party.
• Best For: Rosh Hashanah, fall entertaining, Thanksgiving dessert, brunch or any occasion that calls for an impressive seasonal cake.
• Prep Ahead? Yes. Bake the cake a day ahead and store it tightly covered. For the best presentation, warm and drizzle the honey caramel sauce shortly before serving.
• Before You Start: Grease the Bundt pan extremely well, including every ridge and crevice, and give the baked cake enough time to cool before turning it out. Those two steps make the biggest difference in getting a clean release.

Ingredients

This apple bundt cake with caramel sauce can really be enjoyed for any autumn occasion. The ingredients needed are things that you probably already have in your pantry or fridge:

• Pecans. Walnuts would also work great here. Omit the nuts if needed. Some people find pecans get too soft after baking, so to keep their crunch, you can toast them lightly before adding to the batter.
• Sugar. The cake calls for white sugar while the caramel sauce uses brown sugar that deep, rich flavor. Yes, it’s a lot of sugar. It’s a special occasion cake and it’s worth it. Just keep in mind, the high sugar content means the cake can brown quickly, so I’ll share tips for preventing over-browning below.
• Vegetable oil. Canola or other neutral oil may be used as well. If you prefer, you can even substitute part of the oil with applesauce for a lighter twist.
• Honey. This apple cake contains just enough honey to lend a mild honey flavor. Honey is also used in the caramel sauce.
• Eggs. Eggs contribute to the texture, structure and flavor of baked goods.
• Flour. All purpose flour is used here.
• Baking Soda. This cake is very dense, and baking soda helps to give it a little lift.
• Spices. Cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and salt help give this cake a wonderful autumnal flavor. Feel free to use your favorite fall spice blend or try it with apple pie spice. The blend adds a fall feel to everything from baked goods to snacks like my Spiced Apple Granola.
• Apples. See notes below about best apples to use.
• Butter. Butter is melted and blended with sugar to create the base for the honey caramel sauce.
• Cream. You may use heavy cream or half and half for the honey caramel sauce. If your sauce ever looks too runny, keep cooking for another minute or two until it thickens—it will also firm up more as it cools.

Which Apples Are Best for Apple Bundt Cake?

Honeycrisp is my favorite for this cake because it stays flavorful and holds its shape as it bakes. Fuji and Golden Delicious are also good choices. If you prefer more tartness to balance the sweet cake and glaze, Granny Smith works well.

Whichever variety you use, peel the apples and chop them into relatively small, even pieces so they distribute throughout the thick batter.

How to Make Apple Bundt Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Start by liberally buttering or spraying a 12 cup bundt cake pan, making sure to get into every ridge around the center tube. This is a moist cake, so taking an extra minute here will make your life much easier when it’s time to turn it out. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of chopped, toasted pecans into the bottom of pan.

(Banana Bread Bundt Cake with Chocolate Chips is another fantastic use of a bundt pan, by the way!)

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a medium bowl, beat together the sugar, oil and honey until it is combined. It will look slushy at this point.

Add the eggs and vanilla extract, beating until everything is well-incorporated.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Gradually add the dry mixture to wet mixture, mixing slowly until just incorporated. This batter is quite thick, so prepare to use a little muscle or a hand mixer if you’re not using a stand mixer.

Make sure there are no pockets of flour hiding, but also try not to overmix, as doing so can make the cake tough or gummy. Overmixing is one of the main reasons apple bundt cakes turn out dense or dry.

Next, it’s time to fold in the chopped honeycrisp apples (and nuts, if using them). Fold in the chopped apples (and nuts) until they’re well-dispersed throughout the batter. To avoid apples sinking to the bottom, toss them lightly in a spoonful of flour before folding into the batter.

Spoon mixture evenly over pecans in the bundt cake pan. Smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake at 350°F for 1 hour 15 to 1 hour 20 minutes. I like to start checking the cake at around the 1 hour mark by inserting a wooden skewer into the cake. When the cake is done, the skewer should come out dry or have some moist crumbs attached.

If you’re unsure, look for the cake pulling slightly away from the edges of the pan—that’s another sign it’s fully baked.

Make the Honey Caramel Glaze

Meanwhile, make the honey caramel sauce. Place the butter, brown sugar and honey in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly for about 3-4 minutes.

Remove from heat and carefully add cream — it will bubble quite a bit.

Stir until the mixture looks uniform and is slightly thickened. Set the pan aside and allow to cool slightly. As the sauce cools, it will thicken. If your sauce ever crystallizes or separates, just warm it gently and stir until smooth again.

Remove the apple bundt cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the bundt pan for about 30 minutes before flipping it onto a cooling rack or serving platter. (Flipping a bundt cake too early while it is hot can lead to crumbly, disastrous results!) This is the step where many cakes break apart—patience here pays off.

Tip: The thick batter in this apple cake and the amount of moisture that comes from fresh apples makes it take a while to fully bake compared to other bundt cakes. However, the high sugar content of the cake will cause the top to brown quickly; don’t be fooled by the browning!

To avoid over-browning the top (bottom) of the bundt cake, I like to place a piece of aluminum foil loosely over the top of the pan once it has browned (about 30 minutes into baking). This will allow the cake to continue to properly bake through without burning the top or edges.

When the cake is slightly cooled, drizzle the honey caramel sauce over the top. I usually only use half of the sauce directly on the cake, and serve each slice with a little extra… because it might just be my favorite part.

The caramel sauce will set a bit, but remain sticky. This apple cake is delicious on its own, but over the top served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

For an even more festive touch, try serving it with cinnamon whipped cream, hot apple cider, or a garnish of fresh apple slices and cinnamon sticks on the platter.

Variations & Substitutions

Feeling like changing things up? Try out some of these variations for a different take on this apple cake:

• Swap pecans for walnuts.
• Try different types of apples such as Granny Smith, Fuji or Golden Delicious.
• Switch up the spices! Try adding a bit of ground cloves, allspice or cardamom for a different flavor.
• Don’t feel like making caramel? Try serving the cake with a sprinkle of powdered sugar instead. (Although I really think the caramel sauce makes the cake!)
• Make mini bundts for individual servings at gatherings or holiday dinners—they bake faster and look beautiful on a dessert table.
• This recipe is naturally dairy-free when served without the caramel sauce. You can also try making the caramel sauce with dairy-free creamer, coconut milk or serve with store-bought dairy free caramel.
• Omit the pecans for a completely nut-free version.

Serve It In Style

• This is the kind of cake that does most of the decorating work for you. Place it on a simple pedestal cake stand and let the honey caramel glaze naturally drip down the ridges.
• A few toasted pecans around the base or a small cluster of thin apple slices is plenty for a polished finish without making the cake feel overly decorated.
• I like to drizzle only some of the glaze over the whole cake and serve the rest warm in a small pitcher so guests can add a little extra to each slice.
• For fall entertaining, serve it with coffee, hot tea or an after-dinner drink and let the cake double as the centerpiece of the dessert table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this apple bundt cake gluten free?

Truthfully, I’ve never tried! Cup-for-cup, gluten-free flour blends are often able to be used in place of all-purpose, but you may need to experiment with amounts for the correct texture.

Can this be made ahead?

Yes. However, I suggest making and drizzling the honey caramel sauce over the top just before serving to avoid any sogginess and stickiness that occurs with storing.

How To Store

If you’re making the cake ahead of time, allow it to cool completely to room temperature before wrapping it in plastic wrap or storing it in a large airtight container. It will keep at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to a week. (The high moisture content makes it more susceptible to mold at room temperature.)

You can freeze apple cake by cooling it completely, then wrapping it tightly (without the caramel) in plastic wrap, followed by foil to avoid freezer burn. It should stay fresh for 3-4 months.

Honey Apple Bundt Cake with Honey Caramel Glaze

This Honey Apple Bundt Cake with Honey Caramel Glaze is sweet and moist, studded with chunks of fresh apple, warm spices and doused in a sticky honey caramel glaze. Perfect for all fall occasions and festivities. This recipe is a keeper!

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Course Dessert

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 50 minutes mins

Author Dianna Muscari

Ingredients  

For Apple Bundt Cake

• 1 cup chopped pecans divided
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• ¼ cup honey
• 3 large eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups Honeycrisp apples peeled & chopped

For Honey Caramel Sauce

• 1 cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup butter
• ¼ cup honey
• ¼ cup heavy cream or half and half

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 12- cup bundt pan {or spray liberally with non-stick cooking spray} and sprinkle bottom of pan with ¼ cup of chopped pecans.
• In a medium bowl, beat sugar, oil and honey until combined. {Note: This batter is going to be thick so a hand mixer or stand mixer is the best bet here.}
• Add eggs one at a time, making sure each is well incorporated after each addition.
• In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Gradually add to wet mixture until just incorporated. Like I said, it’s a super-thick batter, so make sure there are no pockets of flour hiding, but also try not to overmix.
• Fold in vanilla, remaining ¾ cup chopped pecans and chopped apples — this part can be done by hand, but it'll take some muscle!
• Spoon mixture evenly over pecans in pan. Bake at 350° for 1 hour 20 minutes or until the cake is set and a cake tester comes out clean. Note: This cake browns very quickly due to the high sugar content. If you notice that it's looking like it might burn, loosely place a piece of foil on top to prevent over-browning.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 30 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to remove from pan. When the cake is slightly cooled, pour ½ cup honey sauce over top.
• Serve the remaining honey sauce with each slice of cake.

For Honey Caramel Sauce

• Bring sugar, butter and honey to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly for about 3-4 minutes.
• Remove from heat and carefully add cream {it will bubble quite a bit}, and stir until the mixture looks uniform and is slightly thickened. {For a thicker sauce, allow to cool before drizzling.}
• Place the cooled cake on a cooling rack on top of a baking pan. Drizzle some of the sauce over bundt cake. Allow to set slightly before transferring cake to a serving dish or cake plate.

Dianna’s Tips

Variations:

• Swap pecans for walnuts.
• Try different types of apples such as Granny Smith, Fuji or Golden Delicious.
• Switch up the spices! Try adding a bit of ground cloves, allspice or cardamom for a different flavor.
• Don’t feel like making caramel? Try serving the cake with a sprinkle of powdered sugar instead.

• For Dairy-Free Version: This recipe is naturally dairy-free when served without the caramel sauce. You can also try making the caramel sauce with dairy-free creamer, coconut milk or serve with store-bought dairy free caramel.
• For Nut-free Version: Omit the pecans for a completely nut-free version.

 

Slightly adapted from a recipe by Nicole Slaven, private chef and instructor at the JCC in Manhattan