Apple Cinnamon Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

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Fresh Apple Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting — An EASY, one-bowl, no-mixer apple cake that’s to-die-for!! Loaded with juicy apples in every bite, perfectly spiced, and topped with tangy cream cheese frosting! So DELISH!!

Fresh Apple Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting — An EASY, one-bowl, no-mixer apple cake that's to-die-for!! Loaded with juicy apples in every bite, perfectly spiced, and topped with tangy cream cheese frosting! So DELISH!!

Fresh Apple Spice Bundt Cake Recipe

If you’re in need of an easy, one-bowl, no-mixer recipe for apple bundt cake, this is the one to make. It’s loaded with juicy apple chunks in every bite that keep the cake super soft and moist. 

The apple bundt cake is richly spiced with cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg because there’s nothing worse than bland cake. Actually, dry cake is worse. And thankfully this cake is far from either.

The batter is extremely thick, and as you’re mixing it you may wonder if you’re making blondies or even cookies. But because the apples release so much juice as they bake, the batter has to start uber thick or you’d have a soupy mess that wouldn’t set up.

The apple spice cake doesn’t need frosting, but c’mon all cakes need frosting. The tanginess of the easy cream cheese frosting complements the apples, cinnamon, brown sugar, and spices so perfectly. You can cheat and use a store-bought tub if you’re so inclined. No one will notice.

Fresh Apple Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting — An EASY, one-bowl, no-mixer apple cake that's to-die-for!! Loaded with juicy apples in every bite, perfectly spiced, and topped with tangy cream cheese frosting! So DELISH!!

Apple Bundt Cake Ingredients 

For the apple cinnamon bundt cake itself, you’ll need:

  • Eggs
  • Granulated sugar
  • Brown sugar
  • Vegetable oil
  • Sour cream
  • Vanilla extract
  • Spices
  • Salt
  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking soda
  • Apples

And for the easy cream cheese frosting, you’ll need: 

  • Cream cheese
  • Unsalted butter
  • Vanilla extract
  • Confectioner’s sugar
  • Cinnamon

What Are the Best Apples for Apple Bundt Cake? 

I used Gala apples, but you can use Fuji, Honeycrisp, or your favorite blend of sweet and/or tart apples. The hardest part of the recipe is peeling the apples and I gave them a ‘rough’ peel job. Meaning I got about 80% of the skins off, good enough.

Fresh Apple Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting — An EASY, one-bowl, no-mixer apple cake that's to-die-for!! Loaded with juicy apples in every bite, perfectly spiced, and topped with tangy cream cheese frosting! So DELISH!!

How to Make Apple Bundt Cake

I much prefer making apple cake in a bundt pan because then I don’t have to worry about assembling cake layers or making the presentation pretty — the bundt cake does all the work for me! 

Here’s how the apple cinnamon bundt cake comes together: 

  1. Whisk together the eggs, sugars, oil, sour cream, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, and salt.
  2. Then mix in the dry ingredients, followed by the diced apples.
  3. Turn the batter into a greased 12-cup bundt pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  4. Let the apple spice bundt cake cool for about 15 minutes in the pan before turning it out to cool on a wire rack.
  5. Once the cake is completely cool, whip up the cream cheese frosting and spread it over the top of the cake. If desired, dust it with a little extra cinnamon, just because. 

Do I Have to Bake This in a Bundt Pan? 

No, you could probably get away with using a 9×13-inch pan instead. I’m not sure how much time it’ll need in the oven though, so use your best judgement. 

How Do I Make Sure My Bundt Cake Doesn’t Stick to the Pan? 

I recommend spraying the pan liberally with a non-stick baking spray with flour OR spraying the pan with non-stick spray and then sprinkling it with flour. 

Fresh Apple Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting — An EASY, one-bowl, no-mixer apple cake that's to-die-for!! Loaded with juicy apples in every bite, perfectly spiced, and topped with tangy cream cheese frosting! So DELISH!!

How Do I Get an Apple Bundt Cake Out of the Pan? 

Let the cake cool for about 15 minutes in the bundt pan. Then, you should be able to easily flip the cake over onto a wire cooling rack. 

If the cake doesn’t immediately release from the pan, give it a few taps to help it out. 

How to Store Apple Bundt Cake

This apple cinnamon bundt cake will stay fresh for up to 4 days at room temperature.

If you don’t feel comfortable keeping cream cheese frosting at room temp, you can store your cake in the fridge as well. Just keep in mind that it might dry out in the fridge. 

Fresh Apple Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting — An EASY, one-bowl, no-mixer apple cake that's to-die-for!! Loaded with juicy apples in every bite, perfectly spiced, and topped with tangy cream cheese frosting! So DELISH!!

Tips for Making Apple Spice Cake

Batter: Like I mentioned above, the cake batter is very thick. Be careful not to over work the batter in an effort to fold in the diced apples. If you over work the batter, your cake will turn out tough. 

Bake time: The cake has to bake for a long time in order to cook through in the center and it’s inevitable that the edges turn a bit crispier. But never fear because taste and texture-wise, the edges are perfect cinnamon-sugar crumbly sandy bits and they balance the dense and moist fresh apple cake so incredibly well.

And because all climates, baking pans, apples and their juiciness levels vary, you need to bake this fresh apple cake cake as long as necessary. It’s a very moist cake and I wouldn’t be surprised if in some climates it could take 60+ minutes to bake.

Cooling time: It’s also important to note that you must wait for your cake to cool completely before frosting it. If you frost the cake while it’s still warm, the homemade cream cheese frosting will slide right off. 

Fresh Apple Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting — An EASY, one-bowl, no-mixer apple cake that's to-die-for!! Loaded with juicy apples in every bite, perfectly spiced, and topped with tangy cream cheese frosting! So DELISH!!

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4.63 from 16 votes

Apple Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

By Averie Sunshine
An EASY one-bowl, no-mixer apple bundt cake that's loaded with juicy apples in every bite, perfectly spiced, and topped with cream cheese frosting!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Cooling Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 12
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Ingredients  

Cake

  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
  • ¾ cup vegetable or canola oil oil
  • ¼ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
  • 2 to 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon allspice
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 4 ½ cups small-diced apples, from about 4 medium/large apples, peeled (I used Gala; substitute with Fuji, Honeycrisp, or your favorite apples)

Frosting

  • 4 ounces brick-style cream cheese, softened
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ to 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted if desired
  • ground cinnamon, for dusting

Instructions 

Make the Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan very well with floured cooking spray or grease and flour the pan; set aside.
  • To a large bowl, add the eggs, sugars, oil, sour cream, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, nutmeg, salt, and whisk to combine.
  • Add the flour, baking soda, and stir to combine; batter will be very thick.
  • Add the apples and stir to combine.
  • Turn batter out into prepared pan and bake for about 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs; start checking at 40 minutes.
  • Allow cake to cool in pan for about 15 minutes before inverting onto a cake stand or serving platter. Allow cake to cool fully before frosting it.

Make the Frosting

  • To a large bowl, add the cream cheese, butter, and beat with a handheld electric mixer on high power for about 1 minute, or until smooth and fluffy.
  • Add the vanilla, 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, and beat on high power until fluffy and combined. If necessary, add additional sugar to achieve desired frosting consistency.
  • Evenly turn frosting out over the top of the cake and smooth it gently with a spatula or knife.
  • Evenly dust with cinnamon before serving.
  • Cake will keep airtight at room temp for up to 4 days or in the fridge for up to 1 week. I’m comfortable storing frosted items at room temp but if you’re not, store in the fridge noting that cake will be more prone to drying out.

Notes

Because all climates, baking pans, apples and their juiciness levels vary, bake the cake as long as necessary. It’s a very moist cake and I wouldn’t be surprised if in some climates it could take 60+ minutes to bake.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 438kcal, Carbohydrates: 85g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Cholesterol: 62mg, Sodium: 210mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 65g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

More Apple Dessert Recipes:

ALL OF MY APPLE RECIPES! 

Carrot Apple Cream Cheese Cake — If you like carrot cake, you’re going to LOVE this version that includes apples and a tunnel of cream cheese that runs through the center!! EASY, amazing, and a MUST-MAKE!!

Apple Pie Bread with Streusel Topping — If you like apple crumble pie, you’re going to love this EASY no-mixer apple pie bread!! Soft, tender, moist bread with the contrast of the slightly crunchy crumble topping is PERFECT!

Apple Fritter Bread – Soft, fluffy bread that’s stuffed AND topped with apples, cinnamon, and sugar! Like apple fritters in bread form!

Apple Fritter Bread - Soft, fluffy bread that's stuffed AND topped with apples, cinnamon, and sugar!! Like apple fritters in bread form!! Best apple bread EVER!

Carrot Apple Bread –  Carrot cake with apples added and baked as a bread so it’s healthier! Super moist, packed with flavor, fast and easy!

Carrot Apple Bread - Carrot cake with apples added and baked as a bread so it's healthier! Super moist, packed with flavor, fast and easy!!

Cinnamon Spice Applesauce Bread with Honey Butter – Applesauce keeps this bread so soft & moist! It’s like apple spice cake, disguised as ‘bread’ so you can have extra!

Cinnamon Spice Applesauce Bread with Honey Butter - Applesauce keeps this bread so soft & moist! It's like apple spice cake, disguised as 'bread' so you can have extra!

5-Minute Microwave Apple Cinnamon Crumble For One – 5-minute easy recipe that’s perfect for breakfast or snacks!

5-Minute Microwave Apple Cinnamon Crumble For One (vegan, gluten-free) - 5-Minute Easy Recipe at averiecooks.com

Caramel Apple Crumble Foil Packs — Easy, zero cleanup, made on the grill (or oven) in record time, and delish! Juicy apples, chewy crumble topping, and luscious salted caramel!

Caramel Apple Crumble Foil Packs - EASY, zero cleanup, made on the grill (or oven) in record time, and DELISH!! Juicy apples, chewy crumble topping, and luscious salted caramel! So irresistible!!

About the Author

Welcome to AverieCooks! Here you’ll find fast and easy recipes that taste amazing and are geared for real life. Nothing fussy or complicated, just awesome tasting dishes everyone loves!

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Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

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Comments

  1. Like it Like it Like
    I am  in love with all of you Technique for Baking 
    I made this for Selling at my Husban Coffee Shop   People love it 
    I did not used Apple  or cram cheese to keep the price lower    Do to Coronas Virus Economic Situation. I did double the Carrots   I used 2 1/2  Cup   It came  Excellent 
    It Taste Excellent and Smell  Uuuuhhh.   Delicioso!!

  2. 5 stars
    Hi Averie & greetings from the Big Sky Country of Montana! I made this cake yesterday with Montana MacIntosh apples & it turned out perfect! Fabulously Delicious & moist, especially with our cold, snowy winter days. Thank you!

  3. Hi Averie! Love all your recipes! I’m far too anxious to wait until Fall officially begins to start my ‘all things apple and spice’ baking, so I’d like to give this cake a try. But I don’t have a bundt pan. Can this be made in a 9×13 pan instead?

    1. I would say yes…not sure about baking time but just keep an eye on it and bake it until it’s done. Good luck and enjoy!

  4. I love this cake because it is so different to normal cake in texture. The spice mix blends very well with the apples and other ingredients used too. Its great that the frosting is vanilla because it doesn’t overpower the flavors and taste of the cake.

    1. I absolutely adored this cake and the texture as well and so glad you’re loving it! I agree that a simple frosting lets the other flavors shine through nicely.

  5. I made this for my father-in-law’s 94th birthday this past weekend! It was a hit & loved by all!!! Thank you for another delicious dessert recipe Averie!!!

  6. Rough peel is where it’s at, ain’t no one got time for a professional cut, ha! I love this cake!

    1. I am so with you! When I watch ‘professionals’ slice onions for example, they are perfect dice. Mine…well, they’re diced. However I got there and got it diced, that’s how it got done. Same with peeling or dicing apples!

  7. Baked your cake this afternoon and asked my husband to try it with me. He isn’t a big fan of dessert but he agreed to take a slice. “Excellent!” was the word he used to describe it. He liked how moist it was. It isn’t too sweet either. I used fuji apples and added raisins to it. I told him I’d add pecans or walnuts next time, but he thinks the recipe is perfect the way it is. Thanks for posting it.

    1. Thanks for trying the recipe the day after I posted it! I am glad your non-dessert loving husband called this cake excellent! That’s fabulous!

  8. This cake makes me wish fall weather was already here! It’s still in the 90s here in Florida and cooler weather can’t get here fast enough. Gorgeous cake, Averie!

    1. It’s in the 80s in CA at the coast, and wayyyy hotter inland, so I totally understand about ‘fall weather’ :)

  9. You are coming up with too many recipes I want to try, too quickly. :) I think I just love cooking/baking in the fall. Food tastes better now. (I know … it isn’t autumn yet … but when I have leaves all over my yard, in my mind, it IS autumn!).

    1. Food tastes better everywhere in the fall. Even though it’s still in the high 70s/low 80s in San Diego and there are no brown leaves yet, it’s cooled off enough that apple cakes, and pumpkin breads, and things like that just taste so much better. Glad that I’ve been coming up with some winners for you :)

  10. That lusciois, thick layer ofream cheese frosting sounds awesome with this cake and I love the nice sized chunks of apple in it! The texture looks nice too–almost like a quick bread. Yum!!

    1. It’s like a dense almost pound-cakey texture but it isn’t dry like poundcake. Instead it’s like the super moistest cake ever – like a super moist carrot cake or pumpkin cake. The big apple chunks were great! They didn’t get lost at all.