Easy Apple & Cinnamon Bundt Cake
This is my easy, butter-free apple bundt cake with cinnamon. A super simple recipe, with no decorating required & includes grams, cup and ounce measurements, as well as a little video tutorial. Pairs beautifully with my home made salted caramel sauce!
Apple Bundt Cake
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Really Easy Recipe
It’s a super simple recipe, you could easily prepare in an hour. You don’t even need to get the hand mixer or stand mixer out. It pretty much includes store cupboard basics with a little dairy. You don’t even need butter. Looks pretty made in a bundt or Savarin tin and doesn’t require any decoration Tastes great with a little cream and some Golden Syrup.
Ingredients & Substitutions
Note all measurements are listed in the Recipe Card below
- Apples
- Flour
- Baking Powder
- Cinnamon
- Ginger
- Nutmeg
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Vegetable Oil
- Milk
Apples
There would be no apple bundt cake without apples! Use any kind you have. For budget friendly recipe, no need for cooking apples or to go buy special. You really can use old apples for this. The ones I used on the day of the photos, were old & the ones in the pics a bit fresher looking.
Sizing of apples varies too, so the amount of apples is approximate. Sometimes I have used 2-3 medium apples, other occasions 5 very small apples past their best. But I also included the weight when peeled, cored and chopped to guide you.
As an examples 2 medium-large sized Gala apples from my tree, weighed about 300g (10.5 oz) before peeling & coring. 5 extra small ones weighed 395g (14 oz). When it comes to baking, you want about 158g (5.5 oz), or about 1.25 cups of apple pieces chopped to about 0.5″ (1.25cm).
Flour
I used UK self-raising flour & Plain (All Purpose) flour in recipe development & testing. Both kinds are listed in the recipe, as well as how much baking powder I like to use.
Spices
Ground cinnamon is a must for this apple bundt cake. Additional spices like ginger and nutmeg, although optional, help bring out the flavours. Freshly grated nutmeg is super but ground is fine too.
Sugar
You can use granulated, caster, ultra/super fine, or brown sugar (light or dark) for this cake.
Bundt Pan/Tin Sizing & Greasing
My bundt pan measures 25.5cm (10”) at its widest, and is 9cm (3.5″) deep. This Masterclass bundt tin has no cup size, but I am estimating it to be about 7.5 – 8 cup capacity.
However, please note that the batter only fills a little over halfway up the tin, so I wouldn’t be tempted to try a bigger diameter tin, but smaller would be fine, (say a 5 or 6 cup pan).
The photo collage also shows homemade lining paste/cake goop being used to grease the pan. Works excellent for bundt cakes.
Home Made Salted Caramel Sauce
My Salted Caramel Sauce also goes well with this cake. Check the video of my Salted Caramel Sauce. Or go to my Tutorial On Salted Caramel Sauce.
Step-By-Step Instructions
1. Begin by peeling, coring & chopping the apples, to about 1-1.25cm (1/2″) pieces. See Photo 1. As mentioned in the ingredient notes, once chopped, you are looking for about 200g (7 oz), or about 1.5 cups of apple pieces chopped the small size mentioned above. Keeping them small so there’s no need to part-cook them. Toss into a bowl with some lemon juice and leave to the side while you prepare the rest of the cake.
2. Heat the oven to: 170°c/150°c Fan oven/325°f/Gas Mark 3.
3. Next sieve the flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon & grated nutmeg into a large mixing bowl and mix to evenly distribute. Then add in the sugar & mix through. See Photo 2 below.
4. Add in one egg & briefly mix before adding in the oil. See Photo 2.
**You don’t even need to get the hand-mixer/stand-mixer out for this unless you need too. You can start with a fork or whisk and then move onto a baking spatula.
If using a mixer, mix on low to start and don’t over-mix.
5. Now add in the 2nd egg & mix through.
6. Add in the milk very gradually, until you have a batter that is thick but pourable, and leaves a ‘trail’ or ‘ribbon’. See Photo 3.
Since different flour, where & how it is milled determines different amounts of liquid that it will absorb, no exact amount of milk can be given. I have approximated the milk, but you want to use enough just to loosen the thick batter enough to be pourable. (See Photo 3).
**So you might not need all of the milk.
7. Finally add in a few tbsp of flour to the apple pieces and give them a toss to coat them. This reduces the amount of fruit sinking to the bottom of the cake when baking.
8. Fold the fruit into the batter, with a plastic or silicone spoon or spatula (metal cuts out air from the batter). Do so in 3 increments to ensure an even distribution of the apples. See my video for how to fold in the fruit gently. See also Photo 4.
9. Time to prepare your bundt pan. You can go down the usual route of butter and flouring, (I have not tested with cake-release spray), but homemade Lining Paste/Cake Goop is great, less expensive and also excellent for bundt pans. Go to my lining paste/cake goop review & see how to make it at home.
10. Be sure to take a few tsp of the lining paste from the jar, place in a small dish and brush on the inside of the pan, in upward strokes. I like to give it two coats. See Photo 5.
11. The next step is to spoon the cake batter into the prepared bundt pan. Give the cake pan a few taps on the worktop/counter, (just to expel any trapped air), before placing on a baking tray/sheet for baking.
12. Pop the bundt in the centre of the oven and bake for 35 – 45 minutes. The top will be golden, (& if that’s the case early on, just cover the top of the pan with a baking sheet/tray or foil and continue baking). You want to check the cake is done, by inserting a wooden cocktail stick/skewer into the cake and it coming out clean of crumbs (can be a little moist though because of the apples). Another indication it’s ready, is when the cake is starting to come away from the sides of the pan. You can also check with a food thermometer – you want the cake to be at least 93°c – 98°c (200°f – 209°f)1. See Photo 6.
13. Leave to cool in the tin, on top of a cooling rack for about 30 minutes.
14. To turn out of the tin, place a large plate or cake stand on top of the tin, and whilst holding everything together, flip it all over. (See Photo 6 above). Then place the plate on top of the cooling rack (this will allow more heat to escape than placing on a table for example. Flipping over onto the cooling rack directly, can be difficult when it comes to trying to transfer the whole cake off the cooling rack.
15. You might need to give a few gentle taps to the top of the bundt pan (but maybe not), before lifting off the pan. Leave the cake a little longer to cool to touch, before trying to cut or decorate.
16. This cake doesn’t need any decoration, but you can very simply finish with a dusting of icing/powdered sugar. The cake will serve about 10-12 nice sized pieces, and pairs lovely with some cream and Golden Syrup (for where to buy that in the states & Canada, go to my Gingerbread recipe for a full list). Alternatively, caramel sauce would be lovely too, or just eat as is. The choice is yours.
16. Will keep for up to 3 days on a cake stand with dome, or in an airtight container or tin. Try to avoid the fridge or somewhere too cold, or condensation will accumulate and make the cake soggy.
DIFFICULTY LEVEL: easy, beginner
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Readers Pics
Here’s an example below of reader Diana’s try of my apple cinnamon bundt cake, with my home-made salted caramel sauce. I think it looks amazing!
Recipe Card
Apple Cinnamon Bundt Cake
Equipment
- Scales or measuring cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Vegetable Peeler
- Vegetable Knife
- Chopping Board
- Small bowl for apples
- Sieve
- Large mixing bowl
- Hand mixer/Stand Mixer (optional)
- Small measuring jug
- Spoon
- Silicone or Plastic spatula
- Bundt pan* (25.5cm x 9cm (10"x3.5"), or smaller, 6 cup ideal)*
- Lining Paste or butter & flour (to grease)*
- Timer or Phone Timer
- Cooling rack
- Serving Plate/Cake Stand
Ingredients
- 188 grams Self-raising flour (1½ cups, 6½ oz OR Plain/A.P. flour plus 2 tsp baking powder)*
- 1 tsp Baking Powder (level)
- 1½ tsp Ground Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp Ginger
- ⅕ Nutmeg (freshly grated or ¾ tsp Ground Nutmeg, optional)
- 2 Eggs (medium – large) (large – extra large US)
- 200 grams Light Brown Sugar (1 packed cup, 7 oz or any sugar)*
- 130 ml Vegetable Oil (½ cup, 4½ fl oz, or any neutral oil)
- 2-3 Apples (medium-large sized, about 200g (7 oz), or about 1½ cups worth chopped in 1¼cm (½″) pieces. )*
- 180 ml Milk (Upto ¾ cup, 6 fl oz – enough to loosen batter)
* denotes – see notes
Instructions
Prepare The Apples
- Peel, core and chop the 2-3 Apples, to 1-1¼cm (½″) pieces. You are looking for chopped weight of about 200g (7 oz), or 1½ cups but does not need to be exact. Place in a bowl. coat with lemon juice and leave to the side.
Prepare The Batter
- Heat the oven to: 170°c/150°c Fan oven/325°f/Gas Mark 3.
- Sieve 188 grams Self-raising flour, 1 tsp Baking Powder, 1½ tsp Ground Cinnamon, ¼ tsp Ginger & ⅕ Nutmeg over a mixing bowl & mix to combine. **If using Plain/All Purpose flour, remember to add the 2 amounts of baking powder**. Now add in 200 grams Light Brown Sugar and mix through.
- Add in one of the 2 Eggs (medium – large) & briefly mix before adding in the oil. Now add in the 2nd egg & mix through before very gradually adding in the milk, You want a thick but pourable batter that leaves a 'trail' or 'ribbon'. **Note you might not need all of the milk**
- Add a few tbsp of flour to the chopped apple to coat and prevent all pieces sinking, before gently folding the apple into the cake batter, in 3 increments for an even distribution.
Grease The Bundt Tin/Pan
- Generously grease the bundt with either homemade lining paste (cake goop) or use butter & flour. (Note I have not tested with cake release spray). Brush the lining paste in upward strokes and apply 2 layers.
Bake The Cake
- Now carefully spoon the cake batter into the greased bundt, levelling off as best you can and tapping a few times on the worktop to expel any trapped air. Then place on a cookie tray/sheet before popping into the centre of the oven to bake.
- Bake for 35 – 45 minutes till risen, golden, cocktail stick comes out clean, cake coming away from the sides of the tin or has internal temperature of 93°c – 98°c (200°f – 209°f). **Cover with foil part way through if colouring too much.
- Leave to cool in the tin, on top of a cooling rack for about 30 minutes. Then use a serving plate or cake stand to invert the cake & release the cake. Leave on the plate on top of the cooling rack to cool more before slicing.
Serving & Storing
- No need for decoration but you can add some icing/powdered sugar or homemade salted caramel sauce. I served here with some cream and Golden Syrup.
- Will keep for up to 3 days on a cake stand with dome, or in an airtight container or tin. Avoid the fridge as condensation can make the cake soggy.
Video
Notes
Spices – freshly grated nutmeg is great but ground is fine too.
Sugar – granulated, caster, ultra/super fine, light or dark brown sugar all work for this recipe.
Bundt Pan/Tin Size – my Masterclass bundt measures 25.5cm (10″) at its widest, and is 9cm (3.5″) deep (about a 7.5 – 8 cup capacity). However, batter only fills a little over halfway up the tin, so don’t use a bigger bundt. 5 or 6 cup pan would work.
Greasing Bundt – cake release spray not tested for this cake, but lining paste (cake goop) works great and butter & flour is a good substitute. See before Recipe Card more on this.
Tips – Coating chopped apple in lemon juice to stop discolouring. Flour coat the apple pieces to stop all pieces sinking to the bottom of the cake. However, don’t add flour right after adding lemon juice. Add flour right before adding to batter.
Try a simple lemon poppy seed drizzle bundt cake next. Or check out the cake recipes page and the bundts. Easy beginner sweet recipes can be found on the Sweet Lessons page.
***I am not a qualified nutritionist, & all nutritional values are based on a serving of 1 slice of apple bundt cake, as per recipe above with 12 slice yield & with no toppings. Bigger or smaller slices & the nutritional values will change. All values from MyFitnessPal.com
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Happy Learning & Baking!
Caro x
Apple Bundt Cake
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- Cake internal temperatures from Thermoworks.com @ https://blog.thermoworks.com/bread/baked-good-doneness-temps/ ↩︎
Love the new look to the recipe post. Your branding is really coming together now and your style emerging. Made this cake before and love the simplicity of it.
After having some apples that needed using up I came upon this recipe and I wanted to use my new bundt tin. The cake itself was lovely and light. Another reason I liked it was that it uses oil instead of butter which was good with price of butter nowadays.