This Easy Apple Pecan Cake recipe is made with fresh apples and flavorful pecans in a bundt pan. You don't even have to peel the apples! This fall favorite is a showstopper dessert when you drizzle it with a simple brown sugar caramel glaze.
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Thank you to my friends at Whaley Pecan Company for sponsoring this recipe.
Fall baking doesn't have to be difficult or complicated. This is a shortuct recipe for apple pecan bundt cake you will make again and again because it's so easy! You probably already have all the ingredients on hand.
The fact that this bundt cake is loaded with apples and pecans is my favorite thing about it.... and of course, the shortcuts in the recipe!
If you want to be sure you are getting this year's fresh pecans, you can order them straight from Whaley Pecan Company in Troy, Alabama. It's where I get my pecans!
Shortcuts
- No need to peel the apples. That's quite a time saver!
- No hand or stand mixer needed!
- Use a food processor shredding blade if you have one.
- Pam's baking spray with flour is so much faster than greasing and flouring a bundt pan. It gets in all the crevices quickly. Not everyone has shortening on hand, too.
- For an even faster caramel glaze, drizzle the cake with caramel syrup found near the ice cream toppings section.
Ingredients
What you will need to make this apple and pecan cake.
Scroll down to printable recipe for exact ingredient quantities.
- Apples- Baking apples are different than snacking apples. Baking apples hold their shape when cooked. Snacking apples are super crispy and have a high water content. Some apples can do both jobs! A few good examples of baking apples are Granny Smith (I love their tangy flavor!), Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Fuji and Braeburn.
- Pecans- To bring out all the flavor in pecans, I like to lightly roast pecans in the air fryer. It's not crucial but I love that roasty toasty flavor!
- All purpose flour- Check to make sure you are not using self-rising flour.
- Apple pie spice- If you don't have this spice blend, no worries, I often just use the same amount of ground cinnamon. I tell you how to create your own apple pie spice blend further down in the recipe post.
- Salt- I use table salt in all my recipes unless I specify Kosher or sea salt. If using Kosher salt, just use ¾ teaspoon.
How to make this easy apple pecan cake recipe
Scroll down to the bottom for the printable recipe with detailed instructions.
- Preheat the oven. Grease and flour pan or coat with baking spray that contains flour.
- Combine flour, baking soda, salt and apple pie spice in one bowl.
- Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Add oil, brown sugar and vanilla. Shred apples, then add to the brown sugar mixture, stirring well. Tips for shredding apple in next pictures.
- No need to peel the apples! Cut the apple away from the core and discard the core.
- If using a stand grater, be sure to grate the peeling at the same time as the apple itself. Otherwise, you may be left with a big piece of peeling at the end. If this happens, discard the larger piece of peeling.
- If using a food processor to shred the apple, position the shredding blade in the food processor base.
- Place the top on the processor and use the food pusher to push pieces of apple through the food chute. Be sure the apple pieces are small enough to fit in the chute. DO NOT USE FINGERS to push apple down the chute.
- Pour the apple pecan cake batter evenly into the prepared bundt pan.
- Bake according to printable recipe below. Use a wooden pick or cake tester to test for doneness.
- Let the cake cool 10 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate.
While the cake cools 10 minutes, make the Caramel Glaze.
- After letting the cake cool 10 minutes in the pan, place a cake plater or platter on top of the pan. Carefully and using pot holders, invert the cake right onto the cake plate.
- You can let the cake cool completely or go ahead and drizzle with the Caramel Glaze and garnish with pecans, if desired.
- For a more casual presentation, simply sprinkle the cake with a dusting of powdered sugar.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Pro Tips
Be sure to use baking apples like Granny Smith that hold their shape well during baking and not snacking apples like Red Delicious that tend to turn to mush when cooked.
If your apples are extra juicy, give the shredded apple a squeeze before adding it to the batter. This will help make the cake moist without being wet.
Substitutions & Variations
Trade "this" for "that" in this pecan cake recipe.
- Apple pie spice - To make your own apple pie spice blend for this recipe combine ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg and ⅛ teaspoon cloves. You can also just substitute ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon for the spice blend.
- Chopped apple- Instead of shredding the apple, you can chop them.
- Topping- Short on time? Skip the Caramel Glaze and simply sprinkle with powdered sugar.
Helpful information
Both apple pie spice and pumpkin pie spice contain ground cinnamon and nutmeg. Apple pie spice also has cloves and sometimes cardamom. Pumpkin pie spice is usually more complex and varies in amounts of additional spices like ginger and allspice and sometimes cloves.
What to serve with this apple cake with pecans
My favorite way to eat this fall dessert is with a spoonful of vanilla ice cream on top of a warm piece of cake.
- Coffee, milk, iced tea, hot tea
- Vanilla ice cream, whipped cream
- Pork Chops with Fried Apples
How to store
This is my favorite Nordic cake carrier to take bundt cakes to potluck dinners. It even comes with the bundt pan!
Sometimes I'll make the cake the day before and drizzle with the caramel sauce before serving.
- To Store: Store any leftovers in the refrigerator or at room temperature, covered or in an air tight container.
- To Freeze: This apple pecan bundt cake freezes well. Freeze whole in a large round cake container or individual slices.
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Want more PECAN dessert recipes?
Easy Apple Pecan Cake with Caramel Glaze
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (Not baking powder)
- ½ teaspoon apple pie spice or ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups chopped pecans
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 medium or 2 large baking apples such as Granny Smith (Golden Delicious, McIntosh)
Caramel Glaze or sprinkle with powdered sugar
- Garnish: ¼ cup pecan halves and pieces (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Grease and flour a 10-12 cup bundt pan with shortening or butter. Pam’s baking spray with flour works well, too.
- Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Add the chopped pecans to the flour mixture and stir well to coat the pecans.
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until light and foamy. Add the vegetable oil and whisk just until combined. Add the brown sugar and vanilla and whisk just until combined.
- Shred or finely chop the apples. No need to peel them! You’ll need 2 ½ cups of shredded apple. I use a stand cheese grater or food processor shredding blade.
- Stir the shredded apple into the brown sugar mixture.
- Stir the flour mixture into the brown sugar mixture until all ingredients are combined.
- Pour the batter into the greased bundt pan. Bake on the center rack for 45 to 50 minutes or just until a toothpick comes out “almost” clean when inserted in the center of the cake. You want just a few crumbs on it but no wet batter.
- Let cool in pan 10 minutes. Set a timer!
- As the cake is cooling 10 minutes, make the Caramel Glaze. It thickens as it cools.
- When the cake has cooled 10 minutes, place a serving plate over the top of the cake pan and carefully invert the cake onto the plate. Carefully remove the cake pan.
- Drizzle with the Caramel Glaze or dust with powdered sugar.
- If garnishing with optional pecan halves, place them on the glaze before it firms up.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
-No need to peel the apples!
-I use Pam baking spray with flour instead of greasing and flouring bundt pans. Pro tips: Set a timer for letting cake cool. Turning it out too soon and the cake may fall apart. Letting it cool too much may cause it to stick to the pan. Storing the cake: Store covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Keep in mind, the glaze will firm up in the refrigerator.
It freezes well.
You can also freeze the cake weeks before needing it. After thawing the apple pecan cake, make the glaze when ready to serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition analysis on GritsAndGouda.com recipes are mostly calculated on an online nutrition calculator. I am not a dietitian and nutritional information is an estimate and can vary based on products used.
Scott Phillips
My friends loved me sharing this cake with them.
Kathleen
This apple pecan cake is a great way to make friends, for sure!