Caramel Apple Spice Bundt Cake

A slice of the Caramel Apple Spiced Cake sits on a white plate with colored leaves with an apple, plaid napkin and the cake in the background.

5 from 5 votes

What if I were to tell you this Caramel Apple Spiced Bundt Cake is as easy to make as falling off a log? What's more it has no apples to peel, core and slice and features a secret ingredient. Finished with a Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting, this cake is filled with the warm spices of fall, is sure to be your newest fall cake.

Prep Time35

Cook Time45

Total Time1 20

Course: Cake

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Apple Spice Cake, Bundt Cake, caramel

Servings: servings

Calories: 687kcal

Author: Helen S. Fletcher

Equipment

10 to 12 cup Bundt Pan

Ingredients

Caramel

1 cup water
½ cup corn syrup
1 ¼ cup granulated sugar (250 grams)
4 tablespoons butter (60 grams)
1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla

Apple Spice Bundt Cake

2 cups +2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (300 grams)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
¾ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon cloves
½ teaspoon table salt
½ cup unsalted butter, softened (114 grams) or 1 stick
½ cup canola or vegetable oil
⅞ cup brown sugar, packed (175 grams) [1 cup less 2 tablespoons]
½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ cups thick apple butter (430 grams)

Caramel Cheesecake Frosting

8 ounces caramel, room temperature (225 grams)
8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (225 grams)

Instructions

Caramel

Heat the cream until hot to make it easier to mix with the sugar syrup. Set aside.
Place the water, sugar and corn syrup in a 2 quart saucepan.
Stir over medium high heat until the sugar is dissolved completely. Bring to a boil. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid for 3 minutes. Remove the lid and continue boiling. Alternatively, wash the sides of the pan down with a natural bristle pastry brush dipped in cold water.
Boil without stirring until the mixture becomes a medium golden color. Swirl in the pan to even out the color.
Remove from the heat and immediately add the butter to the saucepan and stir until melted.
Pour the hot cream in all at once and stir. If some of the cream lumps up, don't worry.
Clip a thermometer onto the side of the pan if possible. Return to medium high heat and bring to a hard boil.
Continue to boil until the thermometer reaches 228°F. Cool to room temperature. To cool it quickly, after it comes to temperature, pour it onto a rimmed sheet pan where it will spread out and cool while you prepare the cake.
This yields 2 cups are about 1 pound.

Apple Spice Bundt Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F with the rack in the center of the oven. Have the bundt pan nearby.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. Whisk to mix.
Place the softened butter, oil, brown and granulated sugars in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat until completely combined.
Add the eggs and vanilla and incorporate into the mixture, scraping often and into the bottom of the bowl.
Mix in half of the apple butter, followed by half of the flour. Repeat with the remaining apple butter and flour.
Spray the bundt pan well with a non-stick baking release. Dollop the batter evenly into the pan. Smooth it out.
Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Place the pan on a cooling rack and allow to cool for about 15 to 20 minutes. Place a round cake cooling rack over the top of the bundt pan and carefully flip it over to release the cake. Allow it to cool completely before finishing.

Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

It is important that the ingredients are at room temperature. Place them in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
Beat them on low to bring them together and then on medium high until they are completely combined. Scrape the sides and bottom often.

Finishing the Cake

Fit a pastry bag with a ½" plain pastry tip. Fill the bag and pipe the frosting onto the cake as shown in the pictures above.
Let the frosting set up briefly and the cake is ready to cut and serve. It can be held at room temperature for a day and then refrigerated if held longer. Bring to room temperature to serve.
Alternatively, omit the frosting and dust with powdered sugar.
Yields 12 servings.

Notes

There is always an abundance of photos to guide you in the post above. If you have questions, look at the photos or read the header of the article. Many of them will be answered there.

As always, I recommend using a scale for accuracy and consistency. Flour, in particular, is difficult to measure by volume. For my recipes, I use 140 grams per cup of unsifted all-purpose, bread or whole wheat flour and 125 grams of cake flour. Others may use different weights so use whatever they suggest.

Unless otherwise noted, salt refers to table salt.

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.

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Use a scale to measure the flour - it makes all the difference in the world. I just bought a new one that can be recharged - love the no more batteries. You can find it here. (I am not an affiliate.)

Use a thick apple butter. Do not use apple sauce.

The caramel can be made a week ahead. Just bring it to room temperature or microwave it briefly. Don't get it hot.

⅓ less cream cheese works as well as full fat.

McCormick Imitation vanilla is fine here.

For more information on making caramel please see my post on Caramel, a Building Block of Pastry

Nutrition