This easy, yet impressive looking Apple Bundt Cake with Caramel Frosting is perfect to serve to holiday guests. Don’t skip the caramel frosting – it totally makes this cake!
The apple and caramel combo is a classic – we especially love it in this Caramel Apple Crisp or these Caramel Apple Cupcakes. Or serve it for breakfast with these Apple Pancakes with Caramel Apple Syrup!
Apple Bundt Cake
I’m starting to believe that my favorite kind of cake is a bundt cake. I think it’s because they are impressive while still being easy to make. I am not a cake decorator, but I sure can drip frosting down the sides of a bundt cake!
So you’ve got to have a bundt cake for every season. And every fall needs an Apple Bundt Cake. Especially when it comes with caramel frosting.
This one is especially easy because it starts with a cake mix. I like making a cake from scratch as much as the next person, but let’s face it – we all need a shortcut sometimes. This cake is truly the definition of an elevated box mix.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I can’t find white chocolate pudding mix? This is a mix that I think used to be easier to find than it is now. The white chocolate is my first choice, if you can find it, but if you can’t, I would use vanilla. Make sure it is instant, though!
What kind of apples should I use in this bundt cake? The first time I made it, I just used what I had on hand and used one golden delicious and two fuji apples. My first choice would be granny smith, because they hold up so well in baking, but I think most apples should work.
How can I keep my cake from sticking to the bundt pan? This one can be a bit tricky sometimes. I do have to say that this cake usually behaves pretty well, but we all run into issues every now and then. My biggest hint is to make sure you thoroughly grease and flour the pan. Use a pastry brush to grease it to make sure you get into all of the tricky spots. Then flour generously, shaking out any excess. If you want, you can also use baking spray, which is a combination of cooking spray and flour. Some people swear by it – I always just grease and flour my pan. Also let the cake cool for several minutes before you carefully turn it over.
Can I make this cake ahead of time? The cake can be made ahead of time and tightly wrapped, but I wouldn’t add the frosting on until shortly before you are going to serve it.
More Bundt Cake Recipes
Orange Glazed Bundt Cake
Double Chocolate Bundt Cake
Almond Joy Candy Bar Filled Chocolate Bundt Cake
Root Beer Bundt Cake
Crazy for Coconut Bundt Cake
Buttermilk Pound Cake with Caramel Icing
Coconut Orange Pound Cake
Lime Poppy Seed Cake
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Apple Bundt Cake with Caramel Frosting
Ingredients
Apple Bundt Cake:
- 1 15.25 oz package yellow cake mix
- 1 3.4-oz package white chocolate instant pudding mix
- 1 cup water
- 4 eggs slightly beaten
- 1/3 cup applesauce
- 3 apples peeled and diced (I had about 3 cups of diced apples)
Caramel Frosting:
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup powdered sugar*
Instructions
- PREP: Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan. Alternately, spray with baking spray (not nonstick cooking spray).
- MIX: In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, pudding mix, water, eggs and apple sauce. Beat with a hand mixer for 2 minutes. Fold in the apples.
- BAKE: Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes.
- COOL: Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool for 10-20 minutes, then turn out to cool completely.
- FROSTING: Once cool, make the frosting. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, brown sugar, salt and whipping cream. Cook, stirring constantly, until the butter melts and the mixture comes to a boil. Allow the mixture to boil for one minute, then remove from the heat and let it sit for 5 minutes. Gradually whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth. Immediately pour the icing over the cake and allow it to sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Donna says
could you bake this in a 9×13 cake pan?
Deborah says
That should work. The baking time will most likely be a little different so you’ll want to keep an eye on it.
Miranda Price says
is it heavy whipping cream or canned whipped cream ?
Deborah says
It is heavy whipping cream. I will update the recipe card to make it more clear. 🙂
Miranda Price says
Thank you!!! 😊 this bundt cake was a hit! have since got tons of requests for it
Katherine A Dietz says
Sorry I meant 15.25 or?
Also is it sweetened or unsweetened applesauce?
Thanks
Katherine
Deborah says
I always use unsweetened applesauce because that’s what I have on hand, but I’m guessing that sweetened would work just fine.
Katherine A Dietz says
What size cake mix 15.25 or ? Which cake mix did you use, some don’t have pudding in them?
Thanks
Katherine
Deborah says
I used a 15.25 oz cake mix. You don’t need one with the pudding in the mix because you are adding in a package of pudding mix.