Cinnamon Apple Bundt Cake
This Cinnamon Apple Bundt Cake is a dense, old-fashioned Bundt cake chock full of apple slices and perfectly flavored with vanilla and cinnamon.
It’s also known as a Jewish Apple Cake because there is no dairy in the cake batter. Whatever you call this dessert, it’s utterly delicious!

Why You Must Make
When friends need comfort, I offer food. A dear friend lost her father, and her grown children were returning home for the services. This is one of the best apple cake recipes around!
- This is a variation on an apple cake I’ve been making for decades, a simple batter with chopped apples and the option of adding toasted pecans if that’s your jam.
- Bundt cakes are super easy to make, plus they feed a crowd.
- Apples are always in season, so you can make this any time of year with delicious baking apples.
Ingredient Notes
- Kitchen Staples – Flour, Salt, Sugar, Ground Cinnamon
- Baking Powder (affiliate links in blue) – Note that this is not the same as baking soda, and has a much shorter shelf life. If your tin has been around for a year, you may want to replace it before making this batter. To test, you can put a spoonful into a cup of hot water. It will bubble vigorously if it’s fresh.
- Eggs – Unless otherwise noted, my recipes use large eggs. They should be at room temperature for easier incorporation.
- Vegetable Oil – I keep canola oil on hand.
- Vanilla Extract – Never use artificially flavored vanilla. I like the Nielsen-Massey brand of vanilla.
- Apples – Use good baking apples, peel, core, quarter, then slice. Some varieties are listed in the frequently asked questions below.

Expert Tips
- Use your favorite baking apples. In the fall, Honeycrisp are very reliable and what I used when I updated these photos.
- My mom’s recipe used chopped apples, but I like the thinner slices because they ensure the apples are baked thoroughly.
- PRO-Tip: This recipe calls for Baking Powder (affiliate link), not baking soda. They are not interchangeable. Plus, baking powder has a much shorter shelf life, and if it’s not active, your cake won’t rise properly. PRO-Tip: You can test your baking powder by putting a spoonful in a cup of hot water. If it bubbles vigorously, it’s still fresh. If it doesn’t, replace your tin before making these cookies.
- PRO-Tip: To prevent sticking, look for Baker’s Joy, a baking spray with oil and flour, or some equivalent in the baking aisle of your grocery store. If you don’t have that specific item in your kitchen, grease the pan well with shortening, then dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
- With so many apple pieces, a few are certain to caramelize and stick a bit. Selecting a Tube Pan (affiliate link) with fewer nooks and crannies is a more reliable option than a traditional Bundt pan.
- PRO-Tip: Cool the cake for 10 to 15 minutes maximum before inverting it onto a cooling rack. Any longer and the cake may stick.
- PRO-Tip: Decrease the oven temperature by 25ºF if using a non-stick pan with a dark surface to prevent over-browning. The cake will need to be baked longer at a lower oven temperature.
Please try this yummy Jewish Apple Cake Recipe while apples are in season, whether to give away or for your pleasure, it’s a winner.

Frequently Asked Questions
My favorite apples for cakes are Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Braeburn, Pink Lady, and Granny Smith. I used Honeycrisp for this Recipe.
Keep your apple cake at room temperature, wrapped well in plastic wrap, for only a day or so. Because of the extra moisture given off by the fruit, move it to the refrigerator after 2 days, and it should stay fresh for a few more days.
Yes, if it’s wrapped well, it can be frozen for up to 3 months. Wrap in plastic, then in foil. Defrost in the refrigerator, and bring to room temperature before serving.
You might wonder what makes this a Jewish apple cake. It’s because there is no butter or dairy in the cake. Vegetable oil is used instead of butter, making the cake dairy-free or pareve. Therefore, it can be eaten after a Shabbat or holiday meal according to Jewish laws/tradition.
You May Also Like:
- Apple Crumble from Diethood
- French Apple Cake
- Easy Apple Crisp
- Rose Apple Tart
- Caramel Apple Pie
- Cinnamon Apple Squares
- Plus, check out all my best Cake Recipes.
Apple Bundt Cake
Vanilla Bundt cake with apples and cinnamon.
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 ¾ cups flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs
- 1 ¼ cups vegetable oil
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Apples:
- 3 cups peeled, cored, quartered, then sliced apples
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° or 325° if using a dark pan. Spray Bundt or tube pan with Baker's Joy or similar flour/oil spray or butter pan and dust with flour. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, oil, sugar and vanilla.
- Pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well with a rubber spatula until well combined.
- Pour half the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, then prepare the apples.
- Mix together the apple slices with the cinnamon and sugar. Place half the apples along with some of the juice over the batter.
- Scrape the rest of the batter over the apples, smooth the top, and evenly arrange the rest of the apples and some of the juices over the batter.
- Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1½ hours or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool for 20 minutes then remove from pan to rack to finish cooling.
Notes
Original recipe source unknown.
My mom added 1 cup chopped, toasted pecans, but I leave them out when baking for my family.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1 sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 493Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 62mgSodium: 323mgCarbohydrates: 64gFiber: 2gSugar: 41gProtein: 5g

55 Comments on “Cinnamon Apple Bundt Cake”
Oh Liz, these cake looks delicious and yes, I am sure brought some comfort to your fries…the combination of apple and cinnamon is just perfect. Thanks for sharing the recipe. Have a wonderful week!
What an incredibly impressive cake! I bet it is fantastic. I could not resist a big, tall slice of this deliciousness 🙂 Pinned!
Such a good, caring friend you are Liz. This is a fabulous and simple cake, perfect for breakfast of course! The nightmare of bundt cake not unmolding well.. vegetable spray is the answer, as much as I hate the stuff!
I love that bundt shape, Liz. Gorgeous!
Long live the swirly pan! And what a lovely apple cake, Liz!
So sorry to read of your friend’s loss. It’s never easy, and it is especially painful right around the holidays. I’m sure your kindness meant a lot. <3
You are a good friend Liz! I am sure this brought some comfort to your friend. The cake looks perfect.
Liz, How thoughtful of you to bake this cake for your friend and family. I’m sure your kind gesture was very appreciated. Thanks for the tip on the baking spray. I still use the Crisco and flour method and usually overdue it for fear of my bundt sticking. I’ll be pinning this to my bundt board. Happy Holidays.
I’m the same way – I always think the best way to show someone you are thinking of them is to bake them something.
I love this!
What a beautiful gift to give in such sad circumstances, I am sure your friends family really appreciated it. It sounds delicious with or without the brown sugar sauce 🙂
Food always gives comfort. And this cake would surely do it!
It’s so lovely of you to bake a cake for your friend and her family when they were going through such an awful time. I’m sure they appreciated your generosity very much. I love your new Bundt pan and now I want one! xx
Such a wonderful way to reach out , Lizzy . I bet that apple cake tastes as wonderful as it looks ! Yeah , your fancy schmansy bundt pan is worth crooling over ;D
Sorry about your friend’s father Liz. Glad that she and her family enjoyed the cake though, it looks beautiful and sounds delicious.
They wouldn’t be the only ones who’d inhale that cake given the chance.
Your love and talents undoubtedly came together in this lovely bundt for your friends, Liz.
P.s. I love my Nordic ware pan, too =)
What a great idea to add to Christmas Brunch. I recently purchased the same pan and am in love with it. If I poke holes in the cake and drizzle the glaze over it, do you think it would get soggy before it was served?
This was a wonderful cake to send over to your friend and her family.
So sorry to hear about your friend’s father, but what a thoughtful gift for her family. Such a beautiful bundt, I love the shape of your mold!
We ‘re sorry to hear about your friend’s dad…You ‘re very caring and thoughtful baking this for her. Sometimes the sweetest ingredient is the person making the cake:)
The bundt has turned out perfect, Liz. I need to get a pan like this…so beautiful!