I love apple desserts as a bridge between the sunny days of summer and dipping our toes into fall. This Apple Spice Sour Cream Bundt Cake has the best of both worlds – that homey sweet bite of fresh apples, with all the warmth and coziness that comes with spices like cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg. This cake is incredibly moist and flavorful. It honestly doesn’t need much else to fancy it up, but I’ve included a simple glaze because glaze and bundt cakes are like PB and J. They belong together. Apple Spice Sour Cream Bundt Cake is one of my family’s favorite desserts. It’s great for an after-dinner treat, a get together with friends, or even an after school snack!
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
Batter
- Butter – Use real butter.
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Sour cream – I recommend full fat sour cream. You can use reduced fat in a pinch, or even a Greek yogurt, but my preference would be full fat sour cream.
Filling
- Baking apple – Use any kind of crisp apple you like. Granny Smiths are always great for baking as the tartness balances out sweetness in desserts, but I’m using a honey crisp here and it’s just as fantastic.
- All-purpose flour
- Brown sugar
- Cinnamon
- Ground cloves
- Ginger
- Ground nutmeg
Glaze
- Powdered sugar
- Almond or vanilla extract
- Milk
How to Make Apple Spice Sour Cream Bundt Cake
- Grease and flour a 10″ Bundt cake pan and set aside. Cream some butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 90 seconds). Then add eggs, one at a time, and some vanilla.
- In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- We’re going to mix everything in stages to ensure a good smooth batter, mixing everything well after each addition. Start by adding 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture, combine. Then add 1/2 of the sour cream, combine, then add another 1/3 of the flour, and combine. Add the last of the yogurt, mix completely, then add the final 1/3 of the flour mixture. Mix until combined and set aside.
- Place the chopped apples in a small mixing bowl. Sprinkle with flour, brown sugar, and spices and toss to coat evenly. Set aside (but not too far aside–you’ll need them in just a second.)
- Pour enough batter into the bottom of the pan to cover about 1″ of the bottom of the pan. Cover this layer with about 1/2 of the apples. Spread enough batter over the apples to completely cover them, then spread the remaining apples over the batter layer. Spread the last of the batter over the apples. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-55 minutes or until golden and a pick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- Invert the cake onto a serving plate. If desired, whisk together the glaze ingredients and drizzle over the cake. Makes 16 servings.
Storing and Other Tips
- Store finished cake, covered, at room temperature and enjoy within 2-3 days for best results.
- Be sure the cake is cool before glazing, or the glaze will melt right in!
- This cake is so deliciously moist. It will have no problem being the star of the show as a dessert or afterschool snack! It would make a lovely addition to an afternoon tea.
Frequently Asked Questions
This batter would likely work well in a baking dish, loaf pans, or even in muffin tins. I don’t have tried and true bake times for these options, so if you try it out, you will have to watch carefully for doneness as they bake.
I love the apples in this cake, but I think it would be just as good with a simple cinnamon swirl running through the batter as well. Mix up the batter as directed and then feel free to get creative with the mix ins! Chopped nuts or even raisins, if you like them, would probably be great.
Yes! This cake actually tastes even better the next day as the flavors develop. You can bake it a day ahead of time and store, tightly covered, at room temperature until ready to serve.
Apple Spice Sour Cream Bundt Cake
Ingredients
Batter
- 1 cup butter softened
- 2 cups white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour lightly spooned into measuring cups and leveled with a knife
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sour cream
Filling
- 1 small baking apple peeled, cored, and finely chopped (about 1¼ cup chopped apple)
- 1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon almond or vanilla extract
- 1-2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease and flour a 10" Bundt cake pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl (like the bowl of your stand mixer), combine the butter and sugar and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy (about 90 seconds). Add eggs, one at a time, mixing completely after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture, beating until completely combined. Add 1/2 of the sour cream, mix completely, then add another 1/3 of the flour, mix completely. Add the last of the sour cream, mix completely, then add the final 1/3 of the flour mixture. Mix until combined and set aside.
- Place the chopped apples in a small mixing bowl. Sprinkle with flour, brown sugar, and spices and toss to coat evenly. Set aside (but not too far aside–you'll need them in just a second).
- Pour enough batter into the bottom of the pan to cover about 1″ of the bottom of the pan. Cover this layer with about 1/2 of the apples. Spread enough batter over the apples to completely cover them, then spread the remaining apples over the batter layer. Spread the last of the batter over the apples. Bake in the preheated oven for 45-55 minutes or until golden and a pick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool completely.
- Invert the cake onto a serving plate. If desired, whisk together the glaze ingredients and drizzle over the cake. Makes 16 servings.
Notes
- Store finished cake, covered, at room temperature and enjoy within 2-3 days for best results.
- Be sure the cake is cool before glazing, or the glaze will melt right in.
Questions & Reviews
Hmmm…can’t make just one! It would be a pumpkin chocolate chip cake and a recipe that I have for this SO moist cinnamon coffee cake. I’ll be trying your apple cake recipe this weekend with my 40 plus year old bundt cake pan; LOVE the glass version…so unique & I bet you don’t have to cross your fingers & hope for no sticking even with a fair share of non stick spray:)
I would totally make a bundt cake. And then use those mixing bowls every day, and the glass measuring cups too. And lots of pumpkin fall baking things.
It’s fall, so I would definitely make a pumpkin bundt cake. And pumpkin cupcakes to take to the trunk-or-treat carvival. And pumpkin cookies. And pumpkin cake roll with the yummy cream cheese filling.
I love me some pound cake!!
The glass bundt pan is simply awesome. I love baking in glass and this recipe would be the very first one to be put to the test. Thank you for always making our kitchen experience such a fabulous one. I never mind the clean up when I use one of your recipes. xoxoxo
I’d brew some coffee for my husband in that glass brewer and make your spice cake recipe in the bundt pan!
I signed up.
I would make a Red Velvet Cake!
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I’d make this recipe first and then a lemon Bundt cake. And then as many Bundt cakes as I wanted 🙂
I would make this Apple Spice Bundt Cake! Pumpkin spice is overrated (but still delicious). Apple is where it’s at!
I would make a pumpkin bundt cake.