Spiced Apple Walnut Bundt Cake
With Easter fast approaching, and then Mother’s Day in the not so distant future, Lisa (one of my best friends and a fabulous cook) and I were excited to come up with a dessert that was not chocolate. This is really hard for me because I love chocolate and pretty much only look for chocolate recipes. Lisa suggested this Spiced Apple Walnut Bundt Cake and it was a great choice. I like that it is made in a bundt pan! I never mastered the art of multiple layers and pretty icing.  A bundt cake comes out of the oven looking pretty. Add a little dusting of powdered sugar or dribble a glaze and you wow your guests! Easy and Pretty!
Pretty is good but taste is everything!
Talk about yummy! It is a delicious blend of spices, apple with the soft texture of the walnuts. Because the cream cheese frosting is dribbled rather than completely covering the cake, it doesn’t overwhelm the flavor of the cake. It is the perfect alternative to chocolate and I really enjoyed it.
Perfect for dessert but also for breakfast or brunch!
Lisa served it as a dessert after dinner, but I think it would also be a nice addition to a breakfast or brunch. If you are looking for other cake ideas here are a few favorites we have featured: Bishop’s Cake and Chocolate Angel Food Cake. And don’t miss these bundt pans, it might be fun to add another pattern to your kitchen.
Spiced Apple Walnut Bundt Cake
Ingredients
Before you Begin
- Butter for greasing the pan
- All-purpose flour for dusting
For the Cake
- 3 medium green apples such as Granny Smith, peeled, cored, and diced into ¼- to ½-inch pieces
- 1 1/2 cups pure maple syrup
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
For the ICING
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons water plus more as needed
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
For the cake:
- Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Liberally butter and flour a 10-inch fluted tube or 12-cup Bundt pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together the apples, maple syrup, eggs, sugar, oil, and vanilla. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. In batches, mix the dry ingredients into the apple mixture. Stir in the walnuts.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes until a cake tester or skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes and invert onto a wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
For the icing:
- In a food processor, combine the confectioners' sugar, cream, cream cheese, 3 tablespoons water, and vanilla. Process until smooth, adding more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the icing is pourable. Spoon the icing over the cake and allow to set for 20 minutes before slicing.
Looking for more ideas for Easter? Â Follow my Easter Board on Pinterest
This post was originally published on March 17, 2016 and updated on April 17, 2019