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Apple Pecan Cake With Caramel Glaze

Apple pecan cake with caramel glaze is baked in a bundt pan until golden and tender, then finished with a thick, warm caramel glaze that cascades over the ridges. The cake is packed with diced apples and roughly chopped pecans for a hearty, sliceable texture.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Apple Pecan Cake
  • 3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 cup apples, peeled and diced
  • 1.5 cup pecans, roughly chopped
For caramel glaze
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 0.25 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.25 tsp salt

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Bake the cake
  1. Preheat the oven to 325F, then grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan.
  2. Whisk together all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt until evenly combined.
  3. Beat granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and vegetable oil until combined, then beat in vanilla extract.
  4. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients just until no dry streaks remain.
  5. Fold in the apples and pecans so they’re evenly distributed throughout the batter.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan, smoothing the top.
  7. Bake for 65-75 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool and glaze
  1. Cool the cake in the pan for 20 minutes.
  2. Invert the cake onto a rack to finish cooling.
  3. Make caramel glaze by melting unsalted butter and brown sugar together over medium heat.
  4. Stir in heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt, then simmer for 2 minutes.
  5. Pour the warm caramel glaze over the cooled cake, letting it cascade down the ridges.

Notes

Pro tip: dice apples evenly so they bake at the same rate and don’t create dense pockets. Store the cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; rewarm slices briefly for best caramel flavor. Freezing is yes—freeze slices (without additional glaze) up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lighter option, use light butter and reduced-fat heavy cream for the glaze (texture may be slightly softer).