This apple cream cheese Bundt cake recipe is made with fresh apples, warm spices, and a ribbon of cream cheese filling through the middle. It's finished with a sweet caramel (praline-like) glaze for a moist, flavorful apple cake.
This Amish apple cake is one of my favorite apple desserts, and it's a beautiful cake to serve in the fall or anytime!
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Why You'll Love This Apple Cake
- Fresh apples: Finely chopped apples add moisture and apple flavor.
- Cream cheese filling: A sweet ribbon of cream cheese runs through the middle.
- Caramel glaze: A buttery caramel glaze adds a sweet finishing touch.
- Warm spices: Cinnamon and other spices give the cake a delicious spiced flavor.
- Beautiful presentation: A Bundt pan gives this cake pretty edges and makes it nice for serving.
Ingredient Notes
- Oil: I use oil to keep the cake moist and tender.
- Apples: Finely chopped tart apples work best. I usually use Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, or Fuji.
- Spices: Cinnamon is the main spice, with nutmeg or allspice adding extra warmth. You can also add a small amount of cloves if you like.
- Baking powder: I recommend using aluminum-free baking powder for the best flavor.
- Carrots: Shredded carrots add moisture and a little natural sweetness.
- Pecans: Pecans add a nice nutty crunch. They can be left out if desired.
- Cream cheese: The sweet cream cheese filling adds a creamy, slightly tangy layer through the middle of the cake.
- Caramel glaze: The buttery caramel glaze is optional, but I love the way it pairs with the apples and cream cheese.
How to Make Apple Cream Cheese Bundt Cake
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Make the Cream Cheese Filling: In a small bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, sugar, and egg until smooth. Set aside.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, mix the oil, sugar, and eggs until well combined.
- Mix the Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg or allspice.
- Combine: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until combined.
- Add the Apples, Carrots, and Pecans: Stir in the chopped apples, shredded carrots, and pecans, if using.
- Layer the Batter and Filling: Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan. Pour half of the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Spoon the cream cheese filling over the batter, then top with the remaining batter.
- Bake: Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool and Flip: Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Carefully invert it onto a plate and let it cool completely.
- Add the Caramel Glaze: Once the cake has cooled, drizzle it with caramel glaze.
- Store: Store the covered cake in the refrigerator for up to a week.
What Kind of Apples Should I Use?
Crisp, tart apples are my first choice for baking. But since the apples are finely chopped for this cake, almost any apple will work well.
I always keep fresh apples in my refrigerator for snacking, lunches, and baking. Honeycrisp is one of my favorite kinds of apples, but they are also quite expensive. I usually buy Gala and Fuji apples for fresh eating, and they work well in this Amish apple cake, too.
This morning, my mom-in-law messaged me that the local bulk food store had big bins of apples for $.45 a pound. I couldn't pass up that kind of deal, so I got a 28-pound box of Honeycrisp apples for only $12. Yay! Now I can bake all kinds of apple treats like apple dumplings and apple goodie, and also enjoy apples with homemade caramel dip. 🙂
Caramel Glaze for Apple Cake
This apple cake is delicious without the caramel glaze, so you can skip it if you prefer a less-sweet dessert. But I love the extra sweetness and caramel flavor it adds.
The brown sugar caramel glaze is quick to make, but don't make it until you're ready to drizzle it over the cake. It sets up quickly as it cools and can become too thick to drizzle if it sits too long.
Let the cake cool partially, then make the glaze and drizzle it over the cake while the glaze is still warm and pourable.
Frequently Asked Questions
I always make this cake in a bundt pan. While I believe it could work to use a 9x13" pan, I haven't tested it. For that reason, I recommend following the recipe as written for the best results. (If you do try baking this cake in a 9x13", make sure to reduce the baking time.)
One reader reported successfully making this cake twice with King Arthur 1:1 Gluten-Free Flour. I haven't personally tested it with gluten-free flour, and results may vary depending on the flour blend you use.
Because of the cream cheese filling, store the cake covered in the refrigerator. It should be good for a week.
My Favorite Fall Cake
Autumn is here again, which means it's time for apples, pumpkins, and fall baking! I don't know about you, but as soon as it starts to cool off, I get an itch to start baking fall goodies. Missouri summers are too long and hot for me, and I'm usually quite done with summer by the time September rolls around.
Cool mornings mean that fall is in the air, and this from-scratch apple cake made with raw apples and caramel glaze is one of the recipes I look forward to making every year. Of course, apple cake with fresh apples is delicious any time of year. But with so many recipes I want to try, I rarely get around to making it again until fall rolls around. 😉
More Amish Recipes Using Apples
If you love baking with apples, here are a few more Amish recipes you might enjoy:
I gotta say, this glazed apple cake with cream cheese filling is one of my most favorite cakes ever! I hope you enjoy this delightfully moist Amish apple cake as much as we do. If you try it, I would love it if you left a comment and star rating below. Thank you!
📖 Recipe Card
Apple Cream Cheese Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze (Amish Recipe)
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Filling:
- 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese (softened)
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 large egg
Cake:
- 1 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 3 large eggs (room temperature)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg or allspice
- 2 ¼ cups peeled and finely chopped tart apples
- 1 cup carrots (shredded)
- ½ cup chopped pecans (optional)
Caramel Glaze:
- 4 tablespoons butter (¼ c.)
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoon milk
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup chopped pecans (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and egg until smooth and creamy. Set aside.1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese (softened), ¼ cup sugar, 1 large egg
- In a separate bowl, mix the oil, sugar, and eggs until well creamed.1 cup canola or vegetable oil, 1 ½ cups sugar, 3 large eggs (room temperature)
- In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Then add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix to combine.2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg or allspice
- Stir in the apples, carrots, and pecans.2 ¼ cups peeled and finely chopped tart apples, 1 cup carrots (shredded), ½ cup chopped pecans (optional)
- Grease and flour a 10" bundt cake pan and spread half of the apple batter into the bottom of the pan. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the top. Then spread the remaining half of the batter over the cream cheese layer.
- Bake for 55 - 60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with only a few crumbs. Cool for 10 minutes, then place a large plate onto the top of the pan and flip it out. Cool and drizzle with the caramel glaze.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 - 7 days.
Caramel Glaze:
- In a saucepan, bring the butter, brown sugar, and milk to a rolling boil. Cook and stir for about a minute.4 tablespoons butter (¼ c.), ½ cup brown sugar, 3 tablespoon milk, ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Remove from the heat and add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Whisk until smooth, stir in the pecans, and immediately drizzle over the cooled cake. (If desired, you can leave out the pecans, or sprinkle them over top of the glaze instead.)¼ cup chopped pecans (optional)
Notes
- Grease the Bundt pan very well and sprinkle it with flour. This cake can stick to the pan, making it difficult to remove.
- Don't make the caramel glaze until you're ready to drizzle it over the cake. It sets quickly as it cools and can become too thick to pour.
- Let the cake cool partially before making the glaze, then drizzle it over the cake while the glaze is still warm and pourable.
ann
Hi, Can we add buttermilk, if yes how many?
Melissa
I made this today 2-11-25. But I substituted with a yellow cake mix from box. And I swapped out fresh apples for a can of apple pie filling in place. But I still added cream cheese and cinnamon to batter. And baked for 1 hour. It came out beautifully. Thank you for sharing!!
Anna
Yay! Sounds like you created your own recipe 🙂
Brenda
Thank you for such a wonderful recipe! I have made this twice now- substituting my King Arthur 1:1 Gluten Free flour and it turned out just perfect!
Anna
So glad you are enjoying it! Thank you for taking the time to leave a nice comment!
Cristalle
Thanks for sharing your recipe😁
It is so moist and delicious.
Anna
You're welcome! Thank you for taking the time to leave a nice comment!
carol
delicious, a moist cake. will be making this again!
Anna
Thank you for taking the time to leave a nice comment! Glad you enjoyed it!
Grace Horne
Fantastic, sinfully good!
Anna
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
Anna
One of my favorite fall cakes!