This applesauce bundt cake combines cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla for a cozy dessert. Perfect with a cup of coffee or tea.
How to Make Applesauce Bundt Cake
- Prep the mix-ins and dry ingredients. Soak raisins in bourbon or orange juice for 30 minutes. In a separate bowl, sift together whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
- Make the batter. Cream butter, honey, and sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, then add vanilla and applesauce. Mix in the dry ingredients until fully combined, then fold in the soaked raisins and pecans.
- Bake and finish. Pour the batter into a greased bundt pan and bake at 350°F for 45–55 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a rack. Once fully cool, drizzle with glaze and let it set before serving.
Freezing and Defrosting Instructions
To Freeze: Let the bundt cake cool completely on the wire cooling rack. Once cooled, cut it into slices and warp each slice in plastic wrap. Freeze until solid.
To Thaw: Take out a wrapped slice of cake and leave it on the counter for one to two hours or until completely defrosted. Once thawed, unwrap and serve. You can also take out a slice or two and leave them in the refrigerator overnight to thaw.
Applesauce Bundt Cake Variations
Nut-free bundt cake: Omit the pecans and add an equal amount of rolled oats or seeds (like sunflower or pumpkin) for texture.
Gluten-free version: Replace both the all-purpose and whole wheat flour with two cups of gluten-free all-purpose flour. Make sure the blend is suitable for baking and contains xanthan gum.
Carrot bundt cake twist: For a carrot cake-inspired version, add half a cup of finely grated carrots to the batter and replace the pecans with walnuts.
Applesauce Bundt Cake
Ingredients
For the bundt cake:
- ¾ cup golden raisins
- 2 tbsp bourbon or orange juice
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup honey
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup chopped pecans
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add the raisins and bourbon or orange juice to a small bowl and stir to combine.
- Let sit for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Grease a 10-cup bundt pan. Set aside.
- In a bowl combine the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter, sugar and honey until smooth.
- Add the eggs and beat to combine.
- Add the vanilla extract and applesauce and beat until combined.
- Add the flour mixture and beat until incorporated.
- Fold in the raisins and pecans.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
- Bake in preheated oven for 45- 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully invert onto rack and cool completely.
- To make the glaze, stir all the ingredients in a small bowl.
- Pour the glaze onto cake.
- Allow to set before slicing and serving.
- To freeze the cake, wrap each slice in plastic wrap.
- Freeze until solid.
- To thaw, leave the cake wrapped and let it sit out on the counter for one to two hours to fully thaw.
Notes
- Cooling tip: Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least ten minutes before transferring it to a wire rack. This helps it set and reduces the risk of it breaking.
- Serving tip: Before serving, pair your bundt applesauce cake with powdered sugar, a simple glaze, or even cream cheese frosting for extra sweetness.
- Storage tip: This cake can be refrigerated for up to five days and freezes well. Consider slicing and freezing individual pieces for easy serving later.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
