Name: Maple Glazed Apple Bundt Cake
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 85 min
Ingredients: 3 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled); 2 tsp baking soda; 1 tsp fine salt; 2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (freshly grated if possible); 1/4 tsp ground allspice; 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar; 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar; 1 cup vegetable oil (or canola oil); 3 large eggs (room temperature); 2 tsp pure vanilla extract; 1/4 cup sour cream (or plain full-fat yogurt); 3 cups apples (peeled and diced into 1/2-inch pieces, about 3 medium apples); 2 tbsp unsalted butter (softened, for greasing the pan); 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (for dusting the pan); 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (sifted); 3 tbsp pure maple syrup; 1 tbsp whole milk (plus more to thin if needed)

From the roundup: 24 Easy Fall Desserts Recipes to Bake This Season

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This maple glazed apple bundt cake is the one I reach for when I need something that looks like I tried harder than I did. The batter takes about 25 minutes to pull together in a single bowl, goes into the oven at 325, and bakes low and slow for close to an hour while you do other things. No mixer, no creaming butter, no multiple bowls to wash.

Oil is the reason this cake stays moist for two or three days without drying out. Three cups of diced fresh apple go straight into the thick batter, so every slice has real fruit in it, not just a hint of apple flavor from extract. The maple glaze is just powdered sugar, pure maple syrup, and a splash of milk, poured over the cake while it is still warm so it runs down into the ridges and sets into a glossy finish.

Total time is about 85 minutes from start to slice, but only 25 of those are hands-on. It serves 12, travels well covered, and honestly looks better the next morning once the glaze has fully set. If you have a bundt pan and three apples, you have everything you need.

How this one started

I made this for the first time on a Saturday in October when I had three apples that needed to be used and a bundt pan I kept moving around the cabinet but never actually using. I mixed everything in my big yellow bowl, poured it in, and forgot about it while I helped two kids with homework. When the timer went off, the cake had pulled away from the sides just slightly, which I now know is a good sign.

The first time I made it, I waited too long before flipping it out of the pan, probably closer to 25 minutes instead of 15, and part of the top stuck. The cake was still completely edible and the glaze covered the rough patch, but I learned to set a timer for the cooling step just like I do for the bake. Now it releases cleanly every time.

Why you will love this

One bowl and no mixer: oil goes in cold, no softened butter required, and cleanup is fast.
The cake stays moist for up to three days at room temperature, so it is worth making the day before a gathering.
Three full cups of diced apple mean real fruit texture in every slice, not just background flavor.
The maple glaze sets into a firm, glossy finish with no special decorating skills needed.
A single bundt pan feeds 12, which makes it practical for potlucks, holidays, or a week of after-school snacks.

Tips for success

Grease the pan with softened butter and a finger or pastry brush, getting into every ridge and around the center tube. Then dust with flour and tap out the excess. This is the single step that prevents a broken cake.
Flip the cake at exactly 15 minutes of cooling, not before and not after. Too early and it is too soft to hold its shape; too late and the steam seals it to the pan.
Spoon and level your flour rather than scooping directly from the bag. Scooping packs the flour and can make the crumb dense instead of tender.
Pour the glaze while the cake is still warm but not hot, about 20 minutes out of the pan. If the cake is fully cool, the glaze sits on top instead of soaking into the ridges slightly, and you lose that glossy look.

Common questions about this cake

Which apples work best: Granny Smith holds its shape and adds a little tartness. Honeycrisp and Fuji both work well. Avoid very soft apples like McIntosh because they turn mushy during the long bake.
Can you taste the sour cream: No. It adds moisture and a little tenderness but does not make the cake taste tangy at all.
Why 325 and not 350: The lower temperature gives the thick batter time to bake through evenly without the outside browning too fast before the center sets.
The glaze seized up before I poured it: Add milk one teaspoon at a time and whisk again. It loosens quickly and you have a few minutes of working time before it stiffens.

Substitutions

Vegetable oil and canola oil are interchangeable here at the same amount. Melted and cooled coconut oil also works at a 1 to 1 swap if that is what you have. For the sour cream, plain full-fat yogurt is a direct substitute and the texture comes out the same. Any firm baking apple works in place of the ones listed, just avoid varieties that turn to mush, like McIntosh.

For the glaze, honey can replace the maple syrup if you want a slightly floral sweetness instead. To make the glaze dairy free, oat milk or any plain unsweetened non-dairy milk thins it just as well as whole milk. If you want a deeper flavor in the cake itself, replace the granulated sugar with light brown sugar at the same amount, though the crumb will be a little denser.

Make-ahead and storage

You can bake the cake a full day ahead. Let it cool completely, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and store it at room temperature. Make and pour the glaze the next day before serving so it looks fresh. The glazed cake keeps covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. After that, wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days. The texture holds up well in the fridge and the slices are good straight from the cold.

To freeze, wrap the completely cooled, unglazed cake in plastic wrap and then a layer of foil. It keeps well for up to 2 months. Thaw it overnight at room temperature and add fresh glaze before serving. Freezing the cake after glazing works in a pinch but the glaze gets sticky and loses its clean finish once thawed.

Brittany Stage