This Apple Bourbon Bundt Cake is a simple and delicious recipe for Fall. Many of the cakes I make are designed to wow as they are often celebration cakes for different events and holidays. Not every cake needs to be a showstopper though, and I love a bundt cake for home, for weekends, for enjoying with a cup of tea or some hot chocolate. Bundt cakes are comfort cakes.
This cake was made to use up some of the last apples from our trees, and it has a bit of bourbon. I’m loving the flavor combination of apple, bourbon, and pecan right now, and I’m noticing my bottle of Makers Mark is going to need to be replaced soon. At my house, the men enjoy acting as amateur mixologist and they create cocktails using all kinds of liquors, bitters and more. I keep a bottle of bourbon in the pantry, however, that is strictly for baking, and they know it’s off limits. It looks like I have been going through plenty of bourbon on my own, and I don’t even drink!
A few tips to make this Apple Bourbon Bundt Cake:
*Use cooking spray in your bundt pan! For many cakes I might butter and flour a pan, and I definitely use parchment paper for my layer cakes, but a bundt pan does not lend itself well to these techniques. Just use the cooking spray, and use it liberally so you don’t find yourself with fingers crossed hoping you can turn the cake out without it sticking.
*If you don’t love bourbon, or choose to avoid alcohol, you can definitely omit this ingredient. Use apple cider instead.
*This cake is lightly spiced so the apples take the spotlight. Feel free to up the cinnamon if that’s something you love.
PrintApple Bourbon Bundt Cake
This simple, homestyle apple bundt cake is perfect for Fall. With a hint of bourbon, and topped with a brown sugar glaze and pecans, it is comfort food at its best.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 10–12 servings 1x
- Category: dessert
Ingredients
For the Cake
3/4 cup butter at room temperature
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup applesauce
3 cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 cup bourbon
1 1/2 cups shredded apple
For the Glaze
4 Tablespoons butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon bourbon
splash of milk or cream
a handful of crushed pecans and a sprinkling of sea salt for the top
Instructions
For the Cake
Preheat oven to 350
Mix butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes. Add in vanilla and eggs and blend until well incorporated. Add sour cream and apple sauce. Mix in the dry ingredients of flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Stir in the bourbon, then fold in the shredded apples. Spread into prepared bundt pan and bake for approximately 45 minutes until toothpick or tester comes out from center of bundt with a few moist crumbs, but is not wet. Allow to rest 30 minutes before turning cake onto platter.
For the Glaze
Melt butter in a small-medium saucepan. Add the brown sugar and simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, for at least 5 minutes to dissolve the sugars. Remove from heat and add the bourbon, careful to avoid steam and splattering. With an electric mixer, beat in the powdered sugar. Slowly add a bit of milk (maybe up to 2 Tablespoons) to reach a pourable glaze consistency. Pour the glaze over the inverted bundt cake on the cake platter, and sprinkle the top with some crushed pecans and a bit of flaky sea salt.
Notes
Use room temperature ingredients. Cakes rise better with room temperature ingredients so set out butter, eggs, and sour cream in advance.
Substitute apple cider for bourbon in the cake if you want to avoid the alcohol. For the frosting, use a bit of vanilla extract and increase the milk if not using the bourbon.
As always, bake times can vary depending on ovens. Keep an eye on your cake, and use that cake tester or toothpick.
Don’t be afraid to cook your brown sugar and butter for longer to get a smoother glaze consistency, but keep the heat on low to avoid a burnt flavor and over browning.
Keywords: apple, bourbon, bundt cake, pecan, Fall
Leave a Reply