American

Apple Bundt Cake

This very easy-to-make Apple Bundt Cake requires no fancy frosting or filling and is delicious for serving at breakfast, tea time, or even as a birthday cake with a chocolate or fruit glaze. Three large grated tart apples folded straight into the batter keep every slice incredibly moist and fragrant, while a warming quartet of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and lemon zest builds layers of autumnal spice. The batter comes together entirely in a food processor, making it one of the quickest cakes of its kind — simply blitz, fold, pour, and bake. No mixer required, no creaming of butter, no multiple bowls of fuss. The result is a dense, tender, gently spiced crumb that slices beautifully and keeps well for days.

⏱️ 75 min🍽️ 12 servings

Ingredients

12 servings

Sugar — 2 cup (white granulated sugar)
lemon rind — 1 whole (finely grated zest only — no white pith)
eggs — 4 whole (at room temperature)
Vegetable oil — 1 cup (neutral flavoured)
vanilla extract — 1 tsp
all-purpose flour — 2 cup (sifted)
allspice — 0.50 tsp (ground)
nutmeg — 0.50 tsp (ground; freshly grated preferred)
baking powder — 2 tsp
baking soda — 2 tsp
Salt — 1 tsp
Cinnamon — 1 tsp (ground)
tart apples — 3 whole (peeled, cored, and coarsely grated; Granny Smith or Braeburn recommended)
Raisins — 0.50 cup (fold in gently — do not over-blend)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 320°F (160°C). Grease and flour a standard Bundt pan (10–12 cup capacity) thoroughly, making sure to coat all the ridges. Set aside.(5 min)
Place the sugar and lemon rind (zest) into a food processor. Pulse and blend quickly until the lemon zest is fully worked into the sugar and the mixture is fragrant and slightly yellow-tinted, about 30 seconds.(2 min)
Add the eggs to the food processor and blend until the mixture becomes a pale, creamy emulsion, about 1 minute.(2 min)
With the food processor running, slowly pour in the vegetable oil in a thin, steady stream. Continue blending until the mixture is thick, smooth, and well combined. Add the vanilla extract and pulse briefly to incorporate.(2 min)
In a separate large bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients: flour, allspice, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk to ensure even distribution.(3 min)
With the food processor running on low, gradually add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two or three additions, blending after each until the batter is smooth, thick, and creamy. Do not overwork.(3 min)
Add the grated tart apples to the batter. Pulse the food processor just a few times — enough to fold the apple into the batter. Do not over-blend; you want to retain some apple texture for moisture and bite.(1 min)
Add the raisins and pulse once or twice only — just enough to distribute them evenly without shredding them. The batter will be thick.(1 min)
Pour and scrape the batter evenly into the prepared Bundt pan. Tap the pan gently on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles and settle the batter into the ridges.(2 min)
Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 55 minutes, or until a skewer or thin knife inserted into the thickest part of the cake comes out clean with no wet batter. Begin checking at 50 minutes as oven temperatures vary. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.(55 min)

Notes & Tips

(1) Apple choice: use a firm tart variety such as Granny Smith, Braeburn, or Cortland — they hold their moisture well during baking and balance the sweetness of the sugar. (2) Do not over-blend the apples or raisins — use only a few pulses to avoid a homogeneous texture; you want visible pieces throughout the crumb. (3) Serving suggestions: serve plain with coffee or tea, or top with a simple chocolate glaze, caramel drizzle, or fruit glaze for a celebration cake. A dusting of powdered sugar is the easiest finish. (4) Meal Types: Dessert / Breakfast / Tea Time. (5) Storage: wrap tightly and store at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 6 days. Freezes well (whole or sliced) for up to 3 months. (6) Dietary note: contains eggs and gluten. To make dairy-free, this recipe is already dairy-free as written. (7) No food processor? Mix by hand or with a stand mixer using the paddle attachment — cream sugar and eggs, stream in oil, fold in dry ingredients, then fold in apples and raisins.

Comments

Apple Bundt Cake

⏱️ 75 min🍽️ 12 servings

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 320°F (160°C). Grease and flour a standard Bundt pan (10–12 cup capacity) thoroughly, making sure to coat all the ridges. Set aside.(5 min)

Place the sugar and lemon rind (zest) into a food processor. Pulse and blend quickly until the lemon zest is fully worked into the sugar and the mixture is fragrant and slightly yellow-tinted, about 30 seconds.(2 min)

Add the eggs to the food processor and blend until the mixture becomes a pale, creamy emulsion, about 1 minute.(2 min)

With the food processor running, slowly pour in the vegetable oil in a thin, steady stream. Continue blending until the mixture is thick, smooth, and well combined. Add the vanilla extract and pulse briefly to incorporate.(2 min)

In a separate large bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients: flour, allspice, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk to ensure even distribution.(3 min)

With the food processor running on low, gradually add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two or three additions, blending after each until the batter is smooth, thick, and creamy. Do not overwork.(3 min)

Add the grated tart apples to the batter. Pulse the food processor just a few times — enough to fold the apple into the batter. Do not over-blend; you want to retain some apple texture for moisture and bite.(1 min)

Add the raisins and pulse once or twice only — just enough to distribute them evenly without shredding them. The batter will be thick.(1 min)

Pour and scrape the batter evenly into the prepared Bundt pan. Tap the pan gently on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles and settle the batter into the ridges.(2 min)

Bake in the preheated oven for approximately 55 minutes, or until a skewer or thin knife inserted into the thickest part of the cake comes out clean with no wet batter. Begin checking at 50 minutes as oven temperatures vary. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.(55 min)

Notes & Tips

(1) Apple choice: use a firm tart variety such as Granny Smith, Braeburn, or Cortland — they hold their moisture well during baking and balance the sweetness of the sugar. (2) Do not over-blend the apples or raisins — use only a few pulses to avoid a homogeneous texture; you want visible pieces throughout the crumb. (3) Serving suggestions: serve plain with coffee or tea, or top with a simple chocolate glaze, caramel drizzle, or fruit glaze for a celebration cake. A dusting of powdered sugar is the easiest finish. (4) Meal Types: Dessert / Breakfast / Tea Time. (5) Storage: wrap tightly and store at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 6 days. Freezes well (whole or sliced) for up to 3 months. (6) Dietary note: contains eggs and gluten. To make dairy-free, this recipe is already dairy-free as written. (7) No food processor? Mix by hand or with a stand mixer using the paddle attachment — cream sugar and eggs, stream in oil, fold in dry ingredients, then fold in apples and raisins.