Apple Bourbon Bundt Cake

Updated Oct. 27, 2023

Apple Bourbon Bundt Cake
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
Total Time
1½ hours plus cooling time
Rating
5(3,143)
Comments
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A hearty spice-filled bundt cake made from grated apples and toasted nuts, then soaked in whiskey syrup, tastes like autumn and is great any time of year. Bundt cake, which is really just like an oversize muffin baked in a fancy pan, is easy to whip up. The booze bath helps keep it fresh, meaning you can bake it ahead and eat the leftovers for days as a snack. You also can serve it, toasted, with cream cheese for breakfast or brunch. If you soak it with bourbon, it will be sweeter and smoother; the rye will make it more tangy and brighter. But any liquor that you like will work, particularly the brown ones, which go with the warm flavors of nuts and spices. A small nip of the same spirit used in the cake would go well alongside it.

Featured in: Bundt Cake Is Good (and They May Not Miss the Pie)

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Ingredients

Yield:10 to 12 servings
  • 2sticks/226 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more to grease pan
  • cups/315 grams all-purpose flour, plus more to dust the pan
  • 3tablespoons/30 grams plus ½ cup/80 grams bourbon or rye whiskey
  • ½cup/90 grams candied ginger, chopped
  • cup/330 grams light brown sugar
  • 4large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2teaspoons/8 grams baking powder
  • 1teaspoon/5 grams baking soda
  • teaspoons/3 grams ground cinnamon
  • 1teaspoon/5 grams fine sea salt
  • ½teaspoon grated nutmeg
  • 1cup/227 grams sour cream
  • 1tablespoon/15 grams vanilla extract
  • teaspoons/5 grams finely grated lemon zest
  • 2medium Granny Smith apples (1 pound/454 grams), peeled, cored, and coarsely grated
  • 1cup/120 grams finely chopped, toasted pecans
  • ½cup/100 grams granulated sugar
  • Juice of ½ lemon (20 grams)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

570 calories; 28 grams fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 69 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 46 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 376 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter and flour a 12-cup bundt pan. In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons bourbon and the candied ginger. Let stand 10 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the brown sugar and butter on medium-high speed, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated.

  3. Step 3

    In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream and vanilla. Pour in the bourbon from the ginger mixture (reserve ginger) and whisk until smooth. Stir in the zest.

  4. Step 4

    With the mixer on medium speed, add the dry mixture and sour cream mixture to the wet mixture in three additions, alternating between the two. Fold in the ginger, apples and pecans. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the cake is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out dry, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool in the pan 20 minutes, then run a paring knife around the sides of the pan to release the cake; cool, flat side down, on a wire rack.

  5. Step 5

    While the cake cools, combine the granulated sugar and remaining ½ cup bourbon in a small saucepan. Over low heat, gently stir until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the lemon juice and take off the heat.

  6. Step 6

    While the cake cools, make 10 slits on top with a paring knife and pour half the bourbon-sugar mixture on the still-warm cake. When the cake is fully cool, flip it and pour the rest of the glaze on the other side, then flip again to serve.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
3,143 user ratings
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Comments

Avoid putting the glazed cake back in the pan at all by glazing the bottom first. Start by loosening the cake so you know it will release intact from the bundt pan.

1. Poke holes in the flat bottom of the warm cake *before* you put it on the cooling rack.
2. Pour half the bourbon glaze on the bottom and let it soak in.
3. Flip the cake out of the pan onto the rack.
4. Poke more holes and pour/brush glaze on top of the cake.

No chance of the glazed cake top sticking to the pan now.

The cake is still in the oven and smells fantastic! But I have to say, it took me a good hour to prepare the batter. Chopping the ginger, peeling and grating the apples, toasting the pecans took some time along with the general making of the batter. The only reason I mention this is to allow the baker to better manage one's time.

I've made this several times. It is a great recipe as is, but I've added somethings. I use rye and substitute 1 teaspoon of Garam Masala for 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. I also like to serve it with a cardamom infused whipped cream. It's always a hit.

Made this yesterday and agree that total time might be off a bit as it took me awhile to go from start to oven, but no worries! I have a severe allergy to eggs, so substituted 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce for the 2 eggs and I left out the nuts. I did as instructed with butter and flour for pan and it released great! Lastly, I put the bourbon glaze on bottom first, then turned over and put on top...seemed more efficient to me! Served to friends for a birthday party and it was a hit!!

SUPERB- one of best cakes I’ve ever made. Left out nuts but otherwise basically followed recipe - using a couple of the good suggestions in the comments

I did not have candied ginger so I chopped some fresh ginger and sautéed in a pan with brown sugar and butter. Worked perfectly.

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