Apple Walnut Bundt Cake

From the kitchen of Carly

A dense, tender cake loaded with tart apples and toasted walnuts, spiced with cinnamon and baked in a bundt pan. The apple pieces stay whole enough to bite into, while the walnuts add texture and depth. Moist crumb, no fuss.

Apple Walnut Bundt Cake

Dense, spiced, and studded with tart apple and toasted walnut, this Bundt cake trades the crumb softness of butter cakes for a sturdy, oil-based crumb that stays tender and moist for days. Toasting the walnuts first is the move that separates good from forgettable; it deepens their flavor so they don't disappear into the batter. Room temperature eggs matter more here than you'd think.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 5 oz(150 g)or 1/2 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons eggs
  • 3 1/2 oz(100 g)or 1 cup walnut halves
  • 11 oz(300 g)or 2 1/2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 oz(6 g)or 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 oz(6 g)or 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 oz(4 g)or 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 4 largetart apples / 525 grams or 4 cups diced
  • 9 oz(269 g)or 1 1/4 cups canola or safflower oil
  • 7 oz(200 g)or 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 6 oz(163 g)or 3/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 2 tsppure vanilla extract
  • 1Caramel Sauce and Glaze
  • 1The pan must be a minimum 12 cup capacity
  • 1such as a Nordic Ware Anniversary Bundt Pan with 10 to 15 cup capacity
  • 1or a 12 cup Bundt pan
  • 1coated with baking spray with flour; or a 16 cup two-piece angel food pan
  • 1bottom lined with parchment
  • 1then coated with baking spray with flour

Instructions

  1. At least 20 minutes before you plan to toast the walnuts, position an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and heat it to 350ºF/175ºC.

  2. Pull the eggs from the refrigerator 30 minutes to 1 hour ahead and let them sit on the counter until they reach room temperature, between 65º and 75ºF/19º to 24ºC.

  3. Spread the walnuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet and bake for 5 minutes. Tip them onto a clean dish towel, then roll and rub them around to loosen the skins. Discard any skins that come free and leave the nuts to cool completely before chopping them medium-coarse.

  4. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium bowl, whisking until evenly blended.

  5. Peel, core, and cut the apples into 1/8 to 1/4 inch dice.

  6. Weigh or measure the eggs directly into the bowl of a stand mixer, then pour in the oil and add both the granulated sugar and brown sugar along with the vanilla. Fit the flat beater, then run the mixer on medium speed for 1 minute until everything is well blended.

  7. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture and beat for 20 seconds, just until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

  8. Detach the bowl from the stand and fold in the apples and walnuts with a large spoon until evenly distributed. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

  9. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a wire cake tester inserted near the center comes out clean and the top of the cake springs back when pressed lightly.

  10. Set the pan on a wire rack and let the cake cool for 30 minutes. If your pan has straight sides, run a metal spatula between the cake and the pan walls before unmolding. Invert onto a wire rack lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray and leave the cake to cool completely, about 1 1/2 hours.

  11. Once the cake is unmolded, drizzle the caramel sauce and glaze over the top.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Toast the walnuts for exactly 5 minutes, then rub them in a dish towel while warm to shed the bitter skins; this step changes the whole cake. Dice the apples small (1/8 to 1/4 inch), fold them in last by hand, and don't overmix after adding the flour or you'll toughen the crumb.
  • Use a Bundt pan with at least 12 cup capacity so the batter has enough room to bake through evenly. The lower oven rack keeps the top from browning before the center sets.
  • Test doneness with a cake tester near the center, not at the edges where it always comes out clean. The cake will spring back under light finger pressure when truly done.

Variations

  • Skip the caramel and dust with confectioners sugar instead for a simpler finish that lets the cake speak.
  • Swap half the apples for pears and add a pinch of ground cardamom to the dry ingredients for a different spice profile.
  • Stir a handful of chopped dried cranberries into the batter alongside the apples for color and slight tartness.
  • Make it without walnuts if you have a nut allergy; the cake still works beautifully, just increase the apple to 5 cups diced to keep the texture from feeling too crumb-forward.

Make ahead and storage

Wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap or store it covered at room temperature for up to 4 days; the oil base keeps it moist much longer than butter cakes. You can freeze it wrapped well for up to 3 months.