Homemade spice bundt cake tastes like autumn, with warm fall spices, brown sugar, and added moisture from applesauce. It's dense and rich, with sweet caramel frosting complementing the spices, and no fancy decorating skills are needed. This easy bundt cake is a beautiful addition to your holiday table, and it's customizable, so you can make a layer cake, cupcakes, or even a 9"x13" cake.
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This autumn spice bundt cake has me daydreaming about crunchy autumn leaves, sipping hot beverages, and baking more fall gems, like fresh apple cake and pumpkin cheesecake muffins.
It's a moist bundt cake recipe with ample amounts of spice, and the brown-sugar-y caramel frosting brings it all together.
It's beautiful enough for a holiday table, but easy enough that it can be made to enjoy with afternoon coffee or tea.
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⭐️ Why This Spice Cake is the Best
- Homemade bundt cake with fall spices and added moisture from shredded apple and applesauce
- Customizable - use a 9"x13" pan, make a 2-layer cake, or turn it into cupcakes
- No fancy decorating skills needed
- Beautiful fall centerpiece for your table
- Versatile cake - change up the spices, add nuts, etc.
- Make ahead option provided
🍰 Ingredient Notes
- Baking powder and baking soda - Always check the expiration date on your leaveners.
- Warm fall spices - We use ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Feel free to customize the amount of spice (and spice combination) in your cake.
- Dark brown sugar - Adds moisture and rich molasses notes.
- Applesauce - Provides natural sweetness and extra moisture to our cake.
- Apple - Gives our cake subtle texture and adds moisture. Since it also provides natural sweetness, I recommend using a sweeter apple, like Fuji or Braeburn.
- Unsalted butter - Using unsalted butter allows us to control the amount of salt in our baking.
📝 Variations & Substitutions
- Cake pans. Use a 9"x13" pan (bake for 45 minutes) or make a 2-layer cake using 2 (9-inch) cake pans (bake for 30 minutes).
- Cupcakes. This recipe should make 24 standard-size cupcakes. Fill ⅔ full and bake for 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
- Change spices. If you want your cake to be more ginger-forward, increase the amount of ginger. Don't like cloves? Skip it!
- Nuts. Add 1 cup of chopped nuts for a crunchy variation. Toasted walnuts or pecans would be delicious.
- Shredded carrots or zucchini can be substituted for the shredded apple.
- Oil. Extra-virgin olive oil can be substituted for vegetable oil, but it will have a fruitier (and more pronounced) taste. Coconut oil can also be used, but be aware that unrefined coconut oil will have a subtle coconut flavor.
🔪 How to Make Spice Bundt Cake
*For printable instructions, see recipe card below.
Make the cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and prepare your bundt pan. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, brown sugar, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk just until combined. Gently fold in the shredded apple. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top of the cake is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with foil. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then invert cake onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Make the caramel frosting:
While the cake is cooling, make the frosting. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in brown sugar and bring to a boil.
Lower heat to medium-low and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the milk, vanilla extract, and salt, and bring back to a boil, continuously stirring.
Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm. Gradually whisk in confectioner's sugar until mixture becomes thick and frosting-like in texture. Drizzle over cooled cake.
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tips
- Storage: Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- How to freeze: Wrap individual slices in foil and place in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in refrigerator overnight.
- Make ahead: Once your (unfrosted) cake is completely cooled, cover and store in the fridge for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature, frost, and serve.
- How to serve: You can serve this cake at room temperature, cold, or reheated. It is delicious at any temperature, and should be served according to your preference. Pair with a mug of hot chocolate for an indulgent treat.
- Let it cool. Allow the cake to cool partially in the pan before inverting it. Run a thin knife around the edges if it seems like it's a bit stuck.
- Mix just until combined. Over-mixing could produce extra gluten, creating a chewier cake, and we are going for a lighter texture.
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
They are indeed very similar, but carrot cake includes shredded carrot. In addition, it can include walnuts, pineapple, or raisins, depending on the recipe. Spice cake, on the other hand, does not usually include shredded carrot or apple, but we add it here for extra moisture.
Spice cake has the texture and sweetness of a traditional sweet cake, but is flavored with a mixture of spices - most commonly including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice.
Although the exact origin of this cake is largely unknown, it is believed to have been enjoyed by the Ancient Greeks, Romans, and Egyptians thousands of years ago. It's now enjoyed throughout the world, and is often made during the fall and winter months in the United States.
Spice cake tastes predominantly of the warm fall spices used. In this recipe, we use ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. It's dense and rich, with added sweetness and moisture from applesauce.
Spice cake is made similar to traditional sweet cakes, with baking powder and baking soda acting as the leaveners, vanilla extract giving it deep flavor, and eggs acting as the binder. The warm fall spices are key to a spice cake, and here we use a variety of spices.
🍽 More Cake Recipes
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Spice Bundt Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Bundt pan
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 ¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup shredded apple
For the caramel frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups confectioner's sugar
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray or coat lightly with butter or oil.
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the oil, brown sugar, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk just until combined. Gently fold in the shredded apple.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top of the cake is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with foil.
- Let it sit for 15 minutes, then invert cake onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Make the caramel frosting:
- While the cake is cooling, make the frosting. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat.
- Whisk in brown sugar and bring to a boil.
- Lower heat to medium-low and boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the milk, vanilla extract, and salt, and bring back to a boil, continuously stirring.
- Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm. Gradually whisk in confectioner's sugar until mixture becomes thick and frosting-like in texture. Drizzle over cooled cake.
Notes
- Storage: Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- How to freeze: Wrap individual slices in foil and place in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in refrigerator overnight.
- How to serve: You can serve this cake at room temperature, cold, or reheated. It's delicious at any temperature!
- Let it cool. Allow the cake to cool partially in the pan before inverting it. Run a thin knife around the edges if it seems like it's a bit stuck.
- Mix just until combined. Over-mixing could produce extra gluten, creating a chewier cake, and we are going for a lighter texture.
- Cake recipe adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction.
Barbara Haner says
Looks amazing! This brings back memories. My mom made me a spice cake with caramel frosting every year on my birthday when I was a child. I will be making this and having a cup of coffee with it
MaryAnne says
I thought it would catch your attention! 😉 I hope it becomes your new birthday cake! 😍
Sharon says
This cake was a hit at my friend's going away party! I added a tad more cinnamon and it was perfectly spiced. Very moist and flavorful. The caramel frosting is to die for!
MaryAnne says
So happy to hear that it was a hit, Sharon! And yes, the frosting is dangerous.... 😂
Nikki says
Wow! A marvelous looking spice cake and that caramel frosting, Yum-my!
MaryAnne says
Thanks, Nikki! Yeah, the caramel frosting really takes it to the next level. 😊
Kali Alexandria says
The caramel is a crowd favorite! My family loves when I make this.
MaryAnne says
Yay! So happy that your family loves it, Kali! Thanks for leaving a review!
kushigalu says
Drooling over this delicious bundt cake. Pinned to try your recipe soon.
MaryAnne says
Let me know if you give it a try, Kushigalu!
Sara Welch says
Enjoyed this for dessert last night and it did not disappoint! So easy and delicious; exactly what I needed to cure my sweet tooth, indeed!
MaryAnne says
So happy to hear that, Sara! Who needs to fuss over decorating a cake when a bundt cake can be just as beautiful and delicious, not to mention much easier! Thanks for leaving a review! 😍
Tayler says
I’ve made this cake several times and it always turns out perfectly! So much spice flavor!
MaryAnne says
Fantastic, Tayler! It's a fool-proof cake recipe, and I also love the amount of spice in it. 😊
Brooke Davida says
My friends all said it was wonderful and these are very picky people! Can’t thank you enough.
MaryAnne says
That's so great to hear, Brooke! Thanks for leaving a review!