Some cakes just feel like home. This caramel apple cake is one of them.
It’s a moist, tender apple bundt cake made with a boxed cake mix, topped with a drizzle of homemade caramel. It’s the kind of cake that turns up at potlucks, family birthdays, and Sunday afternoon visits.
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Why You’ll Love This Apple Cake with Cake Mix
This is a true old-fashioned shortcut cake. I found it in an old school fundraiser cookbook and I can see why Mrs. P submitted it as one of her best recipes!
- It’s easy. You only need one bowl and a whisk. No mixer required.
- It’s moist. The pudding mix keeps the crumb soft for days.
- It uses simple ingredients. If you can get to the grocery store, you can make this cake.
- It feeds a crowd. One bundt cake serves 16, so it’s perfect for gatherings.
A Little Cake with a Lot of Flavour
This is a great recipe for when the weather turns a little colder maybe you’ve been apple picking and you’re looking for ways to use them up. The caramel drizzle really adds to the cozy vibe!
Cake mix recipes like this one were a staple in the 70s and 80s. Busy home bakers stretched a boxed mix into something that tasted homemade, and nobody ever complained.
If you’re looking for more cake mix recipes, you can check out my recipes for Pumpkin Spice Cake and boxed cake that tastes homemade!
Here’s What You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need. Everything is easy to find.
For the cake:
- Box of yellow cake mix
- Vanilla instant pudding mix (dry)
- Water
- Eggs
- Vegetable oil
- Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped
For the caramel drizzle:
- Soft caramels
- Milk
Best Apples for Apple Cake
I like Granny Smith apples here. Their tartness balances the sweet cake and caramel, and they hold their shape when baked.
You can use another firm baking apple if that’s what you have. Just avoid very soft apples, which can turn mushy.
How to Make Caramel Apple Cake with Cake Mix
1. Prepare the pan. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray a 12-cup fluted bundt pan or a 10-inch tube pan with non-stick spray, then lightly dust it with flour.
2. Mix the batter. In a large bowl, whisk together the cake mix, dry pudding mix, water, eggs, and oil. Whisk for about 2 minutes until it’s well blended.
3. Add the apples. Gently stir in the chopped apples. The batter will be thick, and that’s just right.
4. Bake. Pour the batter into your prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Mine was done in 50 minutes.
5. Cool and remove. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Then invert it onto the rack and let it cool completely.
How to Make the Caramel Drizzle
This homemade caramel sauce takes about five minutes. Unwrap the caramels and place them in a microwaveable bowl with the milk.
Microwave on high for 1½ minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until smooth. Let it cool for 10 minutes so it thickens slightly. Then drizzle it over the cooled cake.
Helpful Tips
- Grease the pan well. Get into every groove of the bundt pan so the cake releases cleanly. Don’t forget to lightly dust it with flour!
- Chop the apples evenly. Small pieces bake through nicely and make the cake easier to slice.
- Don’t skip the cooling time. Twenty minutes in the pan helps the cake hold together when you turn it out.
- Let the cake cool completely before drizzling. Warm cake will make the caramel run right off.
- Watch your oven. Every oven is different, so start checking at 50 minutes.
How to Store the Cake
Cover the cake and keep it at room temperature for up to 2 days. After that, store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Let it sit out for a few minutes before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Peeling keeps the texture of the cake soft and even.
A 10-inch tube pan works well. A 9×13-inch pan can work too, but the baking time will be shorter, so start checking early.
This usually means the pan wasn’t greased and floured well enough. Make sure every groove is coated.
You can. Freeze the cake without the caramel drizzle, wrapped tightly, for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, then add fresh caramel before serving.
Yes. White or spice cake mix would both work well. Yellow cake mix is my favourite here because it gives a classic, buttery flavour that pairs so well with caramel.
If you make this caramel apple cake, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Leave a comment below and let me know or share your baking on If you make this recipe, I’d love to see it! Share it on Instagram!
Caramel Apple Cake (with cake mix)
Equipment
- 1 12-cup Bundt pan
Ingredients
- 1 box yellow cake mix
- 1 box vanilla instant pudding
- 1 cup water, 250 ml
- 4 large eggs
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil, 80 ml
- 3 Granny Smith applies, chopped
- 20 soft caramels
- ¼ cup milk, 60 ml
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C).
- Spray a 12 cup fluted bundt pan or a 10-inch tube pan with non-stick spray and lightly dust with flour.
- In a large bowl, use a whisk to beat cake mix, dry pudding mix, water, eggs, and oil until blended. Whisk for about 2 minutes.
- Gently stir in the apples.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. The cake was finished in 50 minutes in my oven.
- Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then invert the pan and remove the cake. Cool the cake completely on the wire rack.
- Make the caramel drizzle: Unwrap the caramels and microwave them along with the milk in a microwaveable bowl on high for 1 ½ minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until blended. (You might need a few extra seconds). Cool for 30 minutes until slightly thickened. Drizzle over cake.
Notes
Tips for the Best Caramel Apple Bundt Cake
- Grease the pan well. Get into every groove of the bundt pan so the cake releases cleanly.
- Chop the apples evenly. Small, even pieces bake through nicely and make the cake easier to slice.
- Don’t skip the cooling time. Twenty minutes in the pan helps the cake hold together when you turn it out.
- Let the cake cool completely before drizzling. Warm cake will make the caramel run right off.
- Watch your oven. Every oven is different, so start checking at 50 minutes.
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