Apple Pecan Cake
Jump to RecipeThis Apple Pecan Cake is loaded with crunchy pecans and slightly sweetened by apples and cinnamon. The flavors will remind you of a holiday classic, pecan pie. Drizzled with a butterscotch sauce, making this apple pecan cake extra moist and delicious!
WHY THIS APPLE PECAN CAKE SHOULD MAKE IT ON YOUR HOLIDAY BAKING LIST
This apple pecan cake is seriously addicting! It has a slightly crunchy crust caramelized from the brown sugar in the cake, loaded with pecans in every bite! The butterscotch drizzle just makes this cake over the top moist and delicious!
The flavors and texture from the apples and pecan will remind you of a holiday classic- pecan pie! Making this the perfect holiday cake to enjoy with family, especially if pie or layered cakes are too intimidating. This cake is incredibly simple to make with no weird ingredients and no decorating required!
APPLE PECAN CAKE INGREDIENTS
I love this cake because it has basic cake ingredients that are likely in your pantry. No milk required!
- Granulated Sugar. I use organic cane sugar from Wholesome Sweeteners but regular granulated sugar works great too!
- Light Brown Sugar. I use organic brown sugar because the larger sugar granules yields a slightly higher amount of molasses which gives this cake a beautiful slightly caramelized crunch on the outside and pairs well with the apple and cinnamon flavors. Organic is not required! If you don’t have brown sugar- no problem! Just substitute with 2 cups of granulated sugar.
- Oil. any neutral flavor oil will work. I usually opt for grapeseed oil or vegetable oil as they are the most neutral and won’t add additional flavor to the cake.
- Apples. No specific apple is required for this recipe. I used gala apples but green apples or any flavor will work beautifully. The apples add moisture and a hint of sweetness to the cake.
- Vanilla Extract. I’m a bit of a vanilla extract snob and usually prefer the vanilla paste because nothing compares to the intense flavor from the vanilla beans. Here is an example of one we use regularly on Amazon.
- All-purpose flour. Our go-to flour is an unbleached flour by King Arthur.
HOW TO MAKE APPLE PECAN CAKE
This cake is unbelievably simple to make with only a few steps. The hardest part is going to be waiting 1 hour for the cake to bake! But believe me, it will be well worth the patience.
PREPARE THE APPLES
Using a peeler, carefully take skin off the apples and cut into quarters, slicing into small pieces. A mandolin slicer or using a food processor works great too.
COMBINE THE SUGAR AND OIL
This recipe doesn’t require a mixer. Combine the sugars and oil in a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine or use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until combined.
Next, add the room temperature eggs one at a time. Thoroughly mixing between each egg.
COMBINE THE DRY INGREDIENTS
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, kosher salt and cinnamon and whisk to ensure that it’s evenly distributed.
Using a spatula or wooden spoon, fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Add the apples, pecans and vanilla and fold until combined.
BAKING THE CAKE
Lastly, pour the cake batter into the prepared 10-inch springform pan and bake on 350 degrees F for 1 hour. Its a dense cake, so it truly takes 1 hour to fully bake. It’s worth the wait- I promise!
Pan Substitutions: You may also use a 9-inch spring form pan but adjust the bake time to 1 hour and 20 minutes. If the top of the cake is browning too much, cover the top with foil and continue baking until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
This recipe has not been tested with a bundt pan but I would imagine that would be another option that could work. Because this cake is dense and heavy from the apples and pecans, a regular cake pan will not work as the cake will likely sink and not come out of the pan properly.
The springform pan is such an ease as you don’t have to worry about inverting the cake to come out of the pan, you simply take the outer spring off and its done!
HOW TO SERVE AND STORE THE CAKE
As the cake comes out of the oven and is still hot, poke the top with a form and drizzle the butterscotch sauce over. Allow cake to cool for 20-30 minutes in the pan before taking the outside springform off.
Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream and extra butterscotch drizzle! Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or 5-7 days in the refrigerator.
This cake would also freeze beautifully. If freezing, allow cake to fully cool and wrap two times with plastic wrap, then foil and into a freezer bag for up to 3 months before serving.
If you like this recipe, you may also want to try:
Happy Baking, Friends!
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Apple Pecan Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 1/2 cup oil vegetable, grapeseed, canola
- 3 eggs room temperature
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 cups peeled and finely chopped apples
- 2 cups chopped pecans
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Butterscotch Sauce
- 1 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- pinch of salt
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Spray a 10" Springform Pan with Oil- set aside.
- Peel and finely chop apples. Set aside
- In a large mixing bowl or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the sugar and oil together until combined.
- Add eggs, one at a time. Ensuring that each egg is fully combined before adding the next.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon.
- Add the dry ingredients by folding into the oil mixture. Stir in the apples, nuts, and vanilla.
- Pour into prepared 10-inch springform pan and bake for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.
Butterscotch Glaze
- Combine brown sugar, butter and heavy cream in a small saucepan.
- Bring to a boil on high heat and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- When cake is removed from the oven and still hot, prick with a fork or toothpick and pour glaze over. Let cool thoroughly and remove springform ring.
- Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
This is seriously so good. I used a gluten free flour which I do for all of cakes by candance and I was a bit worried because the batter was so thick and not like the photo… but it turned out amazing. I made two cakes out of the batter, a 9 inch and a 6 inch. This is probably going to be my go to cal behind Candace’s carrot cake! Although everything she makes is so good. I’m a huge fan.
Thank you for the feedback and kind words! The cake batter is very thick which is why we recommend the springform pan. I’m glad it turned out for you- bake on!