Apple Sour Cream Bundt Cake

Moist, spiced, and unapologetically Southern — this apple sour cream bundt cake is loaded with fresh apples and finished with a bourbon glaze that keeps it tender for days (if your family doesn’t devour it first). Not into booze? Swap in apple cider or juice and keep every bite cozy.

Total time for the recipe to be finished.Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

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There's always one slice missing by morning, and everyone pretends they don't know why. This apple sour cream bundt cake is that kind of dangerous - spiced, glazed, and so moist it practically dares you to sneak into the kitchen at midnight. Sour cream keeps it tender, bourbon makes it moist, and apples make it "acceptable" for breakfast. Consider it fall's sweetest bad habit.

Cut thick slices and guard them with your life.

❤️ Reasons this bundt cake is your first bake of Fall

• Moist enough to brag about (sour cream is basically cake insurance).
• Spiced like a fall candle smells, but you actually get to eat it.
• Chunky + tender apples in every bite - no mushy imposters allowed.
• Bourbon glaze that whispers "grown-ups only" (but cider works if you're feeling wholesome).
• Bundt pan drama with zero extra effort.
• The midnight-snack problem - this cake never survives till morning.

🧾 Ingredients for apple spice bundt cake

Nothing fancy here - just everyday staples dressed up with apples, spice, and a splash of bourbon. The sour cream keeps the crumb tender, the pecans bring crunch, and that glaze? It's the kind of finishing touch that makes people think you baked straight out of a Southern kitchen fairy tale.

• Flour - plain old all-purpose. Nothing fussy.
• Sugar + brown sugar - sweet as a Sunday hymn with a little caramel swagger.
• Ground chipotle (optional) - just enough smoky heat to make folks wonder what your secret is.
• Cinnamon, nutmeg & cloves - the holy trinity of fall spice.
• Baking powder & soda - because this cake deserves a good rise.
• Kosher salt - keeps things balanced, like bourbon and gossip on the porch.
• Eggs - room temp, so they play nice with the batter.
• Butter - real, not margarine. Don't even ask.
• Sour cream - the magic trick that keeps every bite tender for days.
• Vanilla - the background note that makes everything taste homemade.
• Whiskey (or apple cider if you're polite) - for that glossy glaze that seals the deal.
• Lemon zest & juice - a little bright sparkle so things don't get too heavy.
• Apples - tart and crisp, never mealy. Granny Smith + Honeycrisp is my power couple.
• Pecans - toasted, because Texans know a cake without pecans is just a cry for help.

You may have different varieties available where you are - try different apples and in different combinations to see what you like best. I like to combine the tart Granny Smith apples with the sweet Honey Crisp apples!

Don't use Red Delicious, Gala, or Fuji - they turn to mush in the oven.

Want more than just the recipe? This free apple spice bundt cake cheat sheet printable has all the good stuff - extra tips to keep your cake moist, clever swaps (hello cider glaze), and answers to those 'can I…?' questions before you even ask. Print it, tuck it in your cookbook, and bake like you've been doing this for generations.

📖 Recipe

Moist Apple Spice Bundt Cake with Sour Cream

4.62 from 13 votes

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Moist, spiced, and unapologetically Southern - this apple sour cream bundt cake is loaded with fresh apples and finished with a bourbon glaze that keeps it tender for days (if your family doesn't devour it first). Not into booze? Swap in apple cider or juice and keep every bite cozy.

Course Cake

Cuisine American - Southern

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Servings:12 servings

Calories:534

Author:Marye Audet-White

Ingredients

Cake

• ▢ ½ cup butter, room temperature
• ▢ 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ ¼ cup whiskey, or apple juice/cider
• ▢ 1 ¾ cup light brown sugar
• ▢ 4 eggs, room temperature
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ ½ teaspoon chipotle powder, optional but SO perfect in this
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cloves
• ▢ ½  teaspoon nutmeg,   freshly grated
• ▢ 1 cup sour cream
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest, finely grated
• ▢ 1 ½ cups apples, peeled and diced
• ▢ ½ cup apples, grated
• ▢ 1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Glaze

• ▢ ½ cup whiskey, or apple juice/cider
• ▢ ½ cup sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon  lemon juice

Instructions

Cake

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the brown sugar and butter on medium-high speed for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy.
• Beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, until well mixed.
• In another bowl, whisk together the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, chipotle, cloves, salt and nutmeg.
• In another bowl, whisk together the sour cream, whiskey, and vanilla until smooth.
• Stir in the lemon zest.
• With the mixer on medium speed, add the dry mixture and sour cream mixture to the butter mixture in three additions, starting and ending with the flour mixture.
• Fold in the diced apples, grated apples, and pecans.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared bundt pan.
• Bake until the cake is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out dry - about 60 minutes - start checking at 50 minutes. It will register about 200℉ on an instant-read thermometer when it's done. Don't over-bake or it will be dry.
• Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then run a paring knife around the sides of the pan to release the cake.

Glaze

• Combine ½ cup sugar and ½ cup whiskey in a saucepan on low heat.
• Stir until the sugar dissolves and the mixture begins to simmer.
• Let simmer 2 minutes.
• Add lemon juice and stir.
• Cool slightly and brush on all surfaces of the warm cake.

Notes

Storage:

Store tightly covered with plastic wrap or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days.  Freeze for up to 3 months for longer storage.

Tips:

• Use a nonstick cooking spray to thoroughly coat your bundt pan so the cake doesn't stick. Don't miss any of the little nooks or crannies!
• Use a long wooden pick or a cake tester to make sure the cake is done all the way in the middle. Toothpicks are sometimes too short to reach the center of bundt cakes. Internal temperature will be 200F when done.
• To easily flip the apple spice cake out of the bundt pan, place a wire rack or cake plate upside down over the open end of the pan. Securely hold the rack or plate to the pan, and, in one swift motion, flip it all over. Set it down and let the bundt pan sit for a few minutes to allow the cake to release.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 534kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 25g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 463mg | Potassium: 241mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 42g | Vitamin A: 630IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 1.8mg

Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.

🔪 How to make this perfect cake for Fall

No crazy techniques, no sacred rituals - just mixing, folding, and baking until your kitchen smells like cinnamon heaven. Glaze it, slice it, and wait for everyone to pretend they're "just having a sliver." Sure they are.

1. Whip up the batter like the recipe card told you, then fold in those apples and pecans. Gently, darlin'. We're baking cake, not mixing concrete.
2. Scrape it into the bundt pan, smooth the top, and slide it into the oven. The smell will have the whole house lurking in doorways before it's even done.
3. While it bakes, put sugar and whiskey in a saucepan and let them get to know each other. When they're good and cozy, splash in the lemon juice like the dramatic flourish it is.
4. Flip that cake out while it's still warm, then brush it with the glaze like you're painting the Sistine Chapel. Be generous - this is no time for restraint.

👩‍🍳 Questions you were maybe going to ask

Before you panic about swapping apples or skipping the whiskey, I've already answered the usual suspects. Consider this your cheat sheet for all the "but what if…" moments. More questions? Ask me in the comment and check the printable kitchen cheat sheet above.

📚 If this cake disappeared too fast…

Don't worry, I've got backup. These other cozy bakes and apple-kissed treats are just as dangerous - the kind of recipes that vanish from the cake plate before you can even find a fork.

• Irish Apple Cake with Whiskey Brown Butter Sauce has the warm spices and subtle notes of cinnamon that make fall feel like fall.
• Country fried apples are a delicious side dish but they're also yummy over ice cream.
• I've always loved these pretty red spiced apple rings made with Red Hots candy.
• Looking for more bundt cake recipes? You've come to the right place-this Pumpkin Bundt with Bourbon Brown Butter Glaze is the perfect pumpkin treat you'll crave throughout the autumn season.

This apple sour cream bundt cake isn't just dessert - it's your fall calling card. Moist, spiced, glazed, and impossible to ignore, it turns ordinary afternoons into sweater-weather celebrations. Bake it once and you'll spend the rest of the season "accidentally" buying more apples. Go on - claim your bundt crown.

If you love this recipe please give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️