This Apple Cinnamon Bundt Cake is moist and delicious, an absolute must for fall baking. Drizzle with my date sweetened chocolate sauce for a sweet treat any time of year! A Healthy Apple Cake Recipe that’s vegan and made with simple ingredients is hard to find…and this one is easy to make, loaded with cozy spices and perfectly sweetened with honey. I bet you even have a bundt pan collecting dust from inactivity…pull it out and USE IT! And, if you’re looking for an apple cake for Rosh Hashanah, this is it!
This post was updated from the original published September 5, 2018.
Jump to:
A moist honey cake recipe is a must in your repertoire and perfect for the Jewish high holy days. Eating apples and honey on Rosh Hashanah is a tradition, and I also serve this cake for Break Fast and Sukkot!
Ingredient Notes
I took a recipe I had for a traditional apple honey cake, and modified the ingredients to create a healthier version and no one’s any wiser. Apple sauce does double duty, replacing the refined oil and also making a sweet cake without the need for refined sugar. Fresh chopped apples help to keep the cake moist without the addition of oil. I opted for extra spices instead of extra oil and sugar…and you know what? I think my cake is tastier than the original!
Step by Step
Preheat the oven to 350 and prepare a bundt cake pan. Either grease and flour your pan, use a cooking spray, or if you have a tube pan with removable bottom, line the bottom of the prepared pan with parchment paper. If you only have a 9-inch cake pan or a springform pan…no problem. Even a square pan will work. See the recipe card for bake times.
First put everything but the apples into the bowl of a food processor. Wet ingredients and dry ingredients can be added at the same time.
Process until everything is fully blended. The cake batter will be super thick. Keep blending until everything is well incorporated.
Mix in the chopped apple by hand. Whatever kind of apples you have, small dice or even grated apples work best in this recipe. The apples will release moisture as the cake bakes, so don’t worry if the batter seems pasty.
Use a rubber spatula to scoop batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake 40 minutes in preheated 350 degree oven.
Cake tester or toothpick inserted into center of cake should come out clean. Depending on your oven, it could take another 2-3 minutes.
Let the cake cool in the baking pan for 20 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely before moving on to store or drizzling the top of the cake with chocolate sauce.
Date Sweetened Chocolate Drizzle
I suppose the chocolate date drizzle for this healthy honey apple cake could be optional….but I suggest you don’t opt out. I even suggest you make a double batch because….well CHOCOLATE. Raw cacao is high in antioxidants and trace minerals, protects nerve cells, improves circulation and increases energy….not to mention that chocolate is yummy! You won’t miss the sugar either because those dates are sweet and full of fiber, antioxidants, nutrients which provide a wide range of health benefits. Can you imagine all of the wonderful things you’ll want to dip into this sauce?
Make the chocolate sauce: Blend dates, almond milk and cacao in food processor until smooth and creamy.
Drizzle chocolate glaze over top of the apple bundt cake, letting it drip down the sides and the center. If you used a regular baking pan, spread a thin layer of the chocolate sauce over the entire cake.
Debra’s Pro Tips
- Use a bundt pan with removable bottom or easy release.
- Make ahead and freeze unfrosted….glaze before serving.
- Let cake cool completely before drizzling with chocolate glaze.
- Line your plate or cake stand with unbleached parchment or wax paper before glazing. Pull out paper for a clean plate post drizzle.
- Make cake in advance and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Drizzle with glaze before serving.
- No need to peel apples, but cut into SMALL dice for best results.
- Use soft medjool dates for the chocolate sauce. Soak dates in warm water if they’re hard.
- Buy dates with the pits still in….they will be the most moist….and remove just before using.
- Make this recipe in a 9×13 rectangle baking pan lined with unbleached parchment for brownie style squares of cake….check for doneness at 30 minutes.
For those who celebrate, I wish you a sweet new year, filled with good health, prosperity, plenty of time with loved ones and revealed blessings for all. If you need more healthy recipes for the holiday, check out my Rosh Hashanah Recipes Post.
Did you know commenting and rating recipes is one of the best ways to support your favorite food bloggers? If you made this recipe, please consider a five star rating below and leave a comment. Also, please share your photos on instagram by tagging me @dkhealthcoach and using the hashtag #debraklein
📖 Recipe
Apple Cinnamon Bundt Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- ½ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 tblsp apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoon ground flax
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 ½ cups diced apples
Chocolate Date Drizzle
- 6 medjool dates
- 1 cup almond milk
- 2 tablespoon raw cacao powder
Instructions
For the Apple Cake
- Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour bundt pan*.
- Put all ingredients, except apples in food processor and process until well blended. Cake batter will be smooth and creamy. If not, process some more.
- There's no need to peel the apples, but core and dice into small cubes. Stir apples, by hand, into cake batter.
- Pour mixture into prepared pan.
- Bake for 40 minutes. Toothpick should come out clean when inserted into cake. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Run a knife along the edge to loosen and then place a wire rack against the top of the pan. Carefully flip. Let cool completely.
- If you're making the cake in advance, cool completely and then use plastic wrap to cover tightly, all around. Use a layer of aluminum foil on top of that, if you're freezing.
For the Choclate Drizzle
- Remove pits from the dates. If they are dry, soak in warm water for 30 minutes and then completely drain before proceeding.
- Place dates, almond milk and cacao into blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy, with thick, but drippy consistency.
Decorate Cake
- Place apple cake on serving plate or pedestal.
- Use a small spoon to drizzle sauce over top of cake and let it drip down outsides and center.
Notes
MEAL PREP AND STORAGE
- SERVE: Cake tastes best at room temperature.
- PREP AHEAD: Bake cake, cool completely and wrap carefully with plastic wrap. Store in the fridge for 5 days. Drizzle with chocolate glaze before serving. Chocolate sauce can be made up to 5 days ahead.
- STORE: Store glazed cake at room temperature for 3 days, or in the fridge for 5 days, covered well or store slices of cake in an airtight container.
- FREEZE: Unglazed apple honey cake can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Cool cake completely. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and then cover in aluminum foil.
Nutrition
Note
The nutrition calculations were done using online tools. To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in any given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients you used. You are ultimately responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information is accurate, complete and useful.
Jerika
This Apple Cinnamon Bundt Cake is a perfect match with my favorite choco drink! Yum! I will be making it again. Thanks.:)
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome
This cake is so delicious!! I used homemade applesauce and it came out moist and sweet. It went great with my morning coffee!!
Debra Klein
Fabulous Helen…a good coffee cake for sure.
Lathiya
I loved the fact you used whole wheat flour and oats to make this cake. The cake looks awesome and the flavors are spot on.
Gloria
I love bundt cakes. No fancy decorating is needed. The flavours of fall are so delicious.
Debra Klein
I haven’t had that issue with dryness…but I suppose there are variables that would alter the result. Apples are sometimes more juicy or less….measurements for the wet (and the dry) ingredients could be a little off, etc. I love that frosting so much and I’m definitely going to try mixing in additional almond milk to make it drinkable…sounds divine!
Claudia
Can I sub date syrup or maple syrup for the honey? The cake looks divine.
Debra Klein
Yes. I would go for the date syrup since it’s a little thicker than the maple.
cassie
is there anything that I can use to replace the flax?also, is the nutrition counting the date sauce or just the cake?
Debra Klein
The nutrition information takes into account all the ingredients, which includes the date sauce. As for the flax, you could substitute with chia seeds, but I would grind them in a spice grinder or coffee grinder before measuring and mixing into the batter.
Jen
I’m wondering how you got the glaze to be thick like it is in the image. Dates milk and coco powder alone don’t seem to be doing it for me, nor did I anticipate they would. Did you cool it for some time?
Debra Klein
Not sure why yours is so thin. I make this drizzle all the time without issue. I do cool the cake completely before drizzling the chocolate sauce on top…I think the dates are what thickens it up. Maybe your almond milk was watery? If this happened to me, I would whisk in a bit (like 1 Tablespoon) of tahini to thicken it. But, yes, your suggestion of refrigerating the glaze in the fridge for a bit would definitely thicken it up.
Bri
Looks delish
Agnieszka
This apple cake is wonderful. I love that it’s sweetened with honey and applesauce.
Swathi
love this apple honey cake
Jamie
I love all the spices in this apple cake!
Amy Liu Dong
Sounds like a perfect treat to make for my kids today, so delicious and easy to make.
Debra Klein
Thank you!
Sue
Apples make the best baked goods. Thank you for this healthier, dairy free cake recipe that my whole family can enjoy.
Audrey
This was so good, I loved the whole what flour with the apples.
Sunrita Dutta
Love the simplicity and ease of this recipe . Delicious
Andréa Janssen
This Apple Cake looks very delicious. Thank you for sharing.
Linda
Be sure to save for another serving 🙂