Old Fashioned Apple Walnut Cake

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In the fall, I really enjoy cooking with fresh apples – especially in this old-fashioned apple walnut cake!

This amazing, fresh apple cake with brown sugar glaze is a delight to make and serve to my family and friends.

The cake comes together quickly, and for a scratch cake, it’s quite simple.

Apple walnut cake with a drizzle of brown sugar glaze.

Making An Old-Fashioned Fresh Apple Cake From Scratch

Baking from scratch gives you the opportunity to select more wholesome, less processed ingredients.

An old-fashioned, fresh apple cake recipe might seem like a lot of work, but when you have the right tools handy, it only takes a little bit more time than baking from a cake mix.

The glazed apple bundt cake is more than just a dessert.

It’s also filled with yummy, wholesome ingredients that help you get in some much needed nutrients.

Apples and walnuts are so good for you!

To make the cake, you will need these ingredients:

3 C. sifted flour
1 ¼ C. canola oil
1/2 to 1 cup light brown sugar
1 tsp salt
1 ½ tsp baking soda
3 eggs
¼ C. lowfat vanilla yogurt
3 large gala apples
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 tsp vanilla extract
Juice of ½ of a lemon

Can I Reduce The Sugar?

Yes, you can easily reduce the sugar in this apple and walnut cake recipe!

It’s a good recipe to experiment with using less sugar, particularly since you get some sweetness from the apples, the yogurt, and the sauce.

I’ve even made it without adding sugar, but you’ll want to experiment with reducing the sugar a little at a time.

If you’re curious about how to start reducing sugar in cake recipes, King Arthur Flour has this helpful article that explains what types of recipes work well with reducing sugar, which ones need the sugar for structural integrity, and which ones work to reduce a little or a lot of sugar.

Enjoy Fresh Apple Cake With Brown Sugar Glaze

If you’re ok with a little extra sweetness, you’ll definitely want to serve this apple nut cake with brown sugar glaze!

While the cake is delicious on its own, pouring this cinnamon sugar sauce over the top will take it to another level!

To make the cinnamon brown sugar glaze, you will need these ingredients:

½ C. brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp butter

How to Make It

This apple walnut bundt cake is fairly simple to make, but you would never know it from the way it looks and tastes.

Preheat oven to 325℉. Grease and flour a bundt pan.

Peel, core and chop apples. Toss in a bowl with lemon juice and set aside.

In process photo of chopped apples and walnuts.

Combine oil, sugar and vanilla in a bowl, using a Kitchenaid stand or hand mixer.

In process shot of sugar. oil, and vanilla in a bowl.

Add eggs and vanilla yogurt and mix again.

In process photo of mixing eggs and yogurt into a cake mix.

In a separate bowl, sift flour. Add salt and baking soda.

Add dry ingredients to wet, half of the amount at a time.

Once smooth, fold in apples and walnuts.

In process photo of folding apples and walnuts into the wet ingredients to make a cake.

Pour into a bundt pan and bake for 55-60 minutes. (Until a skewer inserted comes out clean).

A fresh baked apple walnut cake in a bundt pan straight from the oven.

Let cool and turn onto a plate.

A freshly baked apple walnut bundt cake flipped onto a plate.

Cinnamon Brown Sugar Glaze

Melt butter in a small pot over low-medium heat.

Add brown sugar. Stir until melted.

Add milk.

As it starts to boil, add cinnamon, half at a time and stir until incorporated.

Cook for 30 seconds and stir in vanilla.

Set aside and allow to cool for 1 minute.

Spoon the glaze over each piece of cake right before serving.

The moist apple walnut cake explodes with flavor!

How to store freshly baked apple cake

Apple walnut cake is a delicious dessert that can be enjoyed year-round.

Storing the cake in the refrigerator

The cake is easy to make and can be stored in the fridge for up to five days.

To store the cake, first make sure it is completely cooled.

Cut the cake into small pieces and place them in an airtight container.

Add a layer of wax paper or parchment paper between each piece of cake to prevent them from sticking together.

Top the cake with a lid or sealable plastic bag and refrigerate.

Storing the cake at room temperature

Room temperature storage is a great option for apple walnut cake, too.

This is ideal if you know the cake will be eaten within a day or two.

The key to room temperature storage is making sure that the food item is in an airtight container, like a domed cake plate, so that it doesn’t dry out or get contaminated.

Cake, in particular, should be stored on a flat surface so that it doesn’t get dented or damaged too.

How to freeze the cake

If you wish to make the cake ahead of time and freeze it, you can!

Ideally, you’ll bake the cake no more than a month ahead of time.

Any longer, and it could start to dry out.

There are two ways to do it.

  1. After baking the cake and allowing it to cool completely, wrap it in at least two layers of plastic wrap.
  2. The other way is to freeze it in the cake pan itself. To do that, simply wrap the cake in the pan completely with foil and then put it in the freezer.

In either case, be sure to label your cake with the name and the date you baked it.

To thaw the cake, simply put it in the refrigerator for a couple of days before you intend to serve it.

With this recipe, we recommend making the cinnamon and brown sugar glaze fresh if serving after freezing.

How to store the brown sugar glaze

If you’re serving the cake within a few days of baking it, we like to pour the glaze when the cake has cooled.

We find that you get a better result doing it this way.

But if you will be serving some of the cake with glaze and some without, storage may be necessary.

You can make the glaze all at once and serve what you need and store the rest for the next serving.

The easiest thing to do is to put the remaining glaze in a bowl that’s able to be microwaved.

Then you can heat up what you need and use it then.

In conclusion, this old fashioned apple walnut cake is definitely a recipe that you will want to keep handy.

It is easy to make, tastes delicious, and is perfect for any occasion.

So, what are you waiting for? Get baking!

More delicious apple recipes to enjoy

Apple Pie Cookie Cups

Tuaca Apple Pie Cocktail

Slow Cooker Fireball and Red Hots Spiced Apple Cider

Ginger, Apple and Maple Mule

Honeycrisp Apple Moscow Mule

Crown Royal Whisky Sour Apple Cocktail

Caramel Apple Sangria

Apple Cider Mimosas

try it and share!

Please let us know how you enjoy our Old Fashioned Apple Walnut Cake recipe.

A slice of old fashioned apple walnut cake on a plate.

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Old Fashioned Apple Walnut Cake

Jennifer Quisenberry
Serving a delicious, old fashioned apple walnut cake topped with cinnamon brown sugar glaze is a delight. It comes together quickly and for a scratch cake, it’s quite simple. And it’s so good for you with fresh apples and walnuts.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 12
Calories 354 kcal

Equipment

  • Measuring Cup
  • Measuring Spoons
  • Citrus Press
  • 3 Mixing Bowls
  • Bundt Cake Pan or tube cake pan
  • Cutting Board
  • Knife
  • Sifter
  • Spoon or Spatula
  • Plate
  • Sauce Pan or small pot

Ingredients
  

Apple Walnut Cake

  • 3 cups Sifted Flour
  • 1 ¼ cup Canola Oil
  • ½ C Light Brown Sugar
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 ½ tsp Baking Soda
  • 3 Eggs
  • ¼ cup Lowfat Vanilla Yogurt
  • 3 Gala Apples large
  • 1 cup Chopped Walnuts
  • 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 Lemon juiced

Cinnamon Brown Sugar Sauce

  • ½ cup Brown Sugar
  • 2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp Milk
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 tsp Butter

Instructions
 

Make the cake

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
  • Grease and flour bundt pan.
  • Peel, core and chop apples. Toss in a bowl with lemon juice and set aside.
    3 Gala Apples, 1 Lemon
  • Add walnuts to the apples.
    1 cup Chopped Walnuts
  • Combine oil, sugar and vanilla In a bowl, using a Kitchenaid stand or hand mixer.
    1 1/4 cup Canola Oil, 1/2 C Light Brown Sugar, 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • Add eggs and vanilla yogurt and mix again.
    3 Eggs, 1/4 cup Lowfat Vanilla Yogurt
  • In a separate bowl, sift flour. Add salt and baking soda.
    3 cups Sifted Flour, 1 tsp Salt, 1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
  • Add dry ingredients to wet, half of the amount at a time.
  • Once smooth, fold in apples and walnuts.
  • Pour into bundt pan and bake for 55-60 minutes. (Until a skewer inserted comes out clean).
  • Cool.
  • Turn onto a plate.

Making the Cinnamon Brown Sugar Sauce

  • Melt butter In a small pot over low-medium heat.
    1 tsp Butter
  • Add brown sugar. Stir until melted.
    1/2 cup Brown Sugar
  • Add milk.
    2 tbsp Milk
  • As it starts to boil, add cinnamon, half at a time and stir until incorporated.
    2 tsp Cinnamon
  • Cook for 30 seconds and stir in vanilla.
    1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • Set aside and allow to cool for 1 minute.
  • Pour over cake.

Notes

Please note that calories are subject to change based upon your choice of ingredients.

Nutrition

Calories: 354kcal
Keyword Fresh apple cake with brown sugar glaze, Moist apple walnut cake, Old Fashioned Apple, Old Fashioned Fresh Apple Cake Recipe
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