This Chai Apple Bundt Cake recipe celebrates the flavors of fall. The warm spices, tart apples and soft texture all come together beautifully to create a heavenly dessert. You can make it ahead and it’s lovely for a crowd! 
This is one of those baking projects that will make your whole house take on the scent of warm and cozy deliciousness.
I’ve made this every fall for almost a decade and it always draws a crowd!
What are the ingredients in Chai Apple Bundt Cake?
- LOTS of thinly sliced apples (see apple variety suggestions below)
- chai spice mix (cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, black pepper)
- butter
- eggs
- vanilla
- granulated sugar
- all-purpose flour
- baking soda and salt
- powdered sugar
What is Chai?
- Derived from the Chinese word for tea, which is Cha, Chai is the generic word for tea in Hindi, in India.
- It’s a mix of spices steeped into a tea-like beverage, and the combination of various spices for the mixture can vary greatly.
- Traditional ingredients for Chai typically include black tea mixed with strong spices, such as cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger and black peppercorns.
- These spices are commonly used without the tea in all sorts of both sweet and savory recipes.
What are the best apples for baking?
The best apples for baking keep their shape and structure, without becoming mushy when heat is applied. Here are a few varieties that will do just that:
- Granny Smith
- Braeburn
- Honeycrisp
- Pink Lady
- Fuji
I used a combination of Granny Smith and Fuji in this recipe. The Granny Smith apples are very tart, and the Fuji apples are a bit sweeter. Both are quite crisp and hold their shape extremely well in the cake.
Why I Love Bundt Cakes
I love bundt cakes! Not only is the presentation so pretty, but the shape of the pan enables a thin crust to form over a greater surface of the cake than regular pans. So almost every bite is a mixture of soft and crisp.
Can you make it ahead and freeze it?
You can make this cake ahead! Here are some options . . .
One day ahead. Once it’s cooled do not glaze it. Rather, wrap it tightly, keep it at room temperature, and glaze it just before serving.
Three days ahead. Once it’s cooled do not glaze it. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate it. Remove it from the refrigerator early the day you want to serve it, keeping it out at room temperature. Glaze just before serving.
Four days and up to two weeks ahead. Once it’s cooled do not glaze it. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and freeze it. Remove it from the freezer the day before you want to serve it, keeping it out at room temperature. Glaze just before serving.
Note that the glaze doesn’t sit on top of the cake — it seeps deep inside, making every bite even more scrumptious! And it doesn’t really soften the outer, thin crust, so you still get all sorts of delicious textures.
Chai Apple Cake would be lovely for brunch as it would be after dinner for dessert. Just imagine it with a perfect cup of coffee!
I hope this fall you’ll make this Chai Apple Bundt Cake one of your go-to dessert recipes. Enjoy!
Chai Apple Bundt Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1 cup plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter, melted, divided
- 1¾ cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 cups Fuji or Granny Smith apples (about 3 apples), peeled and thinly sliced (about 1/8-inch thick)
For the glaze
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons water
- ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
Instructions
For the cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Use a pastry brush to grease a bundt pan with the 2 teaspoons of the melted butter.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the sugar, flour, baking soda, salt and spices. Mix until well combined. Make a small well in the center and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 cup of melted butter to another mixing bowl. Whisk in the eggs and vanilla until smooth. Add the apple slices and mix just to incorporate them evenly.
- Pour the wet apple mixture into the well in the dry ingredients. Fold to blend. This is a thick batter, so you might need to use your hands for this part, and many of the apple slices might break -- that's okay!
- Add the batter to the buttered bundt pan and bake in the 350°F preheated oven until the cake no longer jiggles, is lightly browned, and is beginning to crack on top -- about 50 minutes. (If you're not sure if it's done, stick a long wooden skewer in the cake -- if it comes out clean, or almost clean, the cake is done.)
- Let the cake cool in the pan for about 30 minutes, then use a cooling rack to invert it, and place it on a foil-lined sheet pan.
For the glaze
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the water, sugar and spices, and use a whisk to mix until it's smooth.
- Drizzle the glaze over the cake while it's still warm, a little bit at a time. Some will seep into the cake, and some will drip down the sides and into the center, falling onto the foil. Let it sit for a few minutes and repeat this process at least twice more. You can use a spoon to scoop up the glaze from the foil and drizzle it over the cake again. (Anything left after this can be saved for an ice cream topping.) Slice and serve!
Jeanne @JollyTomato says
Beautiful – what a perfect fall cake!!!
Shara Martin says
I have to say that I’m one of the lucky ones who’ve had the pleasure of receiving (and eating!) a slice of this cake from Valentina herself. It is absolutely deeelish! My 8 year old son loved it too. I can’t wait to make my own! Thanks Valentina!
valentina says
Thank YOU, Shara! More treats to come! 😉
Colette @ JFF! says
Gorgeous! I love bundts, esp apple bundts.
valentina says
Thanks so much, Colette! 😀
Nancy Rose Eisman says
Oh my gosh, I must have some of that cake. Beautiful post!
valentina says
Nancy, you are so sweet — thank you.
valentina says
Thank you, Cathy! I will hop over to your TGIF Link Party now. 🙂
Meryl says
Why grapeseed oil? Can you substitute other fats?
valentina says
I like using grapeseed oil for this because it’s essentially flavorless, and I really wanted the spices to shine. Other fats would works as well, though. Enjoy! 🙂
Ellen says
This is wonderful. I love chai and I made it for our neighborhood eclipse viewing party in the morning. I did have to cook it for 70 minutes. I must have used too many apple slices. Fortunately the top still turned out just right. I’m actually baking a second one and put in fewer apples but it still needs about an hour, I think.
valentina says
You’ve made my day. (And this makes up for me not getting my eclipse glasses and not looking at it.) Thank you for making my cake and sharing it with neighbors — that’s what cooking is all about. Enjoy! XO
Dawn - Girl Heart Food says
If you’ve made this for almost a decade, then I know it has got to be good! Plus, it looks AMAZING! I can only imagine how lovely the house must smell as this bakes – so much better than any scented candle 😉 Pinned and can’t wait to try! Happy Friday, my friend!
valentina says
Thank you, Dawn! And yes, the house — and if you leave a window open — the street, smell so delicious! 🙂 ~Valentina
Kelly | Foodtasia says
Valentina, this cake is so gorgeous! Love all the apples in it! And that glaze – wowwww!
valentina says
Thanks, Kelly!! Hope you have a great weekend. 🙂
David Scott Allen says
Thank you for sharing this gem! I love apple cakes of all sorts and can’t wait to try this one! And with the chai flavoring – wowser!
valentina says
Thanks, David. I LOVE baking with apples as we enter fall. Of course I’m sure it’s still super hot where your are, since LA is stil in the 80’s. 🙂 Enjoy. ~Valentina
2pots2cook says
So gladly pinning and sharing this beauty !
valentina says
Thank you! 😀
Gerlinde@Sunnycovechef says
Apple cakes are one of my favorite treats, yours looks wonderful and I love the chai flavor.
valentina says
Thanks so much! Hope you try and love it! 🙂 ~Valentina
David @ Spiced says
One of my favorite things about this season is the warming smell of apples baking with a whole array of delicious spices! This cake is absolutely calling my name, Valentina. I would totally go for a slice right now with my morning cup of coffee. In fact, maybe I’ll have to make that happen one of these days soon. We’re in the midst of apple season up here! 🙂
valentina says
I love the apple + spices mix of aromatics, too. SO good! 🙂 Thanks so much, David!
nancy says
I adore apple desserts … ok, how about apples in general? And this cake…. this is exactly what I want after a meal of a warming soup! This reminds me of the desserts I had in the Alsace – love, love the combination of spices!!!
valentina says
Love that this bring your mind to France! I love apple season, too. 🙂
Eileen Cantwell says
Yummy cake! The only comment/caution I have is that the recipe makes a ton of glaze and I made the mistake of putting too much on it. I ended up with the bottom of the cake getting soggy and falling off. It was still delicious. Totally my fault.
valentina says
Thanks so much, Eileen. I really appreciate this comment. Yes, there is a lot of glaze — you’re totally right. I will make for of a note about that in the recipe. I’m so happy you thought it was delicious and I hope you have a lovely weekend. 🙂 ~Valentina