Crisp apples, decadent cream cheese, and plenty of fall spices make this bundt cake truly shine.
Apple-Cream Cheese Swirl Bundt Cake
Serves: 1 (15-cup) Bundt cake
Ingredients
- 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened and cubed
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 4 cups plus 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour, divided
- 5 large eggs, room temperature and divided
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 1⁄2 cups unsalted butter, softened
- 1 3⁄4 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
- 3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 3 tablespoons whole milk, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons cane syrup
- Garnish: chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, granulated sugar, and 2 teaspoons flour at medium-low speed until creamy, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add 1 egg; beat until smooth, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Transfer to a medium bowl, and refrigerate.
- In a large bowl, whisk together cinnamon, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg, and remaining 4 cups flour.
- Clean bowl of stand mixer and paddle attachment. Using the paddle attachment, beat butter and brown sugar at medium speed until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes, stopping to scrape sides of bowl. Add remaining 4 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Using the large holes of a box grater, shred apples. Add apple and vanilla to butter mixture; beat at low speed for 1 minute. Gradually add flour mixture, beating just until combined.
- Spray a 15-cup Bundt pan with baking spray with flour. Spoon half of batter into prepared pan. Tap pan on a kitchen towel-lined counter several times to settle batter and release any air bubbles. Using the back of a spoon, make a 1⁄2-inch-deep trench in center of batter in pan, leaving a 1⁄4- to 1⁄2-inch border around edges. Spoon alternating dollops of batter and cream cheese mixture into trench. After completing 1 ring in pan, spoon batter over cream cheese mixture dollops and vice versa until all cream cheese mixture is used. Drag a butter knife through center of each dollop to swirl into batter. (It’s OK if some cream cheese mixture touches sides of pan.) Spoon and gently spread remaining batter on top, covering cream cheese mixture. Do not tap pan. Smooth top of batter.
- Bake until a wooden pick inserted near center comes out clean, 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto a wire rack, and let cool completely.
- In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners’ sugar, milk, and cane syrup until smooth. Drizzle onto cooled cake. Garnish with pecans, if desired. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
