Mini Whole Wheat Apple Bundt Cake with Whisky Glaze

Moist and tender spice cake made with whole wheat flour, packed with apples and drizzled with a whisky glaze are what make this apple Bundt cake one to be devoured!

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One fine fall day I (Jess) decided I needed the perfect apple Bundt cake, so I went looking for recipes. This recipe had to meet certain criteria… it couldn’t be just any cake here, my taste buds were calling for certain flavors. I wanted fresh apples, spice…… lots of spice, buttermilk because that makes the most moist flavorful batter, and I wanted a buttery, brown sugar glaze oh and it HAD to have that delicious crust only Bundt cakes have. I don’t ask for much! After spending way too long looking for the perfect recipe that I couldn’t find I decided to improvise, I combined several recipes and a bit of my own inspiration and Ta-da the perfect cake was born… or invented lol! 

This cake is moist, has the most amazing apple flavor, the perfect amount of spice & the crust you get… O. M. Goodness, even my boyfriend that claims he can’t taste was in awe of the crust. When I was testing this cake our brother exclaimed “This is what I want my house to smell like all the time, and not from candles” 😂.

We decided to make this a mini cake because even though we love goodies there’s only so much a couple of us can eat before it goes old and stale tasting…. or we want something new LOL!

Makes a great holiday gift

You can get these cute little pans at Walmart or JoAnn. There are other places too, just google 6 inch Bundt pan or 6 inch fluted tube pan. Grab a couple of them while you’re at it and give them away for the perfect holiday gift! At least in our opinion (The cakes or the pans).

what you need to make whole wheat apple Bundt cake with whiskey glaze

ingredient list

• White wheat flour
• Brown sugar
• Powdered sugar
• Baking powder
• Salt
• Cinnamon
• Ground cloves
• Butter (salted)
• Olive oil
• Egg
• Tart Apple (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith)
• Whiskey

helpful tools

• 6 inch Bundt pan
• Pastry Brush

tips for this recipe

what kind of apples can you use in this apple Bundt cake

Any tart/crisp apple will work well in this recipe. We like using Granny Smith or Honeycrisp.

getting that glorious crust on the outside

• Make sure you coat the inside of the pan thoroughly with the butter and then sprinkle the flour mixture on before the butter has a chance to set up so that more of the flour will stick.
• Giving the pan a few good taps on the countertop will help get rid of any air bubbles and help the crust be smooth.
• Smaller apple pieces are will also make a smoother crust.

Can you freeze apple Bundt cake?

You absolutely can. After the cake is cooled and glazed, make sure the glaze is set up and then wrap the whole cake or individual pieces in a few layers of plastic wrap. Freeze for up to 3 months (We have had pastries in our freezer for way longer then that haha and they still tasted good but 3 months seems to be the popular amount of time so you do you!)

to defrost

Take the cake out of the freezer, unwrap and let set until defrosted. Tada!

how to make whole wheat apple Bunt cake with whiskey glaze

Step by step instructions below or scroll down for printable version

Make sure all your “cold” ingredients are room tempature

start by prepping the pan and preheat the oven to 350°F

1. In a small bowl combine 2 teaspoons white wheat flour, 2 teaspoons brown sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.

2. Pour 1/2 Tablespoon of melted butter (salted) into the Bundt pan. With a pastry brush brush the butter all over inside the pan. Let it set for a minute or until it starts to set up. Brush the butter all around again to distribute it evenly (make sure to get in all the little corners, up and over the little thing in the center, and clear up the sides).

3. Sprinkle the flour mixture in the pan focusing on the thing in the center and then roll the pan around to coat the rest of the pan, clear up the sides. Dump out the excess.

make the whole wheat cake

1. In a medium sized mixing bowl combine 1 cup white wheat flour, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup packed brown sugar. Stir until combined, break up any clumps of brown sugar with your fingers so the mixture is smooth.

2. Add 1/4 cup melted butter (salted), 2 Tablespoons olive oil, 1/3 cup buttermilk, and 1 egg. Stir until combined.

3. Fold in one shredded tart apple such as Honeycrisp or Granny Smith, it should be about 1 cup packed (peel if you want).

Tip: If you are using a Granny Smith apple we recommend peeling it. The peelings are usually quite tough and leave stringy bits in your cake.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Tap the pan a few times on the countertop to help remove any air bubbles.

5. Bake at 350°F for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let rest for 10 minutes and then invert onto your serving plate. Let cool before glazing

make the whiskey glaze

Tip: This makes plenty of glaze so feel free to only use part of it if you like a lighter glaze. The cake itself is not overly sweet so it can handle quite a bit of glaze.

1. In a small saucepan over low heat combine 2 Tablespoons Whiskey and 2 Tablespoons brown sugar. Stir until the sugar is dissolved about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 Tablespoon (cut into small cubes) salted butter until melted.

2. Add 5 Tablespoons powdered sugar to a small bowl. Pour the whiskey mixture in and stir until smooth.

3. Pour over the cooled cake.

Note: The whiskey is quite strong in this glaze but balances out well once it’s on the cake.

Other Fall baking recipes you might enjoy

Pear Upside Down Spice Cakes

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Walnut Scones

Salted Caramel Pear Mascarpone Tart

If you try any of our recipes we would love to see your creation! Tag us on Instagram @thetearyonion. Or leave a review here on the recipe!

Thanks for reading and as always have fun in the kitchen!