Apple Cinnamon Cake with Butter Rum Glaze

With all the wonderful fall flavors going on right now, you're guaranteed to love this apple cinnamon cake recipe! Apples and pumpkin mixed with ground cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg topped with a creamy butter and spiced rum glaze, this apple cake is perfect for for fall!

Apple and cinnamon pair wonderfully together. And cake recipes with apples that also contain cinnamon are not only a huge crowd pleaser, but they also happen to be my all time favorite dessert. If you're looking for an easy and delicious apple cinnamon cake, then look no further. The fall season is in full swing and I'm loving every bite of apple, pumpkin, and spice I can get my taste buds on. I top this apple and cinnamon cake with a spiced butter rum glaze that really enhances all of those sweet autumn spices.

Ingredients You'll Need

The key ingredient to a moist apple cake is oil. Canola oil and olive oil work really well in or you can use Crisco. Melted Crisco really helps make this cake extra moist, but olive and canola oil is a healthier choice. Don't skip the Carnation Evaporated Milk. It contributes to the moisture and sweetness.

Another reason this apple cake is incredibly moist is because I shred the apple. It's a key ingredient. The best apples for baking are the crispy apples, such as Honeycrisp, Jonathon, or Granny Smith. I also use canned pumpkin puree. For the spices, I use a mixture of cinnamon, allspice, clove, and nutmeg to really pull out those fall flavors.

I use both white and brown sugar in this recipe. The brown sugar provides a sweet caramel flavor and pairs so well with the spices. For the butter rum cake glaze, you'll need unsalted butter, powdered sugar, hot water, and spiced rum. I use Captain Morgan Spiced Rum because the flavor pairs extremely well with all the spices.

Step-by-Step Recipe Instructions

This is probably the most moist cake I’ve ever had and it's filled with the perfect amount of autumn spices and apples. Start by preheating the oven to 350°F. Then peel the apple and grate it with a box grater.

Unlike most cake recipes, I don't mix the liquid ingredients separately before mixing the dry ingredients. I add all the ingredients to a large bowl and then mix well with a standing on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Then, pour the batter into a pan or mold. For this recipe, I use a bundt mold. Bake for 55-60 minutes, until done. Expert Tip: To ensure the cake is done, insert a toothpick into the center and if it comes out clean, it's done. Or, you can tap the center of the cake and if it's firm, it's done.

Cake Glaze Recipe

There are a couple ways to make a rum based glaze dependi to be.

• For a thin, more liquid cake glaze: Completely melt the butter and then mix it on a medium to low speed with the powdered sugar, rum, and hot water. The color will appear more clear than white.
• For a thick, more solid cake glaze: Make sure the butter is at room temperature. You want the butter to be soft, but still in a solid form. Add the soft butter, powdered sugar, hot water, and spiced rum and mix on a medium high speed until the glaze is white and thick. Make sure you don't add too much hot water as it will become more of a liquid consistency.

You'll often find a cream cheese frosting on some apple cake recipes. But I top this one with a butter rum glaze. The cake is the star of the show and the light rum glaze helps enhance the flavor with it's light buttery finish. The hint of spiced rum brings out the flavor, especially when you top it with powdered sugar!

Expert Tips and FAQs

• I used a bundt cake mold, but you can use a rectangle pan or round pan for this recipe. I've actually made muffins and bread with this recipe and they are amazing! Make sure you grease the pan well or use a no stick mold.
• Don't like icing? Skip it. It's so flavorful that it actually tastes really good without any icing or glaze. Sometimes, I like to sprinkle on some powdered sugar and top with chopped pecans.
• The key to making the butter rum glaze is using unsalted butter.
• If you're gluten free, just substitute a gluten free flour. The measurements should remain the same.
• You can store this covered on your counter for 3-4 days.

More Cake Recipes

If you're looking for more cake recipes, check out my Orange, Almond and Polenta Cake with Cardamom and Orange Syrup. This one is also super moist and deliciously tasty and it soaks up the orange syrup like a sponge. A gluten free cake that has the most amazing taste and is simple to make. Also, check out my Red Velvet Cake and my Orange Vanilla Bundt Cake. These are perfect for the holiday season and make any dessert table even more magnificent!

If you're loving the apple theme, check out my Cherry Apple Cake. It's a pie and cake in one!  And if you're looking for more of a bread loaf that tastes like cake, check out my Zucchini, Carrot and Apple Olive Oil Cake. It's perfect for the end of summer and early fall!

Apple Cinnamon Cake with Butter Rum Glaze

With all the wonderful fall flavors going on right now, you're guaranteed to love this apple cinnamon cake recipe! Apples and pumpkin mixed with ground cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg topped with a creamy butter and spiced rum glaze, this apple cake is perfect for for fall!

4.93 from 14 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Servings: 15 servings

Calories: 372kcal

Author: Amanda Mason

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients

• ▢ 1 12 ounce can of Carnation evaporated milk
• ▢ 2 ½ cups flour
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon vinegar
• ▢ 3 eggs
• ▢ 1 cup sugar
• ▢ ½ cup apple, shredded and peeled
• ▢ 8 ounces Libby's Pumpkin Puree
• ▢ ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• ▢ ⅔ cup shortening (I used melted Crisco)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon ground allspice
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground clove
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ▢ ½ teaspoon vanilla

Butter Rum Glaze Ingredients

• ▢ ⅓ cup unsalted butter
• ▢ 2 cups powdered sugar
• ▢ 1 Tablespoon Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Hot Water

Instructions

For The Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Combine all cake ingredients in a bowl.
• Turn your standing or electric mixer on low for 30 seconds, then turn the speed up to medium-high and mix for 3 minutes.
• Pour your batter into the bundt cake mold.
• Cook for 55-60 minutes, until done. (I test with a toothpick for doneness)

For Butter Rum Glaze

• Heat the unsalted butter in a pan until melted.
• Stir in the powdered sugar and spiced rum.
• Whisk in the water and whisk until the consistency is of a thick syrup.
• Pour on top of the cake and serve.

Notes

• To test the doneness, use the toothpick test. Insert a toothpick into the thickest part of the cake and if it comes out with no moist batter, it's done. 
• You can use any type of apple you want. Pink lady, gala, and honeycrisp are the best for this recipe.
• Don't mix the dry ingredients and then the wet ingredients. Dump all the ingredients in a bowl and mix it all together at once.
• I used a bundt mold, but you can use a rectangle pan or round pan for this recipe. I've actually made muffins and bread with this recipe and they are amazing! Make sure you grease the pan well or use a no stick mold.
• Don't like icing? Skip it. Sometimes, I like to just add on some powdered sugar and top it with chopped pecans.
• The key to making the butter rum glaze is using unsalted butter. For my rum, I used Captain Morgan Spiced Rum. It works perfectly with this recipe because the spiced rum compliments so well with the cinnamon, nutmeg and clove.
• If you're gluten free, just substitute a gluten free flour. The measurements should remain the same.
• You can store any leftovers covered on your counter for 3-4 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 372kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 44mg | Sodium: 247mg | Potassium: 112mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 2527IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg

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