Celebrate fall with a splurge-worthy dessert, Cranberry-Apple-Pumpkin Bundt Cake. The flavors of fall in a cake with a Maple Glaze and Sugared Pecans and Pepitas.
Celebrate fall with a splurge-worthy dessert and flavors of fall in cake!
The base flavor of the cake is pumpkin with a filling of apple, cranberry and toasted pecans.
If that’s not enough to tempt your taste buds, it has a maple glaze topping with sugared pecans and pumpkin seeds!
I saw this recipe for Cranberry-Apple-Pumpkin Bundt Cake in the Splurge-Worthy Thanksgiving Desserts in the November issue of Southern Living Magazine and couldn’t wait to try it!
We are not big dessert eaters at our house, so I was waiting for an occasion to make it. I made it to send with my Mother-in-Law to a Thanksgiving Open House yesterday and it did not disappoint!
Cranberry-Apple-Pumpkin Bundt Cake, recipe courtesy of Southern Living
Ingredients
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1 1/2 cups peeled and diced Granny Smith apples
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 cup finely chopped sweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter, softened
4 large eggs
1 (15-oz.) can pumpkin
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Sugared Pecans and Pepitas
Maple Glaze
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 6 to 8 minutes or until toasted, stirring halfway through. Cool 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°.
2. Toss diced apples in 2 Tbsp. melted butter to coat in a medium bowl; add cranberries, next 2 ingredients, and toasted pecans, and toss until well blended.
3. Beat granulated sugar and 1 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add pumpkin and vanilla; beat just until blended.
4. Stir together 3 cups flour and next 3 ingredients. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. Spoon half of batter into a greased and floured 10-inch (12-cup) Bundt pan. Spoon apple mixture over batter, leaving a 1/2-inch border around outer edge. Spoon remaining batter over apple mixture.
5. Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack; cool completely (about 2 hours).
6. Meanwhile, prepare Sugared Pecans and Pepitas.
7. Prepare Maple Glaze; immediately spoon onto cooled cake. Arrange pecans and pepitas on cake.
Sugared Pecans and Pepitas
1 cup pecan halves and pieces
1/2 cup roasted, salted shelled pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons sugar
Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together pecan halves and pieces, pepitas, and melted butter. Spread in a single layer in a 13- x 9-inch pan. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Remove from oven; toss with sugar. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack (about 30 minutes).
Maple Glaze
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
Bring maple syrup, butter, and milk to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly; boil, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in vanilla. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until smooth; stir gently 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken and cool slightly. Use immediately.
The only changes I would make next time is to reduce the amount of sugar in the maple glaze, which we thought was too sweet.
A beautiful and moist cake, perfect for your Thanksgiving table!
Cranberry-Apple-Pumpkin Bundt
Equipment
- 12-cup Bundt pan
Ingredients
Cake
- ¾ cup finely chopped pecans
- 1½ cups peeled and diced Granny Smith apples
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- ½ cup finely chopped sweetened dried cranberries
- ½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 4 large eggs
- 1 15 oz. can pumpkin puree
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tsp baking soda
Sugared Pecans and Pepitas
- 1 cup pecan halves and pieces
- ½ cup roasted, salted shelled pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 2 tbsp sugar
Maple Glaze
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
To make cake
- Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 6 to 8 minutes or until toasted, stirring halfway through. Cool 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°.
- Toss diced apples in 2 Tbsp. melted butter to coat in a medium bowl; add cranberries, next 2 ingredients, and toasted pecans, and toss until well blended
- Beat granulated sugar and 1 cup butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add pumpkin and vanilla; beat just until blended.
- Stir together 3 cups flour and next 3 ingredients. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. Spoon half of batter into a greased and floured 10-inch (12-cup) Bundt pan. Spoon apple mixture over batter, leaving a 1/2-inch border around outer edge. Spoon remaining batter over apple mixture.
- Bake at 325° for 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack; cool completely (about 2 hours).Meanwhile, prepare Sugared Pecans and Pepitas.
Sugared Pecans and Pepitas
- Preheat oven to 350°. Stir together pecan halves and pieces, pepitas, and melted butter. Spread in a single layer in a 13- x 9-inch pan. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through. Remove from oven; toss with sugar. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack (about 30 minutes).
Maple Glaze
- Bring maple syrup, butter, and milk to a boil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring constantly; boil, stirring constantly, 2 minutes. Remove from heat; whisk in vanilla. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until smooth; stir gently 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken and cool slightly. Immediately spoon onto cooled cake. Arrange pecans and pepitas on cake.
Find 27 recipes you’ll want to gobble for your Thanksgiving feast, HERE.
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Happy Thanksgiving and
Keep Calm and Bundt On :)
Thank you for your visit, sharing with:
Wish I had a piece right now with my morning coffee. I think I will make this for my guests this week. Thanks for sharing.
Ohhhh, that looks so pretty and delicious! What a perfect cake for this week! I’m making your mini pumpkin pies to take to family Thanksgiving, but I am making this for us to nibble on through the weekend! Haven’t had time to look at Southern Living, so thanks again for solving my menu decisions!
Jenna
Thanks for pointing that recipe out! I haven’t had time to even glance at my Nov. Southern Living (although I got Dec. yesterday and the cover cake is a must try!), but I will definately try that cake. I love bundt cakes! Happy Thanksgiving!
Your cake turned out beautiful Mary-Very seasonal! Have a great Thanksgiving Week:@)
I gain 5 pounds every time you cook!!!! :D :D :D This looks delicious and I bet it smells divine!
One word….YUM!!!
Well, unfortunately we do like sweets around here. This cake looks delicious. When I saw your mini pumpkin pies I knew that I would make mini pies for our Thanksgiving dinner. Planning on pumpkin, pecan, and apple. I’m practicing today. ;-)
Enjoy your day, Mary……….Sarah
My kind of cake and with company coming for dinner tonight this will be a perfect dessert. Loved your soup recipe too as it is very similar to what I do for fish chowder.
Oh, YUM!
I made this same cake for a dinner party right after the magazine was delivered to me. It creates a beautiful cake for a special occasion.I am thinking that the next time I make it, I will mix the apple/cranberry/pecan filling into the cake batter so it will be more evenly distributed.Any thoughts?
What a beautiful cake!!! Makes me want to run right down to the kitchen and start rattlin’ pots and pans!!!
YUM!!!! I’m thinking I want pumpkin bread for Thanksgiving morning but, MAYBE this would be better. Thanks for sharing. Have a good Thanksgiving. HUGS!
Charlene & Elle
I’m so happy bundt cakes have make a Come Back! This one sounds delightful and yes – perfect fall flavors. Beautiful too!
Looks delicious! It is full of yummy flavors. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
I usually mooch Southern Living off my mom, but I haven’t seen that issue. This looks absolutely delicious. I think a bundt cake serves up so nicely, too, don’t you? I pinned this!
Mary, that cake looks amazing! I love Southern Living magazine and have had a subscription for at least 20 year! (Amazing for a northerner.. huh? :) ) They have the most wonderful recipes and I have tried so many. I may try this one.. you made it look delicious!
BTW I was at the lake in Indiana today. It was in the low fifties and not a cloud in the sky. I saw one lone fishing boat going across the lake.. it was beautiful… Doesn’t being near the water just make you feel so great? Have a wonderful week and thanks for sharing this recipe!
This looks so delicious. Boy I spent some time looking through your blog. I’m trying not to rush through everyone’s posts, I want to enjoy all the work that goes into a post. Yours are just lovely. I love all of it.
I enjoy Southern Living even though we live in S. California, I feel like I must belong in the midwest….
Hope your Thanksgiving is wonderful!
Blessings,
Debbie
Hi Mary, This cake is so appealing to me. I LOVE pecans and pumpkin too, and of course maple glaze is the perfect finishing touch. I probably would love the sweetness. I should be cooking and grocery shopping but I’m so happy to have my internet back I’m stuck on the computer! Have a wonderful day. Linda
Since I have not had a moment to look at Nov. OR Dec.’s Southern Living, thanks for pointing this one out. It looks and sounds SCRUMPTIOUS!!!!!!!!!!! WE are not sweets eaters either, Joe NEVER eats them but I would make this for our dinner group for sure. Wishing you and your family a blessed Thanksgiving. EAT WELL:):):) XO, Pinky
I wish that I had a piece of that cake right now!
Bundt cakes are my kind of cakes!…Looks absolutely delicious!!….I am thinking my sewing group would really enjoy this!!…Thanks for sharing this!!
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!!
gosh your pics are just stellar, i could stare into them all forever… i so love all you share~
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Beautiful presentation!! The pictures are what makes me want to make this cake!! Absolutely lovely!
Now this is dessert heaven!
This is such a lovely cake! Looks beautiful and most delicious!