This homemade apple cake recipe is bakery-level good and almost as easy as a boxed mix. It's incredibly moist and full of crisp autumn apples with a nutty, sugary pecan crunch surprise in every bite.

Cinnamon and apples have always made sense, but adding a little rum, vanilla bean, and a buttery pecan-crunch topping adds a whole new dimension to this apple-licious dessert.

a slice of apple cake on the left partially in view with 2 other slices turned on their sides to reveal the tender apple pieces, vanilla beans and pecans

Apples, Spice & Everything Nice

When I choose dessert, an apple-cinnamon variety is never my first choice. I'm usually a chocolate, strawberry, lemon-lime, Biscoff, peanut butter kinda gal.

Which is why when I tell you how delicious this cake is (and how much I love it), you know it's good. We just received our local fruit and veggie crate with some of the best-tasting fall apples as part of the mix.

I wasn't yet ready to make an apple pie (which I'll do for the holidays) and decided to make this quick buttery rum apple cake instead. I use a little leftover rum from topping up my homemade vanilla extract, and I'll put pecans on just about anything.

I wanted a soft, fluffy cake that would highlight the natural flavor of these delicious apples and this recipe does just that. And it's a great excuse to go apple-picking this weekend.

unbaked apple rum cake without pecan crunch yet added

a slice of apple rum cake with pecan crunch on a round white marble serving tray surrounded by apples of all colors

top down view of slice of apple cake with fresh apples to the right (red and yellow apples)

side view of a slice of Apple Rum Cake on a marble board with black background

Peter Woytuk's large sculpture on Broadway of a raven sitting atop 3 green apples stacked one on top of the other

all of the ingredients used to make the apple rum cake on a cutting board on my kitchen countertop

Apple Rum Cake with Pecan Crunch Ingredients

Cake Ingredients

11 ounces tart golden or red apples, peeled and diced (about 2 large apples) (315g)
1 cup all-purpose or 00 flour (135g)
1 teaspoon baking powder (4g)
½ teaspoon Himalayan salt (or another salt)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (85g)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (28g)
⅔ cup sugar (150g)
2 large eggs at room temperature (100g)
2 tablespoons white rum (or dark rum) (28g)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (4g)
¼ teaspoon vanilla bean powder (optional but recommended)
¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon)
Freshly grated nutmeg to taste (about 25 quick bursts on a Microplane) *do not use pre-ground powdered nutmeg

Pecan Crunch Topping Ingredients

2 ounces raw pecans (60g)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (28g)
2 tablespoons raw turbinado sugar (28g)
2 pinches of salt

flour, pink salt, baking powder and cinnamon spice in a glass mixing bowl on top of a marble surface

How to make Apple Rum Cake with Pecan Crunch

Preheat oven 350°F/176°C. & prepare the cake pan. Butter a 9 or 10-inch springform pan and line it with parchment paper on the bottom and sides.
Make the pecan crunch topping. In a small bowl, mix the melted butter, pecans, coarse raw sugar, and a couple of pinches of salt until well combined.
Prepare the apples. Peel and dice the apples and place them into a bowl of water with a few squeezes of lemon juice and leave for about 5 minutes. Strain the apples, dry them on a clean tea towel, and set them aside while you finish mixing the cake batter. *see notes
Mix the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, freshly grated nutmeg, and pumpkin pie spice.
Cream the butter, oil, and sugar. Using an electric or stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the butter, oil, and sugar for 3 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, rum, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean powder and mix just until combined. Add the apples and toss gently with a rubber spatula to combine.
Combine the wet and dry ingredients. Add the flour mixture to the apple mixture using a rubber spatula and gently combine the mixture just until no flour streaks remain.
Decorate the top + bake. Sprinkle the Pecan Crunch evenly over the top of the cake batter and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean. Remove the cake to a wire rack and allow it to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, remove the ring and the parchment paper from the sides of the springform pan. Carefully invert the cake, remove the parchment paper and place it right side up on a serving platter. Serve warm or at room temperature by itself or with a dollop of whipped cream or scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and Enjoy!