This Apple Pecan Cake recipe creates the most incredibly moist and flavorful dessert. The combination of fresh diced apples, toasted pecans, and sweet coconut makes a delicious cake!
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🍰 This cake stays incredibly moist thanks to the vegetable oil base and the natural juices from fresh apples!
My 2 Best Tips For Making Apple Pecan Cake
Apple Selection: Choose firm apples like Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, or Gala that hold their shape when baked. Avoid Red Delicious or other soft varieties that become mushy during baking. Peel and dice the apples into uniform ½-inch pieces for even distribution and consistent texture throughout the cake.
Toast Nuts: Always toast your pecans or walnuts in a 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes before adding them to the batter. This step intensifies their flavor and ensures they maintain their crunch in the finished cake. Let them cool completely before chopping and folding into the batter.
I toss my diced apples with a tablespoon of the measured flour before folding them into the batter, which prevents them from sinking to the bottom during the long bake time. This simple coating trick ensures you get perfectly distributed apple pieces throughout every slice instead of a dense apple layer at the bottom.
I always place my tube pan on the lowest oven rack to ensure the bottom bakes through completely. The dense batter and all those mix-ins need extra heat from below to prevent a soggy bottom, especially since we are baking at the lower temperature of 325°F.
You can eat this cake straight from the pan as a delightful breakfast or afternoon treat! I love serving thick slices with a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of maple syrup, or simply toasted with a pat of butter.
🩷 Melissa
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Apple Pecan Cake (Apple Pound Cake)
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 ½ cups vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons Brandy flavoring or vanilla extract
- 3 cups apples, peeled, cored and diced (about 3 large apples)
- 1 cup pecans or walnuts toasted and chopped
- 1 cup sweetened shredded coconut
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325º F. Grease and flour a 10-cup tube pan.
- Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine oil, sugar, eggs, and Brandy flavoring (or vanilla). Mix at medium speed until well blended. Gradually beat in flour mixture. On low speed, mix in apples, coconut, and nuts.
- Spoon batter into prepared pan.
- Bake for 80 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. DO NOT OPEN OVEN DURING BAKING.
- Cool for 10 minutes in pan on wire rack. Invert onto rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
How To Make Apple Pecan Cake
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 325°F and grease a 10-cup tube pan thoroughly. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt, then set aside. Peel and dice your apples into ½-inch pieces, and toast your pecans in the oven for 8-10 minutes until fragrant.
Step 2: In your mixing bowl, beat together the oil, sugar, room temperature eggs, and brandy flavoring on medium speed until well blended. Gradually add the flour mixture, beating on low speed just until combined – don’t overmix.
Step 3: Gently fold in the diced apples, toasted pecans, and coconut until evenly distributed. Spoon the batter into your prepared pan and bake for 75 minutes without opening the oven door, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Step 4: Let the cake cool in the pan for exactly 10 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife around the edges and center tube, then invert onto the rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.
Recipe FAQs
While you can substitute melted butter for oil, the texture will be slightly different and less moist. Oil creates a more tender crumb and helps the cake stay fresh longer. If using butter, use the same amount but expect a slightly denser result.
Opening the oven door releases heat and can cause temperature fluctuations that make the cake sink or bake unevenly. This is especially important for dense cakes like this one that need steady, consistent heat to rise and set properly.
Yes, you can use two 9-inch round pans or a 9×13 inch rectangular pan, but adjust the baking time accordingly. Round pans will need about 45-55 minutes, while a rectangular pan needs 55-65 minutes. Check doneness with a toothpick.
More Delicious Cake Recipes to Consider
Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ rating below and share it on Instagram.
Wallace L Noble
I have had the delightful privilege to bake this pound cake three times. It tastes and looks better each time. I did three eggs this time instead of two. And each time I baked the cake, it needed an additional 7-10 minute baking time. I did not have any brandy this time but used my “RUM EMULSION.”
It is a favorite among my seniors at the church and in our household.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks for sharing your changes Wallace – I’m glad it’s a big hit!
chris
omg, here’s a lighter version : I reduced the following : flour (2cups), sugar (1 cup) and fat (125gr butter only) added half and half for the batter to be workable and used a large round baking pan of height 5cm, diam 26cm, thus reduced cooking time to only 40 minutes which resulted in a moist light vanilla coconutty cake ! Thanks for the recipe basis, we don’t get pecan christmas cakes here in France, thet’a nice substitute (my favorite being the collin street bakery cakes in Texas of course !)
Zinnie Martini
would you add nutmeg or cinnamon….
Barbara Schieving
Hi Zinnie – I don’t think it needs it, but you certainly could add both if you prefer. Perhaps 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg.
farrah d
can i substute the oil if so what what? the oil gives the cake a smell.
Barbara Schieving
I haven’t tried it, but generally, you can substitute butter or coconut oil for vegetable oil in cake.
Debbie D
I’ve frequently used applesauce
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Debbie!
Jane Kovacs
I made this cake earlier this morning, put it in the oven at 325° for 80 minutes. Still not done, additional 10 minutes, still not done. Now in for 15 minutes more with foil on too do it won’t burn. Hope this works.
Barbara Schieving
Hi Jane – what pan are you cooking it in?
S
can i use cake flour? softsilk
Barbara Schieving
I haven’t tried it with cake flour, but I assume it would work well.
Kay
I made this cake for Thanksgiving. It was wonderful! I’d like to make smaller ones for Christmas gifts at work. Would it work well in loaf pans or for cupcakes? How long would you bake it? Thanks so much!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Kay! I think the mini loaves would be awesome as Christmas gifts. I would try a similar time to this recipe https://www.barbarabakes.com/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-bread/ 35 minutes for the mini loaves.
Kay
Thanks so much!!
Danijela
Beautiful!!!
Barbara Schieving
Thanks!
Cathy Pollak
This is the perfect cake for fall!
Toni | Boulder Locavore
This was so good! My family loved it!
Jennifer Farley
What a lovely flavor for pound cake! I’m a big fan.
Aysegul
This cake is looking amazing and it’s my favorite for this winter days. Thanks for the recipe.
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella
Ooh this sounds so wholesome and delicious and i love it when a cake has lots of bits in it! 😀 xxx
J
I love the reader’s recipes cuz their family favs! Thanks for sharing Barb!
If someone didn’t want coconut in their cake, there’s always choc chips or caramel chips, wte etc.
I hope your having a great week!
Linda Gardepe
Barbara, What kind of apples would be best to use in this cake? It sounds and looks delicious!
Barbara Schieving
Hi Linda – I used a combo of Honeycrisp and Granny Smith.
Karen
This cake looks delicious, however we have a coconut allergy in our family, so that removes all recipes with that ingredient. Is there something I could substitute for the coconut? I really want to try this.
Barbara Schieving
Thanks Karen – I would just increase the nuts and leave out the coconut. Enjoy!
Carmela Lozano
Hi…Ive made this cake plenty of times. Recipe handed down to me from my mom. Ive started useing can apples instead! I find the cake much more moist! ❤
Barbara Schieving
Thanks for sharing Carmela – it would be a time saver as well.
Carol
What a perfect fall cake-and look at all the goodies packed inside. I have a pan that looks a lot like the one you used-I’ll have to measure it but I’m pretty sure it’s 12 cups. I’ve never used it- your photos of your coffee cakes make me wonder WHY I haven’t yet? I bet the brandy extract added a wonderful warm touch to the cake too. The orchards are loaded with apples-time for some fun fall baking! Thanks to you and Jean for sharing the recipe.