This easy apple cake starts with boxed yellow cake mix and apple pie filling and ends with a simple glaze and caramel drizzle for an easy fall dessert. It's the kind of shortcut dessert I go for during the holidays (because ya'll know I’m not baking from scratch).
The prep is minimal, and it bakes into a moist, warmly spiced cake with an ooey-gooey topping of powdered sugar glaze and store-bought caramel sauce that tastes like you spent all afternoon baking. The cake batter comes together in just one bowl with a few pantry staples like cinnamon and eggs.
Serve it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream and you’ve got a crowd-pleasing apple dessert with very little effort. If you like easy baking mix desserts, try my sweetened condensed milk brownies and my apple cinnamon roll bake.
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Shortcut Notes
- Starts with boxed cake mix: Using a boxed yellow cake mix saves so much time.
- No peeling apples: Canned apple pie filling means no prep work with fresh apples.
- Quick assembly: This cake batter mixes up in one bowl and goes straight into a baking dish.
Ingredient Breakdown
- Yellow cake mix: A standard 15.25-ounce boxed yellow cake mix forms the base of this easy apple cake recipe.
- Apple pie filling: Two cans of apple pie filling add moisture, sweetness, and spiced apples throughout the batter.
- Eggs: Bind the cake and help it rise while baking.
- Ground cinnamon: Enhances the apple pie flavor with warm spice.
- Powdered sugar: Used for the glaze, it adds a light, sweet finish to the top of the cake.
- Milk: Thins the glaze so it can be drizzled evenly over the cake.
- Vanilla extract: To flavor the glaze.
- Caramel sauce: Store-bought caramel sauce creates an irresistible topping when drizzled over the cooled cake.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray or butter.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, apple pie filling, eggs, and cinnamon with a hand mixer or by hand with a silicone spatula. Stir until well combined (no flour lumps).
Pour the batter into the prepared dish and spread evenly. Bake for 32–37 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The top will bake golden brown and the cake will pull away from the sides of the baking dish.
Allow the cake to cool completely in the baking dish. If you glaze the cake too soon, the glaze will melt.
In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cake.
Drizzle caramel sauce over the top. Slice and enjoy.
Substitutions
- Yellow cake mix: Use spice cake mix or white cake mix for a slightly different flavor.
- Apple pie filling: You can use homemade pie filling or chopped apples sautéed with brown sugar and apple pie spice.
Equipment
As always, this one's pretty simple! You need mixing bowls (one large for the batter and one small for the glaze), a silicone spatula (or a hand mixer), and a 9x13 baking dish.
Behind the Recipe
I made this apple pie cake for Halloween this year, and it was a hit with friends and family. I love apple desserts, especially when they’re easy to throw together.
My top tip is to let the cake cool completely. If you drizzle the glaze or caramel before the cake has cooled, it will melt into the top of the cake instead of sitting nicely on the surface.
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear what you think! Please take a moment to leave a rating and review—it helps me create high-quality recipes and lets others know what to expect.
FAQ
Yes, a spice cake mix is a good alternative. You can also use white cake mix.
You can, but they should be diced small and sautéed or softened before folding into the batter.
For this apple cake specifically, I recommend refrigerating it. Because it’s made with apple pie filling (which is very moist), the cake stays fresher and safer when stored in the fridge. In general, most plain cakes (like a basic yellow or vanilla cake) can be stored at room temperature for 2–3 days as long as they don’t have a perishable filling or frosting. Anything with fresh fruit, cream cheese, whipped cream, custard, or a very moist filling should go in the fridge.
📖 Recipe
Apple Cake with Cake Mix and Pie Filling
Video
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 box (15.25 oz) yellow cake mix
- 2 cans (21 oz each) apple pie filling
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Glaze & Drizzle
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- Store-bought caramel sauce for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray or butter.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, apple pie filling, eggs, and cinnamon with a hand mixer or by hand with a silicone spatula. Stir until well combined (no flour lumps).
- Pour the batter into the prepared dish and spread evenly. Bake for 32–37 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. NOTE: If the top begins to brown before the center is set, loosely cover with foil and continue baking until done.
- Allow the cake to cool completely in the baking dish.
- In a small bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Drizzle over the cooled cake. (If you glaze the cake when it’s hot, the glaze will dissolve into the cake).
- Drizzle caramel sauce over the top. Slice and enjoy.
Notes
Nutrition
Food Safety
- Check that a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean before removing the cake from the oven.
- Do not consume raw eggs or flour.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container to prevent spoilage.
More Cake Mix Recipes
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D Scurto says
Good afternoon, want to make this recipe but would like to use my tube pan, can I??
Kelsey Smith says
Hey there! I have never done it myself, so I can't confirm the bake time, but someone on TikTok shared a video of making this recipe in a tube pan and it worked out great.
Rena says
This recipe worked perfectly and is fluffier than any cake I've ever made. It's like a cloud! Best hack ever
Kelsey Smith says
I am thrilled to hear that!
David says
I'm gonna try this today, but I'm going to use cream cheese frosting. Any thoughts?
Kelsey Smith says
That would be a great pairing, sounds delicious. Go with a homemade cream cheese frosting if you can, I just used pre-made recently and it tasted a little minty.
Josie says
This turned out too sweet for my taste. Outcome was too moist, almost felt like it was uncooked after being in the oven 45 minutes (37 mins. suggested in recipe). I think one 21-oz. can of apple pie filling would've been enough.
Kelsey Smith says
Thanks for the feedback Josie, sorry it didn’t turn out right.
Gloria Brinker says
I’m going to make it this evening for Easter tomorrow. I was looking for a different dessert. Something that doesn’t have a lot of chocolate in it since somebody else is bringing that. It sounds like a delicious alternative. I will let you know how it turns out.
Sally K Parks says
Can I substitute white cake mix
Kelsey Smith says
Yes, white cake mix will work just fine. Enjoy!
Linda says
Question….Is it necessary to refrigerate cake?
Kelsey Smith says
Great question! For this apple cake specifically, I recommend refrigerating it. Because it’s made with apple pie filling (which is very moist), the cake stays fresher and safer when stored in the fridge. In general, most plain cakes (like a basic yellow or vanilla cake) can be stored at room temperature for 2–3 days as long as they don’t have a perishable filling or frosting. Anything with fresh fruit, cream cheese, whipped cream, custard, or a very moist filling should go in the fridge.
Carol Steelman says
Great last minute recipe, I had all ingredients in my pantry.
Kelsey Smith says
Excellent! Very happy you came across it. Thanks for leaving a comment, I hope you had a lovely holiday season.
Melissa says
Yummy cake. Made it this evening for a different weekend treat. Will be fixing this for family get togethers. Enjoy the moist tezture.
Kelsey Smith says
Thank you so much for taking the time to write a review, I appreciate it!
Lucianna A Farmer says
Could I do this as a bundt cake?
Kelsey Smith says
Hey Lucianna, I haven't tried that before but I suspect it would have a longer bake time. You might need to cover the top with foil at some point to make sure it doesn't burn. If you do try it, please report back on the bake time, I'm curious.
Kelsey Smith says
I know you will love this one. If you give it a try, leave a rating!