A delicious chocolate cake with fresh apples, chocolate chips, and walnuts. This cocoa apple cake is a super moist cake baked in a bundt pan.
No need for frosting, just add a dollop of whipped cream for a perfect dessert.
Why make this cake
Cocoa apple cake is the perfect fall dessert. Well, actually it would be perfect for any time of the year, but I seem to only make it in the fall when we pick fresh apples.
This recipe comes from my aunt. I remember her making it when I was a teenager. I loved it and asked for her recipe. Yep, I collected recipes even way back then!
That recipe sat in my recipe card file for years until recently when I was flipping through the cards and found it! I quickly made this cocoa apple cake.
It was just as good as I remembered as a kid - moist and full of chocolate and little bits of apple. There's nothing better than finding an old forgotten recipe and it becomes a new favorite!
This is an easy-to-make dessert that will leave people asking you for the recipe!
If you love this apple cake, you'll also want to check out this easy cinnamon apple cake!
Step by step directions
How to make it
In this section, I share step-by-step photos, cooking methods, techniques, and a general overview. For detailed instructions, temperatures, and timing, check the printable recipe card below.
- Cream together butter, eggs, sugar, vanilla and water
- In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and salt
- Combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients
- Fold in chocolate chips, grated apples and chopped walnuts
- Grease and flour a bundt pan
- Add cake batter to pan
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for 60 - 70 minutes. Remove from oven and allow cake to fully cool before removing from pan.
- To remove from pan, invert pan and gently shake.
To prepare the bundt pan
- Start by spraying the pan well with a non-stick cooking spray.
- Then take a small amount of flour and sprinkle it in the pan.
- Gently rotate the pan around and tap the sides.
- Shake out any excess flour.
Recipe tips
- Use a crisp, tart apple for best results.
- Grate apples on the large holes of a grater.
- To avoid sticking, spray the bundt pan with a nonstick spray and then add a light coat of flour. Knock off excess flour.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before removing the cake.
Recipe Faqs
Insert a toothpick in the center of the cake. If the toothpick is covered with wet crumbs, allow 5 more minutes of baking. If there are just a few crumbs on the toothpick, the cake is done. If your toothpick comes out covered with melted chocolate, just use a new toothpick and select another spot to test.
This cake will stay fresh and delicious for up to 3 days. Once the cake is cooled, place in an airtight container or place on a plate and cover it with plastic wrap. Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Serving suggestion
This apple cake does not need a frosting. I like to serve it with a dusting of powdered sugar or a dollop of freshly whipped cream.
More delicious desserts
- chocolate mayonnaise cupcakes
- oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
- peach cobbler
- raspberry almond coffee cake
- applesauce cake
- blueberry lemon bundt cake
- apple tart
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop
If you loved this recipe you'll LOVE all the others in this category. Check out all my dessert recipes here!
Cocoa Apple Cake
Ingredients
- 3 whole eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup butter
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 ½ cups flour
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups grated apples
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Cream together eggs, sugar, butter, water, and vanilla.3 whole eggs, 2 cups sugar, 1 cup butter, ½ cup water, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- In a separate bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and salt.2 ½ cups flour, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon allspice, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Add dry mixture to creamed mixture.
- Fold in walnuts, chocolate chips, and apples.2 cups grated apples, 1 cup chopped walnuts, 1 cup chocolate chips
- Place into a bundt pan that has been sprayed with a non-stick spray and dusted with flour.
- Bake at 350 for 60 - 70 minutes.
- Allow cake to cool before removing from pan.
Notes
- Use a crisp, tart apple for best results.
- Grate apples on the large holes of a grater.
- To avoid sticking, spray bundt pan with a nonstick spray and then add a light coat of flour. Knock off excess flour.
- Allow cake to cool completely before removing cake from pan.
Nutritional Disclaimer:
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in September of 2015. The recipe, post and pictures have been updated.
Valerie Russell says
I made this cake yesterday- it is nice and moist. I made little in the way of adjustments. I did not have enough chocolate chips, so I added an extra Tbsp of cocoa powder. I also ran out of cinnamon so I grated some from a stick. I also used a vegan butter substitute. Lovely flavour. I set the timer incorrectly at 50 minutes rather than 60, but it was already done. The toothpick came out totally dry. I was concerned that it would be dry as a result, but it isn't. I also used a vegan butter substitute.
Kathy says
Glad it all worked out for you! 🙂
Brian says
I followed the recipe except I did didn’t have allspice. My wife told me I could use pumpkin spice, is there a difference?
Kathy says
Pumpkin spice would be fine. It is usually a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and sometimes it includes allspice. Allspice itself is actually a dried berry and has very similar flavor components as the other warm spices in pumpkin pie spice.
I hope you enjoyed the cake! 🙂
Kathrin says
Hi Kathy,
I’m interested in trying your recipe. Wondering if I could sub avocado for butter with 1:1 ratio. Many thanks.
Kathy says
Hi Kathrin,
I'm afraid I'm not familiar with avocado butter so I don't know how it would be in this cake.
Kathy 🙂
Alison L says
Thank you! I had a request for a chocolate apple cake and stumbled upon your site! We all liked this recipe. I omitted the walnuts but kept everything else the same! It cooked a bit quicker at 57 minutes.
Kathy says
Hi Alison,
Glad you enjoyed. The 1 hour 20 minutes listed in the recipe card is the total time. It includes prep time and baking time. It is broken down into both. The actual baking time is just 1 hour. In the instructions it does say to bake for 60-70 minutes due to varying temperatures with ovens. I'm glad you checked your cake and took it out in time.
Thanks so much for your comment!
Kathy 🙂
Nancy N. says
I was looking for a recipe with chocolate and apples (to use up some of our excessive apple crop), and was delighted to discover this cake. Made it for my husband’s birthday, which we will celebrate with our daughter and her husband, who doesn’t eat dairy. I used a butter alternative, made a 9” square cake and 6 cupcakes so we could freeze some and not have a partially eaten huge Bundt cake left over, and it came out fine. Baked the cupcakes for about 25 minutes and the 9” cake for about 40-45.
Wondering if you’ve ever frosted it? Or maybe dusted it with powdered sugar? Maybe ice cream would be good…we could try a dairy free flavor.
Kathy says
Hi Nancy,
What great idea to bake it in a smaller cake pan and have some cupcakes too! I haven't ever frosted this cake, but I do usually sprinkle with powdered sugar. I think it's all it really needs. You'll want to do this just right before serving. A scoop of ice cream would be delicious too!
Enjoy!
Kathy 🙂
Suzi says
This was really, really good!
Jan says
I originally got this recipe from the.back of a C&H sugar bag, and have been making it for 45 years. Our daughter always requested it for her birthday cake. She’s 30 now, and I still make it in paper tube pans for her and mail it to her. It holds up great and I haven’t missed a year since she began asking for it at age 10. It is sonmoist and it’s great in the morning with a cup of tea.
Kathy says
Hi Jan,
How lucky your daughter is to get this cake year after year for her birthday! I'm not certain where my aunt originally got this recipe, but it's a keeper!!!
Enjoy 🙂