I am welcoming a new school year in with a sweet apple bundt cake treat.

Made by stacking 2 bunt cakes and topping them off with adorable edible apple details, this fun Teacher cake idea has been a back-to-school tradition of ours for years.

Apple Cakes for Back To School, Teacher Day Cake.

Apple Cake recipe with Bundt cakes and buttercream frosting.

The apple cakes are simple enough to make – an entire classroom worth for a back-to-school or a teacher appreciation party would be easy to pull off. Just multiply the recipe for as much as you need.

Apple Cake recipe with Bundt cakes and buttercream frosting.

Back-To-School Apple Cakes

Victoria
How to make mini apple cakes with bundt cakes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 2 people
Calories 185 kcal

Equipment

  • Mini bundt cakes pan
  • 6 toothpicks

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Box Chocolate cake mix
  • 1 Cup Buttercream frosting recipe below
  • 1 Cup Pretzel rods
  • 1 Cup Whole basil leaves

Frosting

  • 1 Tube Red food gel
  • 1 Cup 1 cup sugar
  • 3 3 large egg whites
  • 1/4 tsp 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 Sticks +2 tablespoons unsalted butter (9 ounces total) cut into tablespoons, at room temperature,

Instructions
 

  • Oil the bunt pans well and bake the chocolate cakes for about 20 minutes. Let them completely cool.
  • Cut off the tops for a straight edge (tops while they are in the pan… so bottoms, really). This will make them all even when inverted together.
  • Invert the cooled bunt apple cakes on top of each other, and secure with one or two toothpicks to hold securely in place.

Red Buttercream Frosting

  • In a blender or food processor, pulse the sugar until powdery. Transfer the sugar to a medium heatproof bowl and whisk in egg whites and salt. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk mixture gently until sugar is completely dissolved.
  • Transfer the warm egg-white mixture to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add the vanilla and beat beat at medium-high speed until stiff and glossy, about 8 minutes.
  • Beat in the butter a few tablespoons at a time. Make sure pieces are fully incorporated before adding more. The buttercream should be light and fluffy. If it appears runny, place bowl in freezer for 5 to 10 minutes. Resume mixing.
  • Mix in the red food coloring to dye the frosting red. Remove bowl from mixer and beat mixture with wooden spoon to remove any air bubbles.
  • Frost the stacked bunt cakes with the homemade red frosting to look like an apple.
Keyword back to school, cakes

Back-to-school apple bundt cake recipe.

How to make a cake look like an apple

To top the apple cakes and bring home the apple look:

  1. I cut a pretzel rod in half and stuck it in the top for the “stem”.
  2. I then paired it with a basil leaf for its apple “leaf”.

And just like that, I had the cutest apple cakes to taste and share.

Amazing apple cakes instructions and how to make a cake look like an apple.

I firmly believe any bundt cake, but specifically these mini apple cakes, will brighten up the start of any school year.

Photography by Brie Zacher.