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Apple Surprise Cake (+Video)

This Apple Surprise Cake recipe is made with an apple muffin mix with a surprise apple pie filling that is seen only when the cake is cut!

A DELICIOUS (AND SURPRISING!) APPLE CAKE

This easy Apple Surprise Cake will makes your house smell so amazing and inviting as it bake sin the oven. Oh my gracious, just wait till you start whipping up the batter, it smells SO good! If you’re digging through your pantry and trying to figure out an easy dessert to make, you probably have all these items sitting around and ready to use!

Apple Cinnamon Bundt Cake with Apple Pie Filling

WAYS TO USE PANTRY ITEMS

I’m actually getting a little better at this and figuring out what are good items to always have on hand. With pantry items, you don’t have to worry about refrigeration or panicking over too-soon expiration dates. I keep a number of canned goods on hand like soups, pickles, spaghetti sauce and canned vegetables. And there are other staples like rice, pasta and dried beans. Of course, I gotta have my sweet stuff like jams, jellies, canned pie fillings, cake and muffin mixes. Now, let’s make this delicious cake!

Easy Apple Surprise Cake recipe with a slice shown close up to show the inside.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (FULL RECIPE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST)

  • Martha White Apple Cider or Apple Cinnamon Muffin Mix
  • milk
  • apple pie filling
  • ground cinnamon
  • powdered sugar
Apple Cinnamon or Apple Cider Muffin Mix, apple pie filling, cinnamon, milk, powdered sugar.

HOW TO MAKE APPLE SURPRISE CAKE:

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray bundt pan (really well) with nonstick cooking spray. I like the kind that has flour in it. It’s the best for bundt pans.Mix up one packet of muffin mix according to packet directions (adding 1/2 cup milk) and stir until combined well. Batter will be lumpy.

prepared apple cinnamon muffin mix in a clear bowl

Pour batter into the bottom of the bundt pan. Keep out that mixing bowl, you’ll use it again in a minute.

bundt pan filled with apple cinnamon cake batter muffin mix.

Open can of apple pie filling. Take a sharp knife and make slicing motions to cut apples while still inside the can. You want them in about 1/2-inch size pieces. This helps the filling spread easier and also gives you more little bites of apple in the cake.

canned apple pie filling with a knife shown inside.

Spread the pie filling evenly on top of the first layer of batter. 

apple pie filling spread onto apple cinnamon muffin mix in a bundt pan.

Sprinkle with cinnamon.

cinnamon sprinkled on apple pie filling on top of apple cinnamon muffin mix batter.

Now, make the next packet of muffin mix according to package directions. Again, adding 1/2 cup milk and stirring until combine. Add this final layer of batter on top of the apple pie filling layer. Spread evenly.

apple cider muffin mix poured over canned apple pie filling and cinnamon.

Place baking pan in the center rack and bake for about 50-60 minutes. Check it at around the 35-40 minute mark. Cake should be firm to the touch and golden brown in color. Insert a toothpick and it should come out clean. Allow cake to cool completely. Then carefully invert it on a plate. If you like, you can make a glaze to drizzle on top or just dust it with a little powdered sugar or serve it as is. To make the glaze, just combine powdered sugar with a tablespoon or two of milk.

powdered sugar and milk whisked together in a glass bowl.

Whisk it together until smooth, then drizzle it over the top of the cake.

Apple Cider Cake with icing on a wooden board.

Cook’s Notes: This can be made in a 9×9 square baking dish if you don’t have or don’t want to use a bundt pan.

apple cider bundt cake with apple pie filling inside on a small white plate.

CRAVING MORE RECIPES?

Apple Surprise Cake recipe from The Country Cook

Apple Surprise Cake (+Video)

This Apple Surprise Cake recipe is made with an apple muffin mix with a surprise apple pie filling that is seen only when the cake is cut!
5 from 9 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 2 packets Martha White Apple Cider Muffin Mix
  • 1 cup milk
  • 21 ounce can apple pie filling
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional

For the icing:

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Spray bundt pan (really well) with nonstick cooking spray (the kind that has the flour in it).
  • Mix up one packet of muffin mix according to packet directions (adding 1/2 cup milk) and stir until combined well. Batter may be lumpy.
  • Pour batter into the bottom of the bundt pan. Keep out that mixing bowl, you'll use it again in a minute.
  • Open can of apple pie filling. Take a sharp knife and make slicing motions to cut apples while still inside the can. You want them in about 1/2-inch size pieces.
  • Spread the pie filling evenly on top of the first layer of batter. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
  • Now, make the second packet of muffin mix according to package directions. Again, adding 1/2 cup milk and stirring until combine.
  • Pour this final layer of batter evenly on top of the apple pie filling layer.
  • Place baking pan in the center rack and bake for about 50-60 minutes. Allow cake to cool completely.
  • Once cake has cooled completely, whisk together powdered sugar with milk until smooth. Drizzle icing over cooled cake. Slice and serve.

Video

YouTube video

Notes

  • This can also be made in a 9 x 9 square baking dish if you don’t have or don’t want to use a bundt pan.
  • Can’t find the Apple Cider muffin mix? Just use the Apple Cinnamon instead.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Calories: 154kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 51mg | Sugar: 26g

Nutritional Disclaimer

“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.

Did you make this recipe?Share it on Instagram @thecountrycook and mention us #thecountrycook!

Originally published: November 2014
Updated & republished: April 2020

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22 Comments

  1. II am confused, Do you add an additional 1/2 cup per pack in addition to the 1/2 cup to make the muffin mix making it at total of 2 cups? Thanks.. Can’t wait to try this.

    1. You could double it. Just keep an eye on the time. It will obviously take longer. Make sure you spray your bundt pan really well with a flour non-stick spray like Baker’s Joy. It really makes a difference with bundt pan cakes. Also, make sure to let the cake cool completely before trying to remove it or it will fall apart on you. Hope that helps! 🙂

  2. 5 stars
    I’m a little confused by the video at the top. It wasn’t for this recipe, but also how do I find the recipe for that video? it looked good too, but there’s no link to that recipe

  3. 5 stars
    I just made this and it's so
    easy but so great!
    Thank you so much..
    I will make this many times I'm sure! My family will think I'm a chef!

    ((hugs))

  4. Thank you so much everyone! Y'all are so sweet!! Two notes about the mix: you can order it online for relatively inexpensively and you can also request your local store carry it. I asked my local Kroger store manager if they could carry more flavors and within a month, they started carrying more! 🙂

    1. Hi, I live in a small town and I can’t get these mixes, can I use cake mix?? I really hope so I want to make it.
      Thank you.
      Dee

  5. 5 stars
    Thanks for this easy and yummy sounding recipe. Most of all tho: Thank you and your family for your service to our country.