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Have you ever tried one of those green Appletini cocktails? I made a cake version several years ago and everyone thought it tasted like a Jolly Rancher. This cake is not that! I decided to go with a more classic flavor combination for this Appletini Cocktail Cake.

a close up view of a cake baked in a fall leaves bundt pan sitting on a wooden cake plate with two apple slices sitting on the side.

What you need for this recipe

appletini cocktail cake ingredients in white bowls. apple cider, vodka, powdered sugar, apple schnapps, instant pudding, cake mix, oil and four eggs.

Apple cider gives us that traditional apple flavor, which is enhanced by the apple schnapps. Vodka has no flavor, it is just there to give this cake a punch.

How to make Appletini Bundt Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray, set aside.

Pour the eggs, oil, apple schnapps, vodka, and apple cider into a large bowl. Beat to combine.

eggs, oil, vodka, apple schnapps and apple cider beaten in a large glass bowl.

Add the cake mix and instant pudding. Beat on low for 30 seconds.

cake mix and instant pudding added to the liquid ingredients in the glass bowl.

Beat for an additional two minutes on high speed until thoroughly combined.

cake batter beaten in a large glass bowl.

Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Tap on the counter (or floor) to release the air bubbles.

Bake for 43 to 47 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake.

Remove from oven and cool in the pan for 10 minutes.

Baked cake on a wire cooling rack with a bowl of powdered sugar in the lower left corner.

Whisk the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth. Set aside.

Invert the cake onto a cooling rack and place on top of a large dinner plate. Use a large spoon to drizzle glaze over the top of the cake as evenly as possible.

baked bundt cake with glaze poured over the top sitting on a wire rack that is sitting on a large white plate.

Move the rack and cake to a second, clean dinner plate. Drizzle the glaze from the original plate over the top of the cake. Repeat 2 to 3 times until there is no glaze left on either plate.

Allow cake to cool COMPLETELY before serving. In fact, it is best to allow the cake to rest overnight.

looking down on three slices of cake on three white plates with a bowl of apple slices in the lower left corner.

The apple smell floating through the kitchen is amazing!

Why is this cake made with a mix?

I did blind taste tests many, many years ago to find out which cake people liked better. One was from scratch, the other a mix. The cake made from the mix won every time! It has the texture that people associate with their childhood. They always preferred the taste and texture over the cake from scratch no matter which brand of cake mix that I used, which blew my mind but the customer is always right!

Can this cake be made from scratch?

Yes it can!! Substitute the ingredients below for the cake mix. Adjust your liquid ingredients if needed. Cake flour can be drier than normal depending on your climate and how long it has been hanging out in your pantry. Add one Tablespoon of water or vodka at a time until your reach your desired consistency…but only if needed.

1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 cup non-fat dry milk powder
2 and 3/4 cup cake flour
1 and a 1/4 cup super fine sugar

Can you get drunk eating a cocktail cake?

No you cannot. Most of the alcohol bakes out, and the sweetness would make you sick long before you could finish the entire cake! No, that is not a challenge, simply a statement of fact.

Can kids eat this cake?

That is a decision that only you can make. My kids grew up eating these cakes and didn’t really notice the difference between my cakes and a regular cake without alcohol.

Recipe Notes & Tips

This recipe will make; 1 full sized bundt cake OR 4 pans of mini/teacake bundts OR 24 cupcakes.
A bundt cake will serve 12 – 16 depending on the size of your slices.
Any 9 – 12 cup bundt pan will work. My pan is 9 cups and took 48 minutes to bake. A 12 cup pan is wider and not as deep so it may take less time, 33 to 40 minutes.
Baking times are estimates based on my oven and may differ from from oven to oven.

Tools used to make this recipe

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More Cocktail Cake Recipes

Watermelon Margarita Cocktail Cake – this recipe does not use a mix.
Margarita Bundt Cake
Bacardi Pina Colada Rum Cake
Chocolate Huckleberry Rum Cocktail Cake – you can substitute raspberry or blueberry.
Blue Kamikaze Cocktail Cake
Cherry Chip Cocktail Cake
BAILEYS Kiss Cocktail Cake
Tortuga Rum Cake
Boozy Shamrock Shake Cupcakes with Godiva White Chocolate Buttercream

Special Note: My original recipe was written back when cake mixes were 18.25 ounces. They are now 15.25 ounces, so you will need to purchase 2 boxes of cake mix to make up for the missing 3 ounces.

Enjoy!!