This apple cider donut cake brings the classic flavors of fall into a tender, buttery Bundt cake. Coated in cinnamon-sugar, each bite is filled with warm spices and rich apple flavor—just like your favorite cider donuts!
Nothing says cozy fall vibes like the comforting flavors of apple cider donuts. This apple cider donut cake captures that beloved taste in cake form. With reduced apple cider, a mix of warm spices, and a generous cinnamon-sugar coating, it’s perfect for gatherings or just a comforting treat at home. It’s simple enough for everyday baking but special enough for an occasion.
Why You’ll Love This Apple Cider Donut Cake Recipe
- Full of apple flavor: Reduced apple cider gives this cake a concentrated apple essence that really shines.
- Perfect texture: Sour cream and butter combine to create a rich, tender crumb that’s reminiscent of classic apple cider donuts.
- Cinnamon-sugar finish: Brushing the warm cake with melted butter and coating it in cinnamon-sugar adds that signature texture and flavor everyone loves in cider donuts.
- Easy but impressive: While it looks and tastes like a bakery treat, this cake is quite simple to make, thanks to pantry staples and straightforward steps.
What You’ll Need
- Apple cider – Reduced to intensify the flavor.
- All-purpose flour – Measure by weight or use the spoon and sweep method to prevent over-measuring, which can make your cake dense and tough. Learn more: How to Measure Flour
- Leavening agents – You’ll need both baking powder and baking soda.
- Unsalted butter – Let the butter for the cake soften at room temperature before mixing. It should still feel cool and hold a thumbprint when pressed. Learn more: How to Soften Butter
- Sour cream – Use full-fat sour cream for the best results.
- Spices – Cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cloves for that apple pie spice profile.
- Sugars – A mix of granulated sugar and brown sugar adds sweetness and depth.
- Eggs – Let these come to room temperature for easier mixing and a softer cake texture. I recommend baking with large eggs.
- Vanilla extract – I like to use my homemade vanilla extract.
How to Make Apple Cider Donut Cake
- Reduce the apple cider. Start by simmering your apple cider until it’s reduced to concentrate its flavor. Let it cool before using it in the batter.
- Mix the dry ingredients. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
- Prepare the batter. Cream together the softened butter with both sugars until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, followed by the sour cream and cooled apple cider reduction.
- Combine wet and dry ingredients. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
- Bake. Pour the batter into a greased and floured 12-cup Bundt pan. Bake at 350°F for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Coat the cake. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Remove it from the pan, brush with melted butter, and coat generously with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Tips for Success
- Reduce the cider fully. Don’t rush reducing the cider. It’s key to intensifying the apple flavor. This reduction process typically takes 10-15 minutes over medium heat. Keep an eye on it, and stir occasionally to prevent scorching, especially towards the end. The cider should be visibly thicker and syrupy once reduced. You can pour it into a measuring cup to make sure you’ve got about 1 cup. Let it cool before adding it to your cake batter.
- Temperature matters. Be sure to soften the butter and let your eggs and sour cream come to room temperature before mixing. This helps the ingredients blend smoothly, resulting in a more tender cake.
- Coat while warm. Make sure to coat the cake with butter and cinnamon-sugar while it’s still warm to help the coating adhere better. There are a few good options for getting a good coating. Try using a spoon, your hands, or a small sifter. You can also tilt and rotate the cake gently while sprinkling to help the cinnamon-sugar reach all those nooks and crannies. This can make a bit of a mess, so working with the cake on a cooling rack over a sheet of parchment paper is a good idea.
- Work in sections. If the butter starts to absorb quickly, brush the melted butter onto small sections at a time and immediately sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar over those areas. This helps prevent the butter from drying before all of the coating is applied.
Variations and Serving Suggestions
- Add a glaze. Instead of the classic cinnamon-sugar coating, try drizzling an apple spice glaze made with confectioners’ (powdered) sugar, a splash of apple cider, and a touch of cinnamon.
- Serve with whipped cream. A dollop of freshly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream pairs wonderfully with the warm spices in this cake.
- Add some crunch. If you like a bit of texture, fold 1/2 to 3/4 cup of finely chopped nuts, such as walnuts or pecans, into the batter.
How to Store
- Room temperature: Store your apple cider cake tightly covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerator: You can also refrigerate the cake for up to a week, but be sure to bring it back to room temperature before serving for the best texture.
- Freezer: For longer storage, wrap slices individually and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or for an hour or two at room temperature.
More Fall Bundt Cakes
Get the Recipe:
Apple Cider Donut Cake
Yield
12 to 16 servings
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time
1 hour 25 minutes
This apple cider donut cake is filled with the classic fall flavors of apple cider and warm spices, finished with a buttery cinnamon-sugar coating. It’s easy to make and perfect for any fall gathering!
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 & 1/2 to 2 cups apple cider (reduced to 1 cup)
- 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 & 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (100g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (113g) sour cream
For the coating:
- 1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
To make the cake:
- Place the apple cider in a saucepan, and let it simmer until reduced to about 1 cup. Let it cool slightly.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, and cloves. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract.
- Stir in the sour cream, then 1 cup of the cooled reduced cider.
- With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in batches, mixing just until combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
To make the coating:
- After the cake has cooled for about 10 minutes, invert it onto a wire rack. Brush with melted butter and coat thoroughly with cinnamon-sugar. (For an extra thick coating, repeat the butter brushing and cinnamon-sugar sprinkling process a second time once the first layer is set.)
- Serve immediately or, for less mess, let the coating set for at least 10-15 minutes before serving.
Notes
Store tightly covered at room temperature up to 3 days.
For tips, step-by-step photos, and extra details, be sure to read the full post above before starting. It’s packed with helpful info to answer common questions!
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4 Comments on “Apple Cider Donut Cake”
Is there a difference between apple cider and apple juice?
Apple cider is typically unfiltered, which means it retains more pulp and has a more robust, fresh apple flavor. It’s often less processed and can be cloudy. Apple juice, on the other hand, is filtered to remove pulp, making it clearer and usually sweeter, as it’s often pasteurized and may have added sugars.
Hi, Jennifer! This looks absolutely delicious, and I’d love to make it, but I don’t have access to apple cider. There’s only regular apple juice where I live. Should I simply use that, or would an unfiltered, hard cider work? It’s from the northwest region of Spain called Asturias, and it’s cloudy and very apple-y, with 6% alcohol. What do you think?
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you’re excited to try this recipe. If you don’t have access to apple cider, you could definitely use that unfiltered hard cider. It sounds like it has a similar cloudy and concentrated apple flavor that would work well here. Since it has alcohol, I’d recommend reducing it on the stove just as you would with apple cider. The alcohol content will cook off, leaving behind a nice, rich apple flavor that should be perfect for this cake. Using regular apple juice is also an option, though the flavor will be milder. If you go that route, try reducing it a little longer to concentrate the flavor. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you give it a try!