Apple Cider Cake is a moist, spiced Bundt cake finished with buttery cinnamon-sugar coating. It has all the flavor of a baked apple cider donut in an easy, shareable cake.
This apple cider cake takes everything I love about apple cider donuts and turns it into an easy apple cider doughnut cake. The moist apple cider cake is flavored with warm spices and finished with melted butter and a generous coating of cinnamon sugar.
The buttery cinnamon sugar coating is what really makes this cake. It gives every slice that classic apple orchard apple cider donut flavor without having to make individual donuts. It’s a great fall cake for everything from an afternoon treat to a simple dessert for sharing.
Ingredient notes and substitutions
- Spices: Apple pie spice makes a good substitute for the individual spices.
- Butter: If using unsalted butter, increase the salt to 1 teaspoon.
- Applesauce: I recommend using unsweetened applesauce so that you can better control the amount of sugar in the cake.
- Apple cider: Fresh apple cider or shelf-stable apple cider will work. Also, be sure to use apple cider, not apple cider vinegar.
- Flour: To properly measure the flour weigh (click “metric” above the ingredients for the weights) or sift or stir it to break up the flour, lightly spoon into a measuring cup, and level without packing.
How to make apple cider cake
Here you’ll find instructions and step-by-step photos showing how to make this recipe. The full recipe, including ingredients, is given below.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg). Set aside.
Step 3: In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a large bowl, add butter and brown sugar. Beat until light and fluffy.
Step 4: Add applesauce, eggs, and vanilla. Beat again until well combined.
Step 5: Add ½ the flour mixture, followed by ½ the apple cider to the wet ingredients. Mix until combined.
Step 6: Add remaining flour and remaining apple cider. Mix again until just combined.
Step 7: Pour batter into prepared bundt pan.
Step 8: Bake for 40-55 minutes, or until lightly golden brown and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Bake time will vary.
Step 9: Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack.
Step 10: While the cake bakes, you can prepare the topping. To make the topping, combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
Step 11: Brush melted butter over the warm cake with a pastry brush and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
Step 12: Let cake cool completely before slicing and serving.
Recipe Tips!
- Use apple cider, not apple juice: Apple cider has a deeper apple flavor that works especially well in fall baking.
- Don’t overmix the batter: Once the dry ingredients are added, mix just until everything is combined.
- Prepare the Bundt pan thoroughly: Be sure to grease all of the grooves in the pan so the cake releases cleanly. You can either generously grease it with nonstick spray or use something like pan release to grease the pan.
- Give the cake time to cool before turning it out: Follow the recipe’s cooling time so the cake is less likely to stick or break.
- Don’t skimp on the cinnamon sugar: That buttery cinnamon-sugar coating is what gives the cake its apple-cider-donut finish.
- Finish: For even more flavor, drizzle the cake with caramel or apple cider caramel.
Storage
Store any leftover apple cider cake in an airtight container at room temperature. It will keep for up to 4 days when properly stored.
More apple cake recipes!
If you’ve tried this apple cider cake recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!
You can subscribe to receive my latest recipe newsletters or follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or TikTok for even more delicious food.
Apple Cider Cake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ cup salted butter at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup apple cider
Topping
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and nutmeg. Set aside.2 ½ cups all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon allspice, ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add butter and brown sugar. Beat until light and fluffy.½ cup salted butter, 1 ½ cups light brown sugar
- Add applesauce, eggs, and vanilla. Beat again until well combined.½ cup unsweetened applesauce, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add ½ the flour mixture, followed by ½ the apple cider. Mix until combined.1 cup apple cider
- Add remaining flour and remaining apple cider. Mix again until just combined.
- Pour batter into prepared bundt pan.
- Bake for 40-55 minutes, or until lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack.
- For the topping, combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Brush melted butter over the warm cake and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.2 tablespoons melted butter
- Let cake cool completely before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Spices: Apple pie spice makes a good substitute for the individual spices.
- Butter: If using unsalted butter, increase the salt to 1 teaspoon.
- Applesauce: I recommend using unsweetened applesauce so that you can better control the amount of sugar in the cake.
- Apple cider: Fresh apple cider or shelf-stable apple cider will work.
- Flour: To properly measure the flour weigh (click “metric” above the ingredients for the weights) or sift or stir it to break up the flour, lightly spoon into a measuring cup, and level without packing.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
Share it with me on Instagram @i_heart_eating and follow on Youtube @katedean and Pinterest @katedean for more!
Reader Interactions
Leave A Reply!
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Love this recipe?
Share your thoughts below and let’s chat! Make sure to connect with me on your favorite social platform below and show me what you made!