Apple Cider Donut Cake

This soul warming Apple Cider Donut Cake is the perfect treat to enjoy with a cup of warm cider on a chilly autumn day. The combination of warm baking spices and sweet tart apple cider bake beautifully into a mouthwatering moist bundt cake. It’s everything you love about apple cider donuts without the deep fryer!

If you’re a fan of fall, I have all the apple content you are looking for! Choose from mouthwatering recipes like this old fashioned Apple Dapple Cake or keep it simple with Baked Cinnamon Apples.

Apple Cider Donut Cake

Sweater weather is fast approaching and with it, apple season. There’s nothing like biting into a new season apple unless it’s drinking a glass of fresh apple cider. It’s no secret that some of my favourite baking recipes feature fruit and, in the fall, I’m adding apples!

The first thing I’m baking (again) is this Apple Cider Donut Cake. If you love all things apple and cake style donuts covered in cinnamon sugar, this is the cake for you. It has a gorgeous buttery texture and moist crumb with warming baking spices and a little sour kick from the cider. It’s fall in cake form.

Ingredients for Apple Cider Donut Cake

Forget the cake mix. For this spectacular fall cake all you’ll need is the usual baking ingredients, warm baking spices, vanilla extract, and apple cider. Not just any apple juice will do. Fresh apple cider is best but failing that, feel free to substitute unfiltered apple juice flavoured with a touch of cinnamon and cloves.

• Flour
• Baking Powder
• Baking Soda
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Salt
• Apple Cider
• Butter
• Sugar
• Vanilla Extract

Feel free to play around with the spices. In addition to ground cinnamon and nutmeg, you can also add ground ginger, allspice, and cloves to the cake batter.

Use unsalted butter in this cake recipe, and add salt as needed. Or use salted butter and omit the added salt. Do not use vegetable oil or the texture of the cake will be different.

All my baking recipes require large eggs for maximum lift. Feel free to replace granulated sugar with brown sugar.

How to Make Apple Cider Donut Cake

There are no surprises with this easy apple doughnut cake recipe. From the aromatic cake batter to the cinnamon sugar topping this is one of the easiest fall cake recipes you can bake.

To begin, preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease and flour (1 Tablespoon) a 9-inch bundt pan. Set aside.

To brown the butter, place unsalted butter in a cold saucepan and melt over medium heat for about 5 minutes or so, swirling the pan periodically. Once the butter turns a caramel color and smells nutty remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Make the Cake Batter

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.

In stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or large mixing bowl), mix the browned butter and sugar. It will be clumpy. Add the vanilla and eggs, whisking after adding each addition. Continue mixing for about 2 minutes, until the batter becomes lighter in color and fluffy in texture.

Add half the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Beat together until just combined. With the mixer on low, pour in 1 cup apple cider then add in the remaining half of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure all the dry ingredients are incorporated.

Next, pour cake batter into the prepared bundt pan. Level out the top. Bake 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool in the pan, cake face up, on a wire rack, for 10-15 minutes. After it has cooled, carefully invert the pan back onto the wire rack.

To remove cake from pan, you may need to loosen the sides of the cake with a rubber spatula or tap the pan until it releases. If it doesn’t come right out allow it to cool longer.

Finish the Cake

Place the cake and cooling rack over a baking sheet or sheet of parchment paper or something to catch the cinnamon sugar you’re about to sprinkle over the top of the cake.

Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in the microwave. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.

Brush the entire apple cider donut bundt cake with the melted butter using a basting brush.  Immediately sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the butter to coat the cake completely.

Serve with extra melted butter and cinnamon sugar. Enjoy!

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Sifting: Feel free to whisk the dry ingredients together if you don’t have a strainer or flour sifter. Whisking may not break up the larger bits of baking soda, but it’s better than nothing.
• Apple Cider alternative: Use unfiltered apple juice in place of apple cider, if it is unavailable.
• The style of basting brush matters: Do not use a silicon basting brush to brush liquid onto this cake. The liquid can’t soak into silicon bristles like it does with a natural bristle brush. You will get much more even coverage, and the cinnamon sugar will stick better.
• Use a powdered sugar duster to apply the cinnamon sugar.
• Can I bake in a regular cake pan? Yes, this recipe was also tested using a glass 9 x 13 baking dish. Reduce the bake time by 5 minutes. The cinnamon sugar topping will still work, but I think a brown butter cinnamon frosting would also be delicious.

Make Ahead and Storage

This Apple Cider Doughnut Cake tastes even better the day after it is baked. Simply wrap it up really well with plastic wrap (or place under a cake dome or bowl) and leave it on the counter overnight. The cake retains its moisture and the flavours deepen.

This cake will last about 3 days at room temperature if well covered. To freeze, individually wrap each slice with plastic wrap, place in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Hi! I’m Bernice Hill, the heart and soul here at Dish ‘n’ the Kitchen. It is my pleasure to share easy to follow recipes that are delicious, nutritious, and approachable for the whole family.

If you make this Apple Cider Donut Cake recipe, I’d love to hear about it in the comments section or in a recipe rating. Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Pinterest for my latest recipes. Also, if you do make this recipe, please share your photos and tag me on Instagram. I hope you like this recipe!