If apple cider donuts are one of the best parts of fall, this cake is basically an excuse to turn one into dessert.
This Apple Cider Donut Cake starts with apple cider that gets simmered down to concentrate all that apple flavor. The cake itself is soft and tender with cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar and a little applesauce. But my favorite part comes after it leaves the oven: the whole Bundt cake gets brushed with melted butter and covered in cinnamon sugar.
No glaze needed. I want that slightly buttery, cinnamon-sugar coating that makes an apple cider donut so good.
And your kitchen is going to feel very ready for fall while this one is baking.
Junie Bird Tip: Don’t skip reducing the apple cider. Two cups gets simmered down to just ¾ cup, concentrating the flavor without adding too much liquid to the cake.
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What You’ll Need
You don’t need anything unusual to make this cake, but here are a few kitchen tools that make it easier.
Pastry brush — perfect for brushing melted butter over all those Bundt cake ridges. Click Here
Small saucepan — for reducing the apple cider. Click Here
Apple Cider Donut Cake
This Bundt-style cake has concentrated apple cider, warm fall spices and a tender crumb, finished with a buttery cinnamon-sugar coating inspired by an apple cider donut.
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2 cups apple cider
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
For the cinnamon-sugar coating
- 4 tablespoons butter, melted
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
1. Reduce the apple cider
Pour 2 cups of apple cider into a saucepan. Bring it to a simmer and continue cooking until the cider has reduced to approximately ¾ cup.
Remove it from the heat and allow it to cool before adding it to your cake batter.
Junie Bird Tip: Pour the reduced cider into a measuring cup to check your progress. If you still have more than ¾ cup, just pour it back into the saucepan and simmer a little longer.
2. Prepare the Bundt pan
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Thoroughly grease and flour a 10–12 cup Bundt pan, making sure you get into all the little ridges and crevices.
Junie Bird Tip: Take your time with the pan. There’s nothing more disappointing than making a beautiful Bundt cake and leaving half of it behind when you flip the pan over.
3. Mix the dry ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside.
4. Cream the butter and sugars
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the softened butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar for about 2–3 minutes, until lighter and fluffy.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each addition. Add the vanilla.
Mix in the sour cream and applesauce until combined.
5. Finish the batter
With your mixer on low speed, alternate adding the dry ingredients and ¾ cup of your cooled reduced apple cider, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.
Mix only until everything is combined.
Junie Bird Tip: Once the flour goes in, don’t keep beating the batter. Stop when everything has just come together. That’s one of the little things that helps keep the finished cake tender.
6. Bake
Spread the batter evenly into your prepared Bundt pan.
Bake for approximately 40–50 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before carefully turning it out onto a cooling rack.
The Best Part: Cinnamon Sugar
While the cake is still slightly warm, brush the entire outside with the melted butter.
Mix the granulated sugar and cinnamon together, then generously sprinkle and press the cinnamon sugar over the cake.
And yes, it’s going to make a mess.
It’s worth it.
Junie Bird Tip: Put a sheet of parchment paper underneath your cooling rack before adding the cinnamon sugar. It’ll catch everything that falls off—and you can scoop up the extra cinnamon sugar and use it to cover any spots you missed.
Don’t Glaze This One
I know a glaze is tempting on a Bundt cake, but I leave it off this one on purpose.
The melted butter and cinnamon-sugar crust are what take this from an apple Bundt cake to an Apple Cider Donut Cake.
You get that soft, apple-spiced cake underneath and a buttery, slightly textured cinnamon-sugar coating on the outside.
Cut yourself a nice thick slice while there’s still a little warmth left in it.
Storing Your Apple Cider Donut Cake
Once completely cooled, keep the cake well covered at room temperature for about 2 days. For longer storage, refrigerate it in an airtight container and let individual slices come closer to room temperature before serving.
The cinnamon-sugar coating is at its prettiest and has the best texture the day the cake is made, so if you’re making it for company, that’s when I’d serve it.
A Little Junie Bird Note
I love a recipe that takes something familiar and turns it into something a little more fun. That’s really what this cake is.
It’s apple cider donut season without having to fry a single donut.
And around here, that’s reason enough to make cake.
A life full of sweet things!
— Amy
Junie Bird
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