As many times as I have tried, making donuts at home just isn't as good as getting one from your favorite shop. But this Apple Cider Donut Cake has all the flavor and nostalgia of the donut, in a far more enjoyable home bake! From simmering the cider on the stove to it baking in a warm oven, your home will be filled with all the aromas of fall.
Ingredients
I like to take a few extra steps to ensure that this cake is full of flavor and as decadent as possible. From browning the butter to adding a little nutmeg and salt to the cinnamon sugar. It's these little things that make just make the cake GREAT!
Another note I like to make on this cake is that you want to ensure everything is at room temperature. Especially the eggs and the greek yogurt. Just take a minute to take them out a little before you start making your cake, 30 minutes to an hour, just to take the chill off them.
One thing you can make ahead and store for later use is the apple cider reduction. It takes a little time to reduce, so I usually do a big batch, because I make this cake a few times in the season. I will reduce a whole carton of cider once and store it in the fridge for use all fall.
Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of the post, or scroll to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe card with ingredient measurements and instructions.
Method
The first thing you will do is to make an apple cider syrup or reduction. Place some apple cider and a few cinnamon sticks in a saucepan, and bring it to a boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer the cider until it is reduced by half. This creates a strong, extra flavorful cider, that gives the cake tons of flavor!
To make the cake, first, you want to whip the eggs and sugar together in a large bowl until they become super light and fluffy. The eggs will get pale and have lots of bubbles in them. When you feel the mixture get thick you have whipped them enough.
Next, drizzle in the brown butter and mix until it is fully incorporated. Then add the dry ingredients and combine them until no lumps remain.
Pour the mixture into a buttered 6-cup bundt pan, that you have also dusted with some of the spiced sugar. Bake until set, 40-45 minutes. When the cake is done baking, let it rest in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a cooling rack.
While the cake is still warm, brush it with some of the cider reduction and dust it with the spiced sugar. This gives the cake the feel of an apple cider donut that has been dusted in cinnamon sugar. It also makes it look really pretty. I toss the sugar at the cake from a measuring cup, to get some to stick to the sides as well as the top.
Notes & Tips
I promise you will want to make this cake a few times during the fall. Take the time when reducing the apple cider and do a whole just of it once. This will save you time later and you can store the reduction in the fridge for up to a month.
If using a bundt pan, be sure to brush it with butter, and then dust the butter with some of the spiced cinnamon sugar. This adds a crisp outer layer to the cake and will ensure it falls right out of the pan with no sticking.
Store any extra spiced cinnamon sugar in an airtight container in your spice cabinet for future use. It is great used for French Toast or rimming the glass of your Sparkling Pumpkin Juice.
Substitutions
I come across Honeycrisp apple cider at many grocery stores, and it is my favorite apple. But you can use any cider you desire. I would love to make this with the Pumpkin Spice Apple Cider I found recently.
I enjoy cooking with greek yogurt because I usually have it on hand in my kitchen, you could swap it for sour cream if you'd like.
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📖 Recipe
Apple Cider Donut Cake
This Apple Cider Donut Cake has all the flavor and nostalgia of the donut, in a far more enjoyable home bake!
Ingredients
- 2 C Honeycrisp Apple Cider
- 1-2 Cinnamon Sticks
- ⅓ C Granulated Sugar
- ½ t Cinnamon, ground
- ¼ t Nutmeg, fresh grated
- 10 T Unsalted Butter
- 2 lg Eggs
- ½ C Greek Yogurt
- 1 t Vanilla Extract
- ¾ C Granulated Sugar
- 1 ½ C All-Purpose Flour
- 1 t Baking Powder, heaping
- ½ t Baking Soda
- ½ t Kosher Salt
- 1 t Cinnamon Ground
- ½ t Nutmeg, fresh ground
Instructions
- First, set the cider on the stove in a small saucepan with the cinnamon sticks and reduce it by half to 1 cup.
- Mix the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl. Grease your cake pan with pan spray and coat with a small dusting of the spiced sugar. Set aside until ready to bake.
- Preheat the oven to 325˚F.
- When the cider is reduced, pour ⅔ cup of the reduced cider back into your measuring cup and let cool for 5 minutes. Reserve the remaining cider in a small bowl, this will be used later for brushing on the cakes after they come out of the oven.
- In the same pan, you reduced the cider in, melt the stick of butter over low heat until lightly browned and a nutty aroma is coming from the pan. Add a tablespoon of the brown butter to the reserved reduced cider.
- In a large bowl whisk the eggs and sugar together until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the melted brown butter. Whisk until fully incorporated. Using the same whisk, whisk the Greek yogurt and vanilla into the reduced cider, stir to combine. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the bowl on top of the egg and butter mixture. Begin whisking the dry ingredients into the butter mixture while drizzling in the cider/yogurt mixture. Whisk everything together until fully incorporated and no lumps remain. The batter should be fairly thin but will thicken quickly as it cools and the butter solidifies.
- Scoop the mixture into a 6 cup bundt pan, that has been brushed in every nook and cranny with butter, and dusted with some of the cinnamon sugar you made in step one. Turn the pan around until it is coated in cinnamon sugar, tamp out the excess.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 45-50 minutes, about 30-35 minutes for standard muffins, and about 1 hour for a loaf. This mixture will also make 12 muffins or 1 9x5 loaf.
- When the cake comes out of the oven, let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes then gently tip it out of the pan onto a wire rack.
- Warm the reserved cider/butter gently, just to be sure the butter is melted if needed. Then brush the top of the cake with the mixture until you have used it all. Dust the cake with the spiced sugar and let cool completely.
Notes
Notes & Tips
I promise you will want to make this cake a few times during the fall. Take the time when reducing the apple cider and do a whole just of it once. This will save you time later and you can store the reduction in the fridge for up to a month.
If using a bundt pan, be sure to brush it with butter, and then dust the butter with some of the spiced cinnamon sugar. This adds a crisp outer layer to the cake and will ensure it falls right out of the pan with no sticking.
Store any extra spiced cinnamon sugar in an airtight container in your spice cabinet for future use. It is great used for French Toast or rimming the glass of your Sparkling Pumpkin Juice.
Substitutions
I come across Honeycrisp apple cider at many grocery stores, and it is my favorite apple. But you can use any cider you desire. I would love to make this with the Pumpkin Spice Apple Cider I found recently.
I enjoy cooking with greek yogurt because I usually have it on hand in my kitchen, you could swap it for sour cream if you'd like.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 504Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 114mgSodium: 327mgCarbohydrates: 72gFiber: 3gSugar: 45gProtein: 8g
This is an estimated caloric value, actual numbers may differ based on the ingredients used.
Irene
Kendell thank you once again for a great fall cake recipe! I made this the other night and it came out perfect - looked exactly like your photo and my guests were so impressed. Definitely a keeper and will be making again, especially since I bought the pan 😊
Kendell
LOVE to hear that Irene! I really do love this cake, and so glad to hear you and everyone enjoyed it. Since you have the pan, my Brown Butter Cake with Irish Whiskey Cream Sauce, and my Yogurt Cake with Blood Orange Glaze also bake up great in that pan!