Apple cider donut cake is a moist, tender spiced cake flavored with apple cider and applesauce, and finished with a delicious cinnamon and sugar coating. The cozy flavors in this cake make it a perfect fall dessert or accompaniment to your morning coffee!
If you have been searching for the perfect fall cake, look no further than this apple cider donut cake! This cake is so moist and filled with the warm, cozy flavors of fall.
Apple cider and applesauce not only add delicious apple flavor but also incredible moisture to this tender cake. Have a slice after dinner or with your morning cup of coffee.
For more tasty desserts, check out our Southern Buttermilk Pie and Best Ever Bread Pudding Recipes next!
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love This Cake
- The epitome of fall dessert. With flavors like apple cider, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cardamom, this cake SCREAMS fall!
- Easy to make. There is no layering or fancy frosting involved with this cake. Just bake it and top it with a simple cinnamon and sugar coating - that's it!
- Super moist and tender. The perfect combination of butter, brown sugar, applesauce, and apple cider makes this cake incredibly moist and tender.
Ingredients You Need To Make This Recipe
For The Cake
- Butter. For flavor and moisture. Make sure your butter is softened to room temperature.
- Granulated sugar. For sweetness.
- Dark brown sugar. For caramel-like sweetness. Light brown sugar can also be used.
- Eggs. To bind the ingredients and give the cake structure.
- Vanilla extract. For flavor and depth. Use good quality vanilla - not vanilla flavoring!
- All-purpose flour. For a tender cake with the perfect texture. Use good quality flour such as Bob's Red Mill.
- Baking powder and baking soda. To help the cake rise. Make sure they are no more than six months old! Old leavening agents will result in a dense cake.
- Salt. To highlight the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cardamom. Warm spices add delicious flavor and depth to the cake.
- Apple cider. For apple flavor. This is an apple cider donut cake! Make sure it's room temperature.
- Applesauce. For more apple flavor and moisture. Make sure it's room temperature.
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- Melted unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
- Cinnamon
How To Make This Recipe
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray a 10-cup bundt pan with baking spray and set it aside.
- Place the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 7-10 minutes. Start on low speed (3-4) and gradually increase the speed to high (7-9). Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything gets combined.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cardamom until combined. In a separate small mixing bowl, whisk together the apple cider and applesauce.
- Once the butter and sugars are creamed, add the eggs, one at a time, and beat on low (3-4) after each addition until mixed in. Scrape down the bowl and beat in the vanilla on medium (5-6) until mixed in.
- Add â…“ of the flour mixture to the bowl with the butter and beat until no more dry flour is visible. Start at a low speed and gradually increase the speed. Add half the apple cider mixture and beat on medium until combined. Scrape down the bowl and beat in another â…“ of the flour, followed by the other half of the apple cider, and finish with the last of the flour.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and spread it out into an even layer. Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool for an hour in the bundt pan then carefully flip it out onto a cooling rack or cake plate to cool completely.
- Once the cake has completely cooled, melt the butter in the microwave and whisk together the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Coat the entire outside and center of the cake with melted butter using a pastry brush. Sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture over the cake and in the center.
- Coat the sides by pouring cinnamon sugar in your hand and pressing it into the sides of the cake with your palms. Cinnamon and sugar will get everywhere - there isn't really a way to avoid it! Slice and enjoy room temperature or warm!
What Is Apple Cider Donut Cake?
Apple cider donut cake is a moist and flavorful cake made to taste very similar to an apple cider donut.
Apple cider and applesauce are mixed into the batter and the cake is coated in a cinnamon-sugar mixture to really create the apple cider donut effect. This cake is flavored with warm spices to create the perfect fall dessert!
Variations and Substitutions
- This cake can be made with oil instead of butter. Just cream 1 cup of neutral flavored oil, such as vegetable or canola, with the sugars in the first step.
- Feel free to adjust the amount and types of spices used in the cake. I love the cinnamon flavor so I went a bit heavy on that ingredient, but feel free to use less if you like.
- You can also omit the cardamon or nutmeg if you like or you can replace them with cloves or allspice.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend using good-quality unfiltered apple cider for the best flavor. This type of apple cider has a cloudy appearance and most retailers do not carry it until it gets closer to fall.
Clear apple cider that resembles apple juice can be found on the juice aisle year-round but contains more water and does not give you the best flavor in this cake.
As long as it is not chunky applesauce, any applesauce should work fine. I used organic unsweetened applesauce and I loved the result! Keep in mind that if you use applesauce with cinnamon or other spices added, it may change the final flavor of your cake.
You may not have measured your flour properly. Be sure to measure your flour using a kitchen scale or the spoon and level method to ensure you are not using too much. Too much flour in the cake batter could cause your cake to turn out dry and dense.
You may have overbaked your cake. Check your cake at the 40 minutes mark by inserting a clean skewer into the cake near the center. If the skewer comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, your cake is ready to be taken out of the oven. If the skewer has wet batter on it, continue baking and check again in 5 minutes.
Make Ahead and Storing Instructions
This cake can be made a day or two in advance and kept at room temperature until ready to serve.
I do recommend waiting until you are ready to serve before adding the cinnamon sugar coating so that it doesn't soak into the cake.
Leftover apple cider donut cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days or in the refrigerator for up to a week. This cake also freezes well and lasts up to three months in the freezer.
Recommended Tools for This Recipe
More Desserts You Will Love!
- Southern Pecan Pralines
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- Classic Southern Pecan Pie
- Pumpkin Spice Hot Chocolate
📖 Recipe
Apple Cider Donut Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (375g) weighed or spooned and leveled
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1 cup apple cider
- ¾ cup applesauce
- 1 cup butter unsalted, softened
- 1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup dark brown sugar or light brown sugar, packed
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract not vanilla flavoring
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 4 tablespoons butter unsalted, melted
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-cup bundt pan with baking spray and set it aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cardamom until combined. In a separate small mixing bowl, whisk together the apple cider and applesauce and set it aside.
- Place the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, about 7-10 minutes. Start on low speed (3-4) and gradually increase the speed to high (8-9). Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything gets combined.
- Once the butter and sugars are creamed, add the eggs, one at a time, and beat on low (3-4) after each addition until mixed in. Scrape down the bowl and beat in the vanilla on medium (5-6) until mixed in.
- Add â…“ of the flour mixture and to the bowl with the butter and beat until no more dry flour is visible. Start on low speed and gradually increase the speed. Add half the apple cider mixture and beat on medium until combined. Scrape down the bowl and beat in another â…“ of the flour, followed by the other half of the apple cider, and finish with the last of the flour.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and spread it out into an even layer. Bake the cake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool for an hour in the bundt pan then carefully flip it out onto a cooling rack or cake plate to cool completely.
- Once the cake has completely cooled, whisk together the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Coat the entire outside and center of the cake with melted butter using a pastry brush. Sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture over the cake and in the center.
- Coat the sides by pouring cinnamon sugar in your hand and pressing it into the sides of the cake with your palms. Cinnamon and sugar will get everywhere - there isn't really a way to avoid it. I recommend working on a large surface that wipes clean easily. Slice and enjoy room temperature or warm!
Notes
- Be sure to measure your flour using a kitchen scale or the spoon and level method to ensure you are not using too much. Too much flour in the cake batter could cause your cake to turn out dry and dense.
- I recommend using good-quality unfiltered apple cider for the best flavor.
- Leftover apple cider donut cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days or in the refrigerator for up to a week. This cake also freezes well and lasts up to three months in the freezer.
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