Description
This Apple Cider Donut Cake brings classic fall flavors into a moist, tender dessert perfect for autumn gatherings. Warm spices and caramelized apple notes create a comforting treat you’ll savor with each delightful bite.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (310 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (110 g) light brown sugar
- 1 ½ cups (360 ml) apple cider (reduced to 1 cup)
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup (115 g) unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk
- 2 tsps baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (55 g) unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Cider Reduction: Simmer apple cider in a saucepan until reduced to one cup, concentrating its essence. Cool to room temperature.
- Oven Preparation: Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Thoroughly grease a bundt pan with non-stick spray or butter and flour.
- Dry Ingredient Blend: Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and ground cloves in a mixing bowl until perfectly combined.
- Butter Creaming: Cream butter and both sugars until light and fluffy, creating a voluminous base for the cake.
- Wet Ingredient Integration: Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly. Blend in vanilla extract and reduced apple cider until smooth and uniform.
- Batter Assembly: Alternately fold dry ingredients and buttermilk into the wet mixture, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Mix gently to maintain batter’s delicate structure.
- Baking Process: Pour batter into prepared bundt pan, smoothing the top. Bake for 45-50 minutes, testing with a toothpick for complete doneness.
- Finishing Touch: Rest cake in pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack. Brush warm cake with melted butter and generously coat with cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Serving Preparation: Allow cake to cool completely, enabling flavors to meld and texture to set before slicing and serving this autumnal delicacy.
Notes
Reduce Apple Cider Strategically: Concentrate the cider’s flavor by simmering slowly, watching carefully to prevent burning and achieve a rich, intense apple essence without scorching.
Prevent Cake Density: Mix batter gently and minimally to avoid developing gluten, which creates tough texture. Fold ingredients just until combined for a tender, light crumb.
Butter and Sugar Technique: Cream butter and sugar thoroughly until light and fluffy, creating air pockets that guarantee a soft, delicate cake structure with optimal volume.
Perfectly Coat Cake: Apply cinnamon sugar coating while cake remains warm to help mixture adhere beautifully, ensuring maximum flavor absorption and gorgeous caramelized exterior.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Snacks, Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 160 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 39 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg