This cinnamon infused Apple Cider Donut Cake is incredibly tender and moist with a sweet apple cider flavour and a crunchy cinnamon sugar coating. It tastes like the warm apple cider doughnuts you get at a farmers market in the fall but only in a cake form. It’s the best cake to cozy up to in the autumn and holiday seasons!
There’s something about the fall that makes me want to bake with cinnamon. This homemade cinnamon sugar dusted cake is warm and delicious with hints of fresh apple cider and notable cinnamon flavour. It’s a comforting treat while still warm and still tastes fabulous when cooled. I like to serve it for a fall breakfast, Thanksgiving brunch, Christmas gathering or sometimes just for a homey afternoon snack. This easy to make cinnamon cake is undeniably delicious and an absolute must to add to both your fall and Christmas baking lists!
It’s amazing how simple this apple cider donut cake recipe is to whip up. The cider infused batter comes together easily and then the oven does all the work after that. The cinnamon aroma wafting from the oven is unbelievable and that alone will have the family running to the kitchen and possibly your neighbours will come too! The warm cake gets covered in a cinnamon-y-sugar crust that adds another burst of cinnamon flavour and texture to every bite. It’s hard for anyone to resist this rustic apple cider cinnamon loaf!
What is So Special About Apple Cider Donut Cake?
- Flavoured with loads of cinnamon and freshly pressed apple cider from local apple orchards
- Unlike donuts this cake is baked and not fried but still has all the flavour of apple cider doughnuts
- Tastes just like apple cider doughnuts sold at cider mills and fall markets in the harvest season
- Covered with a delicious sugary cinnamon coating that creates a sweet crust and perfect texture
- Stunning presentation when baked in a large bundt loaf pan or standard round bundt cake pan
Ingredients Needed and Ingredient Tips:
- Butter – Use unsalted butter at room temperature. Soften butter on the counter for 1 - 2 hoursdepending on the temperature of the room. Melted butter is also used to brush the warm baked cake just before dusting it with cinnamon sugar.
- Brown Sugar and Granulated Sugar – Use dark brown sugar which sweetens the cake and gives it an intense golden-brown colour and rich flavour, along with granulated sugar which keeps the cake soft andmoist. Granulated sugar is also used to make the cinnamon sugar coating that finishes the cake.
- Eggs – Use large eggs at room temperature. To bring eggs to room temperature, leave cold eggs on the counter for 30 minutes or place them in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for a few minutes.
- Vanilla – Bring out the good stuff here and use pure vanilla extract which adds great flavour to the cake and compliments the cinnamon beautifully. You’ll notice the difference!
- Sour Cream or Greek yogurt – Either sour cream or plain Greek yogurt are ideal in baked goods as either one will give the cake a fluffy texture. They both contain acidity which is what helps tenderize the baked product.
- All Purpose Flour – Use unbleached all purpose flour which works best for this recipe and gives the cake the best crumb.
- Baking Powder & Baking Soda – These are the combination of leavening agents used to ensure the cake rises while keeping the cake soft and fluffy.
- Salt – Use kosher salt to enhance the flavour of the batter. It perks up the depth and complexity of the other ingredients and provides a balance to the sweetness of the cake without giving it a salty flavour.
- Cinnamon – Ground cinnamon is a main ingredient in this cake which is what gives it a warm spicy taste making it extra tempting. It also gives the cake and a nice golden colour.
- Apple Cider – Apple cider is a beverage made from fresh pressed apples. You can find fresh apple cider at farmers markets, local apple orchards or in the refrigerated section of most grocery stores. It’s not just an ingredient for this recipe but the whole family will enjoy drinking it too!
How to make apple cider donut cake
Step 1: Beat butter and sugars together then beat in eggs, vanilla and sour cream until smooth.
Step 2: Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon and it to wet ingredients, alternately in batches with the apple cider starting and ending with the flour.
Step 3: Spoon the batter into a greased large bundt loaf pan and bake for 50 – 55 minutes or into a greased standard bundt cake pan for 40 - 45 minutes.
Step 4: The cake comes out of the oven golden brown with a mounded cracked top. Cool the cake for 10 minutes in the pan.
Step 5: Turn the cake out on to a rack and cool slightly 10 – 15 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the melted butter and cinnamon sugar topping.
Step 6: Brush the top and sides of cake with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Don’t be shy with the cinnamon sugar; pile it on!
Frequently Asked Questions
Iconic apple cider doughnuts are made with yeast dough and are typically fried. You may be able to find recipes for baked apple cider doughnuts without yeast which are baked in the oven. However, this apple cider donut cake recipe is actually a cake made in quick bread format, baked in the oven and has baking powder and baking soda in it as leavening agents.
I made the cake in a large bundt loaf pan and baked for 50 – 55 minutes. It can also be made in a standard round bundt cake pan and it bakes for 40 – 45 minutes. Is an apple cider bundt cake technically a donut? No it is not a donut - it’s actually a cake made in a bundt shape baking pan but definitely tastes like an apple cider doughnut!
You can use apple juice in place of apple cider for this cake. Although they’re both non-alcoholic beverages made from pressed apples, apple juice and apple cider are distinctly two different things. Apple Cider is brown and almost opaque, unfiltered, unsweetened with a robust flavour and is the ideal choice for this cake. Apple juice is filtered leaving it with a pale gold colour that is nearly transparent with a lighter crisp flavour and isn’t the best choice for this cake but will definitely still work.
Definitely not! Although apple cider vinegar is also made from crushed apples, it is actually fermented apple juice and not typically used in desserts or baked goods (other than just teaspoonfuls of it to add some acidity to baked goods). Apple cider vinegar is used as an ingredient in foods like salad dressing, pickles and marinades and as well as for homeopathic remedies. It has a pungent sharp smell, a tangy sour flavour and is very acidic.
How to Make Ahead, Store and/or Freeze Apple Cider Donut Cake
- Make apple cider cake ahead early in the day or the evening before needed. Leave cake uncovered at room temperature for up to 18 hours. Any longer then the cake should be covered.
- To store leftover cake, place it in an airtight container and leave at room temperature for 2 – 3 days.
- To freeze the cake, wrap it in parchment paper and place it in a zipper bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, unwrap the cake and place it on a rack to thaw at room temperature for 2 – 3 hours.
Variation to make Apple Cider Donut Cake in Mini Muffin Form
- For a portable and easily accessible snack, you can turn this cake into mini apple cider donut muffins by baking the batter in mini muffin tins instead of a bundt pan. Young children love eating mini apple cider donut muffins as a handheld snack since they resemble donut holes!
- The cake batter makes enough for about 48 mini muffins with one rounded tablespoon of batter per mini muffin.
- Be sure and grease the mini muffin tins well. Baking time will be 12 – 15 minutes.
- For the cinnamon sugar topping you will need to increase the volume of ingredients by 4 times. Into a medium bowl combine:
1 cup granulated sugar
8 teaspoons cinnamon
8 tablespoons butter, melted (1 stick)
- Working with one muffin at a time, generously brush the cooled muffin all over with melted butter then transfer it to the bowl with the cinnamon sugar topping. With two spoons toss it in the cinnamon sugar topping mixture then transfer it to a rack. Repeat with remaining muffins.
If you like warm and cozy fall baked goods then try:
Cinnamon Biscuit Rolls
Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Gingerbread Cut-Out Cookies
German Apple Cake
Recipe
Apple Cider Donut Cake
This tender and moist cinnamon infused Apple Cider Donut Cake has a sweet apple cider flavour and a crunchy cinnamon sugar coating. Perfect for fall and holiday entertaining.
Ingredients
Cake
- ¾ cup butter at room temperature (1½ sticks)
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ½ cup sour cream or plain Greek Yogurt
- 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ¾ cup apple cider
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a large bundt loaf pan or a standard round bundt cake pan.
-
In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar at medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between each addition as necessary. Add vanilla and sour cream and beat until combined and smooth.
-
Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
-
Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture and apple cider alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour, beating in between each addition. Batter will be thick.
-
Spoon batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Baking time for a large bundt loaf pan is 50 – 55 minutes and for a standard bundt cake pan 40 – 45 minutes or until golden and a wooden pick inserted comes out clean. Leave cake in pan and let cool for 10 minutes. Turn cake out of pan and place on a rack to cool for 10 – 15 minutes more.
-
For the cinnamon sugar topping, in a small bowl mix the sugar and cinnamon. While the cake is still warm on the rack, brush the entire top and sides with melted butter and sprinkle the top and sides with the cinnamon sugar mixture. If necessary tip the cake to ensure all sides get coated.
Recipe Notes
The cake yields enough batter for these vessels and baking times:
- Large bundt loaf pan – bake for 50 – 55 minutes
- Standard round bundt cake pan – bake for 40 – 45 minutes
- Mini Muffin Tin – Makes enough for about 48 mini muffins with one rounded tablespoon of batter per mini muffin. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes. Quadruple the cinnamon sugar topping ingredients. For more specific instructions see paragraph in post about variation to make apple cider donut cake in mini muffin form.
- Standard Loaf Pan - not recommended for a standard loaf pan as the volume of batter is too much for it.
Leave a Reply