Jump to Recipe

Apple Cider Donut Cake tastes like the apple cider donuts from the orchard. This homemade cake is SUPER moist, soft, and fluffy. It’s flavored with apples, cider, and spices and coated in cinnamon-sugar. The perfect fall dessert!

Apple Cider Donut Cake after being baked in a bundt pan and sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar..

Apple Cider Donuts

Here in Utah there are a lot of apple orchards and fall festivals. You can do a corn maze, shoot apples in a cannon, and grab a fresh, warm apple cider donut. They’re usually fried cake donuts, but I typically make baked apple cider donuts at home.

Simply nothing beats warm, spiced apple cider doughnuts in the fall with that concentrated apple flavor inside of a mini portable treat.

Slice being removed from the apple cider donut cake.

Apple Cider Donut Cake

Although donuts are nice and portable, I prefer this Apple Cider Donut Cake. It’s way more moist, velvety soft and fluffy, and just as portable — after you cut slices.

Using a bundt pan mimics that doughnut shape, but you get way more servings. So go ahead and have that second piece. 😉

This cake is made from scratch, with real apples, cider, and warm spices. It uses butter and oil for flavor and moisture.

The finishing touch is a spiced sugar rubbed on the outside. You can simply use cinnamon, or apple pie spice for more flavor.

Top view of apple cider bundt cake with cinnamon-sugar sprinkled on the outside.

Ingredients

To make this recipe you will need:

Labeled ingredients for apple cider donut cake.
  • 1 large Honeycrisp Apple — (Pink Lady or Ambrosia apples are great substitutes.)
  • Apple Cider — The kind with all the spices. Not just apple juice.
  • Milk — Whole milk is preferred, but any will work.
  • Oil — Use a neutral tasting oil like canola or vegetable.
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Butter — Use unsalted butter, or adjust the additional salt.
  • Brown Sugar
  • Granulated Sugar
  • Large Eggs
  • All-Purpose Flour
  • Baking Powder
  • Baking Soda
  • Salt
  • Apple Pie Spice — Or a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.

NOTE: Exact measurements and instructions can be found in the recipe card below.

Make the Apple Cider Reduction

After you’ve gathered your ingredients it’s time to start baking!

For the first part of this recipe you will boil the apple cider with the diced apple pieces until the liquid reduces and you can mash the apple. This part takes about 15 minutes.

This apple cider mash is what makes this apple cider donut cake so special. It concentrates the apple and spices into big BOLD flavor.

Apple slices and apple cider in a saucepan being cooked and mashed.

The texture is similar to applesauce, but slightly more liquidy. Make sure you have 1 cup of the mixture. If you boil away too much of the liquid, go ahead and add more apple cider to the mashed apple to equal 1 cup.

NOTE: Don’t be tempted to use plain applesauce from the store. If you absolutely want to skip this part, you need to purchase apple butter, which has all the spices and flavor you want from the cider. I actually have an apple butter recipe, if you’d like to make a batch.

Prepare the Liquids and Dry Ingredients

  • After you’ve made the apple cider reduction, combine it with the milk, oil, and vanilla. Stir the liquids together and set the mixture aside.
Prepared liquids and dry ingredients for apple cider cake batter.
  • Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and apple pie spice in separate bowl. Set the dry ingredients aside.

Make the Apple Cider Cake Batter

After the liquids and dry ingredients are ready you make the cake batter.

Steps to make apple cider cake batter.
  1. Cream the butter and both sugars together with an electric mixer.
  2. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated after each addition. Scrape bowl.
  3. Alternate adding the dry ingredients with the liquids, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Start by adding 1/3 of the flour mixture. Mix until just incorporated.
  4. Add 1/2 of the apple cider mixture. Mix until just incorporated. Repeat alternating the dry and wet ingredients, mixing on low until just incorporated after each addition, ending with the dry ingredients. Do not over-mix.
Top view of apple cider cake batter in a bundt pan.
  • Pour the apple cider donut cake batter into a 10-cup bundt pan coated with nonstick baking spray. (I like to use Baker’s Joy.) Spread evenly with a spatula.
  • Bake at 350˚F for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs when inserted into the center of the cake.
Apple Cider Donut Cake on a cooling rack.
  • Allow the cake to cool and loosen from the edges of the pan for 5-10 minutes before inverting the cake onto a wire cooling rack.
  • Mix the sugar and apple pie spice (or cinnamon) for the coating together in a bowl. While the cake is still warm, brush melted butter onto the cake and sprinkle/rub the spiced sugar onto the buttered cake. Work in sections immediately adding the spiced sugar to the wet butter before it absorbs into the cake too much.

TIP: You may want to sprinkle/press the cinnamon-sugar onto the cake over a rimmed baking sheet to catch any excess.

Slice being removed from the apple cider donut cake.

Serving and Storing

Cut the cake into slices and serve. We love to eat this cake while it’s still warm, but honestly its just as good and moist the next day for breakfast. 😉

Store the apple cider donut cake in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3-5 days. If it even lasts that long.

More Apple Desserts

Love ALL the fall baking? Try these other apple desserts:

If You Make This Recipe, Please Rate and Review it in the Comments Below. THANKS!

Top view of apple cider bundt cake with cinnamon-sugar sprinkled on the outside.

Apple Cider Donut Cake

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: 12 servings

Fluffy and moist apple cider cake with a spiced sugar coating.

Ingredients

  • 1 large Honeycrisp apple, peeled, cored and diced (may substitute Pink Lady or Ambrosia)
  • 1 1/2 cups apple cider (not just apple juice)
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup oil (canola/vegetable)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (stir, spoon & level)
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp apple pie spice*
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar, gently packed
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature

Coating:

  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp apple pie spice or ground cinnamon

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Combine the diced apple and apple cider in a saucepan. Simmer and cook over medium-high heat until the apple is soft and the cider reduces, about 15 minutes. Mash the apple with a fork or potato masher until fine pieces. (Make sure you have 1 cup of the mixture. If you boil away too much of the liquid, go ahead and add more apple cider to the mashed apple to equal 1 cup. If you have more than 1 cup, keep boiling to reduce it down.)
  3. Add the milk, oil, and vanilla to 1 cup of the mashed apple cider mixture. Stir together and set aside.
  4. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and apple pie spice. Set aside.
  5. Cream the butter and both sugars together with an electric mixer.
  6. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until incorporated after each addition. Scrape bowl.
  7. Alternate adding the dry ingredients with the liquids, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Start by adding 1/3 of the flour mixture. Mix until just incorporated.
  8. Add 1/2 of the apple cider mixture. Mix until just incorporated. Repeat alternating the dry and wet ingredients, mixing on low until just incorporated after each addition, ending with the dry ingredients. Do not over-mix.
  9. Spray a 10-cup bundt pan with nonstick baking spray. (I like to use Baker’s Joy.) Pour the apple cider donut cake batter into the pan and spread evenly with a spatula.
  10. Bake at 350˚F for 35-45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs when inserted into the center of the cake. Allow the cake to cool and loosen from the edges of the pan for 5-10 minutes before inverting the cake onto a wire cooling rack.
  11. Mix the sugar and apple pie spice (or cinnamon) for the coating together in a bowl. While the cake is still warm, brush the melted butter onto the cake and sprinkle/rub the spiced sugar onto the buttered cake. Work in sections immediately adding the spiced sugar to the wet butter before it absorbs into the cake too much. TIP: You may want to sprinkle/press the cinnamon-sugar onto the cake over a rimmed baking sheet to catch any excess.
  12. Slice and serve as desired.

Notes

  • APPLE PIE SPICE: For 1 teaspoon use 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg, and 1/4 tsp ground allspice.
  • Apple Cider: If you want a lot of flavor, use a spiced apple cider (I used Great Value brand found in the juice aisle) or you can simply use the fresh apple cider in the refrigerated section, while in season.
  • Apple + Apple Cider Alternative: Instead of making your own apple puree, use 1 cup of apple butter, not just plain applesauce. You can find this in the section by the spreads/jelly/jam.
  • 1 large apple = about 1 1/4 cups diced or 1 heaping cup.
  • Store any leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3-5 days.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 323Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 59mgSodium: 341mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 1gSugar: 31gProtein: 5g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix, and is an estimation only.

author: Amber Brady / Cuisine: American / Category: Cakes, Cupcakes and Frosting
© Dessert Now Dinner Later. All images & content are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-create the recipe, snap YOUR OWN PHOTO and re-write the recipe in YOUR OWN WORDS, or link back to this post for the recipe.