Apple Cider Doughnut Cake

This Apple Cider Doughnut Cake is the ultimate celebration of autumn flavors, bringing together the absolute best of the harvest season. Baked to golden perfection in a bundt pan, this incredibly moist, apple cider bundt cake gets generously coated in sweet cinnamon sugar to perfectly complement the spiced, cider-infused batter. It’s a cozy, easy fall dessert that will have everyone coming back for seconds.

Easy Apple Cider Doughnut Cake Recipe

When the weather finally starts hinting at cooler days, y’all know we naturally turn our attention to all things apple. Around here, apple butter, apple pies, and apple cakes reign supreme, at least until the pumpkin craze tries to eclipse them!

This glorious fall treat brings the best of both worlds together, fusing the nostalgic flavor of an apple cider doughnut with a classic, moist apple bundt cake. The batter is completely infused with sweet apple cider, warm apple pie spice, and fresh Granny Smith apples to hit all the right flavor notes. Think of it as a super-sized doughnut cake that’s absolutely spectacular for serving those lovable autumn flavors to a whole crowd.

Key ingredients to make Apple Cider Doughnut Cake: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card and quantities.)

• Flour – All purpose flour forms the base of the cake batter.
• Leavening – Baking powder gives rise to the cake while baking. Salt balances the flavor.
• Spices – Apple pie spice and ground cinnamon.
• Liquids – Apple sauce and apple cider gives this cake its signature flavor and a moist texture.
• Whole Eggs – Large eggs stablize the batter.
• Fats – Salted butter or unsalted butter for richness.
• Apple – Shredded Granny Smith apple adds to the apple flavor.
• Cinnamon-Sugar Coating – Melted butter, granulated sugar and cinnamon.

How to Make Apple Cider Doughnut Cake Recipe

• Heat Oven and Prepare Pan – Preheat oven butter and flour or spray a bundt pan with baking spray.
• Sift Dry Ingredients – Use a whisk to sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, apple pie spice and salt.
• Wet Ingredients – In a separate bowl, whisk together apple cider and applesauce. Set aside.
• Creamed Ingredients – Using a mixer cream together butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla until fluffy.
• Add Eggs – Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
• Combine – Lower the speed of the mixer and add dry ingredients alternately with the wet ingredients beginning and ending with flour mixture.
• Transfer Batter to Pan – Spread evenly in prepared pan.
• Oven – Bake per the recipe until a toothpick or cake texture inserted into the center comes back clean.
• Brush with Butter – Turn cake out onto a baking rack. Brush the cake on all sides with melted butter.
• Make Cinnamon Sugar Coating – Mix together sugar and cinnamon and press on all sides of cake.
• Serve – Cool then slice and serve.

Kitchen Equipment to Make Apple Cider Donut Cake

• Electric mixer. You can use a stand mixer or hand mixer.
• Measuring cups and measuring spoons.
• Balloon whisk.
• Large bowl, medium bowl, small bowl.
• Bundt pan.
• Wire rack.
• Pastry brush.

Recipe Variations, Tips and Substitutions

• Apples – I recommend using Granny Smith apples to balance the sweetness of this cake. That said, you can certainly adapt using the variety of apples that you have on hand or the variety that you prefer. Honeycrisp, Braeburn or your favorite apple orchard variety.
• Apple Cider – You could swap out cider using apple juice instead.
• Brush Generously with Melted Butter – The melted butter brushed on the cake forms the glue to hold on the cinnamon sugar coating. Be generous, this is no time to skimp.
• Apple Cinnamon-Sugar in Several Coatings – When applying the cinnamon sugar coating, it’s a messy job it just goes with the territory. It will take several coatings, so just keep applying it and gently pressing onto the sides so it will stick.
• Clean-Up Tip – To help with clean up, place wax paper strips around the edge of the cake plate or stand to catch the coating. When finished, gently pull to remove.
• Apple Cider Donut Cake with Cake Mix – I don’t recommend adapting this particula apple cider cake recipe using a yellow cake mix or spice cake mix. A cake mix will make a smaller cake and change the amount of liquids and ingredients called for in the recipe.

How to Store Apple Cider Doughnut Cake

• Leftovers – This apple cider donut cake can be stored in an airtight container, wrapped in plastic wrap or aluminum foil at room temperature for up to 3 days or chilled in the refrigerator for up to one week. To lengthen the shelf life, chilling in an airtight container is best.
• Freezer – A cooled cake can also be sliced into four wedges, into individual slices or cut in half and wrapped in freezer wrap. Store frozen for up to 2 months. This is ideal to keep the flavors of this fall cake fresh and have dessert ready when you’re ready to enjoy a fall treat. Thaw in the fridge and enjoy.

More Apple Dessert Recipes to Make

There’s no shortage of harvest recipes to try this time of year. A few more apple recipes that you may like to try:

• Start the day with these freshly baked Apple Muffins.
• The kiddos will love this Toffee Apple Pizza for dessert.
• Southern Fried Apples can be enjoyed as a side dish, over pancakes for breakfast or with pound cake for dessert.
• A warm piece of Apple Crumb Pie a la mode is a dream dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
• Glazed Apple Fritters are impossible to resist!
• Caramel Apple Poke Cake is a pot luck rock star.
• Warm Apple Cobbler with vanilla ice cream will cure what ails ya!
• Apple Pie Waffles from Belly Full will have the family waking up happy.

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Helpful Kitchen Items: 

• Bundt Pan
• Mixer
• Measuring Set
• Mixing Bowls