Apple Cider Doughnut Cake

This Apple Cider Doughnut Cake is loaded with autumn flavors! It brings the best of both worlds together, fusing the nostalgic taste of an apple cider doughnut with a moist apple bundt cake. Packed with sweet cider, apple pie spice, and fresh Granny Smith apples, it’s finished with a generous dusting of cinnamon sugar. It's a spectacular, crowd-pleasing fall treat that is sure to have everyone coming back for seconds!

Course Cake, Dessert

Cuisine American, Southern

Keyword apple-cider-doughnut-cake, apple-cider-doughnuts

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 1

Cooling time 2

Total Time 3 15

Servings servings

Calories 332kcal

Ingredients

3 cups all purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp apple pie spice
1 tsp salt
1 cup apple cider
3/4 cup apple sauce
1 cup unsalted butter softened
3/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 cup peeled and shredded Granny Smith apple
Coating:
2-3 Tbsp unsalted butter melted
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour or spray a 12 cup bundt pan with baking spray. Set aside.
Cake: In a medium size mixing bowl, use a whisk to sift together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, apple pie spice and salt. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together cider and applesauce. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer on medium high speed in a large bowl cream together butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
Lower the speed of the mixer and add dry ingredients alternately with the wet ingredients beginning and ending with flour. Stop and scrape the sides of the bowl periodically. Once all is added beat for 20 seconds, or just until fully combined. Mix shredded apple in by hand.
Spread evenly in prepared pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until the cake springs back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes back clean. Cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 20 minutes.
Cinnamon-Sugar Coating: Turn cake out onto a baking rack. Brush the cake on all sides with melted butter. Mix together sugar and cinnamon and press on all sides of cake. Repeat several times, pressing sugar on cake until all is used. The cake should be fully covered.
Cool to warm, then slice and serve. May serve with ice cream and a drizzle of caramel, if desired.
Store leftovers in an airtight container chilled or at room temperature.

Notes

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 particular 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.

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