Apple Cider Donut Cake

Apple Cider Donut Cake is a bundt cake flavored with apple cider
and spices dusted with a cinnamon sugar mixture.

Watch the video for this Apple Cider Donut Cake!

Honey, the moisture in this cake will knock your socks off and yes it really does taste like apple cider and the cinnamon sugar coating definitely gives you the donut feel.

It has the perfect balance of sweetness. This is a dessert cake, but it can be eaten for breakfast or dessert. And you might as well say for a snack too lol!

So let's get into this recipe so I can show you how it's done!

More recipes ---> Cold Oven Lemon Pound Cake, Peach Cobbler Cream Cheese Pound Cake, Green Apple Crumble Pie, Apple Pie Egg Rolls, Apple Crisp, Spice Cake, Kentucky Butter Cake, Sock it to Me Pound Cake, Marble Bundt Cake, Sour Cream Coffee Cake Muffins, Gingerbread Pound Cake, Sweet Potato Pound Cake

Ingredients needed to make the cake:

For the cake:

• All-purpose flour - sifted
• Baking powder
• Baking soda
• Cinnamon
• Ginger
• Nutmeg
• Salt
• Apple cider
• Applesauce
• Unsalted butter - room temperature
• Vegetable oil
• Granulated sugar
• Light brown sugar - packed
• Eggs- room temperature
• Vanilla extract

Ingredients needed for the cake topping:

• Unsalted butter - room temperature/melted
• Granulated sugar
• Cinnamon

(Note: The full ingredient list is provided in the recipe card below.)

Steps to make the cake:

For the cake:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.

In a separate dish whisk together the apple cider and applesauce. Using a hand or stand mixer, add ½ c of butter, ¼ c of oil, ¾ c of granulated sugar, and ⅓ c of brown sugar, and mix until combined (approximately 2 minutes).

Add the eggs and vanilla and mix just until combined. Add the flour alternating with the apple cider mixture beginning with the flour and ending with the flour just until combined.

Pour the batter into your greased 10-cup bundt pan and bake the cake for approximately 40-50 minutes. 

The cake is done once a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool for 20 minutes before inverting (flipping it out of the pan).

Steps to make the topping:

In a bowl, combine ⅓ c of granulated sugar and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon. Brush the melted butter on the cake and immediately sprinkle it with the cinnamon sugar.

(It is best to complete this step in sections.) Allow to completely cool, then slice and serve!

Tips for making the Pound Cake

Make sure that you grab Apple Cider (the drink) and not Apple Cider Vinegar lol.

If you are unable to find apple cider, Apple Cider Drink mix is also a great option. It is in powdered form. Simply follow the instructions on the package. I used it for this recipe and it tasted delicious!

Helpful Guides for Beginners

If you're new to baking I got you covered! Here are some helpful guides to help you along the way!

• How to make a moist Pound Cake
• Pound Cake Essential Tools
• Mistakes to avoid when baking a pound cake
• How to prepare Pound Cake ingredients
• How to Make a Pound Cake for Beginners

Helpful Baking Tools

• Bundt Pan
• Stand Mixer
• Hand Mixer
• Basting Brush
• Sifter
• Silicone Spatula
• Oven Thermometer
• Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl
• Baker's Joy
• Cake Keeper
• Measuring Cups
• Measuring Spoons

Pound Cake Tips + Tricks

Whether you are a beginner or have been in the baking game for a while, I hope these tips are helpful in making sure that your pound cake comes out great!

⇢ Always use room temperature ingredients – Standard pound cake ingredients include butter and eggs which should always be at room temperature to ensure that they properly blend into the batter and do not cause any clumping. Other common ingredients such as milk, cream cheese, etc should also be a room temperature. Make sure to allow enough time before baking to remove the ingredients from the refrigerator and sit them on the counter to allow them to come to room temperature. 

⇢ Properly cream the butter and sugar together– Once blended the texture should be light and fluffy. Blend the ingredients together at a moderate speed for at least two to three minutes.

⇢ Add the eggs one at a time– Eggs must be added one at a time blending well after each addition. Once you’ve added an egg to the batter and no longer see any yellow, then you can add another egg to the batter.

⇢  Don’t overmix your batter–  Aside from creaming the butter and sugar together, once done adding an ingredient, immediately start adding the next ingredient. If you are not quite ready, stop the mixer until you're ready to add the next ingredient. After you have added the last ingredient, just mix until blended. If the batter still requires mixing, for example, if there is any unmixed batter on the side of the bowl, finish the mixing process using a spoon. 

⇢ Spray the hell out of your bundt pan - My favorite method is using a baking spray such as Baker’s Joy which includes the flour and oil all in one can. It's always a no-fail method for me and the cake comes right out of the pan. You can also grease the pan with oil (solid or liquid) then dust the pan evenly with flour if you prefer that method.

Frequently asked questions:

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