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Apple Cider Doughnut Cake

Apple Cider Doughnut Cake

Updated October 28, 2026

A tender spiced bundt cake made with reduced apple cider, brushed with butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar like an orchard cider doughnut.

Before you start: set the butter, eggs and sour cream out to come to room temperature; have a 10- to 12-cup bundt pan ready. Use fresh, unfiltered cider from the refrigerated section for the most apple flavor.

Reduce the cider up to 3 days ahead and keep it in the fridge; bring it to room temperature before using.

Cook time
2 hrs
Rating
…

Ingredients

Scale
Measurement units
  • 2 cups apple cider
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter (softened; for the pan)
  • 1 tbsp all-purpose flour (for the pan)
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 4 ½ tsp ground cinnamon (divided)
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp fine salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (softened; 2 sticks)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar (divided)
  • 3 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup sour cream (room temperature)
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter (melted; for brushing)

Instructions

Reduce the cider
Boil apple cider (2 cups) in the saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring now and then, until it's reduced to about a quarter of where it started and looks slightly syrupy, about 18 minutes.
Pour into a measuring cup to check, then set aside to cool.
Equipment: saucepan
Prep the pan and dry ingredients
Heat the oven to 350°F.
Brush every ridge of the bundt pan with softened butter (1 tbsp), dust with flour (1 tbsp) and tap out the extra.
Whisk flour (2 cups), baking powder (1 ½ tsp), baking soda (½ tsp), cinnamon (1 ½ tsp), nutmeg (½ tsp), ginger (¼ tsp) and salt (½ tsp) in a bowl.
Equipment: 10- to 12-cup bundt pan
Cream and add the wet ingredients
Beat softened butter (1 cup) and sugar (1 ½ cups) on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Beat in eggs one at a time, then vanilla (1 tsp) and the cooled cider.
Equipment: stand mixer or hand mixer
Finish the batter
On low speed or with a spatula, mix in half the dry ingredients, then sour cream (¾ cup), then the rest of the dry ingredients, just until no flour streaks remain.
Spread the batter in the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Bake
Bake until golden and a toothpick in the thickest part comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
Equipment: 10- to 12-cup bundt pan, toothpick or cake tester
Cool and unmold
Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack, about 10 minutes, then turn it out onto the rack.
Equipment: 10- to 12-cup bundt pan
Coat in cinnamon sugar
Stir sugar (½ cup) with cinnamon (3 tsp).
Brush the warm cake all over with melted butter (3 tbsp), then sprinkle and pat the cinnamon sugar onto every surface. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Equipment: pastry brush

Tomorrow's Meal

Cider Doughnut Cake French Toast

Thick slices of day-old cake dipped in cinnamon custard and griddled in butter until crisp and caramelized.

You'll need to pick up:

2 eggs1/3 cup milk1 tbsp buttermaple syrup for serving

Quick overview:

  1. 1.Whisk the eggs and milk in a shallow dish
  2. 2.Dip 1-inch slices of leftover cake quickly on each side
  3. 3.Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat and cook the slices 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden and the egg is set to 160°F
  4. 4.Serve with maple syrup

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