This apple cider bundt cake is absolutely delicious and tastes just like a cider mill donut! A moist bundt cake made with plenty of spiced apple flavor and covered in cinnamon sugar just like the apple orchard donuts we all know and love! The soft texture of this bundt cake is incredible.
This apple cider bundt cake is perfect for fall and combines all the fall spices and fall flavor into one easy cake! It is easy to make and can be served for a sweet brunch treat, dessert, or as a snack cake!
If you love fall baking, be sure to check out these fall recipes including apple recipes and more! This cake would also be good with this homemade caramel sauce or these crockpot cinnamon apples.
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Ingredients for Apple Cider Bundt Cake
This apple cider donut bundt cake comes together quickly and is simple to make with some common ingredients, plus some traditional fall ingredients such as warm spices, apple sauce, and apple cider.
- all purpose flour
- sugar
- brown sugar
- neutral oil: vegetable, canola, or avocado oil
- apple cider
- unsalted butter
- apple sauce
- vanilla extract
- baking powder
- baking soda
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
- salt
How to Make Apple Cider Bundt Cake
This apple cider bundt cake recipe comes together pretty quickly. The most tedious part is reducing the apple cider. Be sure to make it first so it has time to cool before adding to the cake batter.
Step 1: Start by reducing the apple cider on the stove. You'll start with 2 cups of apple cider and cook it down to just 1 cup! Cooking out some of the water conent allow for the cider to become thicker and sweeter, which really brings out the apple cider flavor. Don't skip this step!
Preheat the oven to 350℉. Prep a 12 cup bundt pan by greasing it thoroughly with nonstick spray or heavily buttered and floured to ensure no sticking. Grease all the crevices!
Step 2: Whisk the dry ingredients and set aside.
Step 3: Cream together the butter, sugar and brown sugar.
Step 4: Mix in the eggs, apple sauce, oil, and vanilla extract.
Step 5: Fold in half of the flour mixture, then add in the cooled reduced apple cider stirring until combined and then finishing with the remaining flour mixture. Avoid overmixing.
Step 6: Pour apple cider cake batter into prepared greased bundt pan.
Step 7: Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Bundt cake will have risen up above the pan, but don't worry it will flatten a bit as it cools. Allow to cool for 20-30 minutes before inverting on to a plate.
Step 8: Brush melted butter over top and sides of the baked apple cider bundt cake.
Step 9: Coat the entire cake with cinnamon sugar mixture, covering every inch - just like a cinnamon sugar donut!
Substitutions for Apple Cider Bundt Cake
I do not recommend altering this apple cider donut cake recipe but there is a common swap that you can do to make this bundt cake recipe gluten free and/or dairy free.
How to make this recipe a gluten free bundt cake: This apple cider bundt cake can be made gluten free by using a gluten free all purpose flour. Be sure it is a 1:1 gluten free all purpose flour that includes xanthan gum. Not all gluten free flours are created equal so be sure to check!
How to make this recipe a dairy free bundt cake: This is pretty simple to make this cake dairy free - just use dairy free butter instead!
Note: Also be sure to use APPLE CIDER! NOT apple juice. They are very different in terms of flavor and how they're made. I highly recommend grabbing some fresh apple cider from one of your local cider mills or apple orchards for the BEST flavor.
Equipment for Apple Cider Donut Bundt Cake
This is a bundt cake so it requires a 12 cup bundt cake pan to bake in. You will also need an electric mixer to whip up the cake batter and a basting brush to paint the melted butter on the baked cake. From there, you will need ordinary baking equipment such as mixing bowls and measuring cups/spoons.
Be sure to also have a nonstick baking spray so that you can really grease the pan well to ensure your cake doesn't stick! Bundt cake pans can have a lot of crevices so be sure to really grease it! Nothing is worse than making a cake that won't come out of the pan. I use nonstick baking spray and have never had an issue with the bundt cake not coming out clean.
How to Store and Serve Apple Cider Bundt Cake
Store this cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. This cake freezes well when sealed airtight wrapped in plastic wrap for up to a month.
Serve this cake warm with a cup of apple cider to dunk it in and you will truly feel like you're at the apple orchard or cider mill!
Craving more fall flavor?
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
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Apple Cider Bundt Cake
Equipment
- nonstick baking spray
Ingredients
Apple Cider Donut Bundt Cake
- 3½ cups all purpose flour (420g)
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick) (softened, room temperature)
- 1 cup sugar
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- ¾ cup apple sauce (room temperature)
- 3 large eggs (room temperature)
- ½ cup neutral oil (vegetable oil, canola oil, or avocado oil)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups apple cider (reduce down to 1 cup)
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (½ a stick)
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Start by reducing the apple cider. Simmer 2 cups of apple cider on the stove for around 10-15 minutes until it reduces down to around 1 cup, ensuring that you stir occassionally to avoid burning. The cider should be a bit thicker. Measure out 1 cup exactly in a liquid measuring cup and set aside to cool for at least 15 minutes before using. Don't skip this step!
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Prep a 12 cup bundt pan by greasing it thoroughly with nonstick spray or heavily buttered and floured to ensure no sticking. Be sure to get in all the crevices!
- In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, use an electric mixer with a beater blade attachment (or if your butter is soft enough you can use a whisk) to cream together the softened room temperature butter with the sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the eggs, apple sauce, oil, and vanilla extract.
- Next, fold in half of the dry ingredients, then the cooled room temperature apple cider, stirring until combined. Add in the remaining flour mixture and mix just until combined and a uniform cake batter forms.
- Pour prepared apple cider cake batter in the greased bundt pan. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow cake to cool for at least 20-30 minutes before inverting on a plate and removing from the pan.
- Melt 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, set aside. Mix ¼ cup sugar and 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Using a basting brush to brush the melted butter over top and sides of the cake. Dust the cinnamon sugar mixture over top, pushing it into the sides of the cake over top of the melted butter. Coat the entire cake fully just like a cinnamon sugar donut! Enjoy!
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