Apple Cider Donut Bundt Cake
ShareYour favorite apple cider donut, reinvented into a moist spiced cake, coated in sweet cinnamon and sugar! A fun Fall treat, perfect for brunch or dessert!
Only two and a half weeks into the current school year and we’ve already had our first round of colds. Hopefully it’s not a sign of how this year is going to go. I’m not sure I can handle being sick for the rest of the school year. And of course, the kids all barely got sick and were over it in no time. But me, nope… it drags on seemingly for-ev-er. Keeping my fingers crossed I can kick this cold to the street before the week is over.
I took advantage of being sick last week and decided to read The Girl on the Train. I’d had in on my list for a long time but other, more interesting books, always found their way at the top instead. I’m glad I finally read it. It was good. I can’t say that it was great, but a solid good for sure. There were lapses in thoughts and time that bothered me while reading. If you’re interested in seeing the movie, I’d definitely recommend trying to read the book first… especially since the books are almost always worlds better than the movie versions. Next up is After You. I’ve been waiting for a free library download, because I didn’t want to pay for this one. Fingers crossed it’s at least decent!
So, we’re a week into the new Fall shows. Do you have any favorites so far? We’ve giving a few new ones a try and seeing how they do… including Notorious, Designated Survivor and Pitch. I was really impressed with Pitch. If you haven’t checked that out, I’d definitely recommend it. I have a feeling I may need to reserve that for weekend watching so everyone can see it.
Growing up in New England, apple cider donuts have always been a part of my Fall plans. The apple farm we’d go to as kids had a special donut room, surrounded by windows. We’d pick our apples and then go watch the donuts being made. It was mesmerizing for a kid… and the smell was incredible!
Now, I mostly stick to homemade versions – classics or fun twists on the classics. I’ve already shared classic fried apple cider donuts (with three variations!) and baked apple cider donut muffins! It was time for a new twist on a favorite.
What’s better than a donut? A donut cake! And the bundt pan is the perfect option to create that!
I based this incredible recipe off of my donut muffins. The result is a super moist spiced apple cider donut bundt cake, coated in a sweet cinnamon-sugar mixture. Serve with optional brown sugar whipped cream for an extra special treat. Enjoy this cake for brunch or dessert! Either way, it’s a guaranteed family favorite and an absolute must make this Fall!
Apple Cider Donut Bundt Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 C apple cider
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 3/4 C all purpose flour
- 3/4 C granulated sugar
- 3/4 C light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 1/2-2 C apple chunks
Topping:
- 1/2 C granulated sugar
- 3/4 tsp cinnamon
Whipped cream:
- 1 C heavy cream
- 2 Tb light brown sugar
- 2 Tb powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch bundt pan with baking spray.*
- In a large measuring cup, whisk together apple cider, eggs and vanilla.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer combine remaining dry ingredients. With mixer running on low, slowly add liquid ingredients. Mix until just combined and no streaks remain. Mix in apple chunks by hand. Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan, set on a wire rack, until easy to handle.
- In a small bowl, combine granulated sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, beat together whipped cream ingredients until nearly stiff peaks form. Keep chilled until ready to use.
- Place a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Invert cake onto wire rack. Sprinkle cinnamon-sugar mixture over the top of the cooled cake. Tilt cake as needed to coat all sides. Reuse cinnamon-sugar mixture from baking pan, sprinkling over cake until entire cake is coated well. *If cinnamon-sugar mixture does not stick, lightly brush melted butter on the cake and repeat sprinkling of cinnamon-sugar.
- Slice and serve with optional whipped cream.
- Store in an airtight container for up to several days.
Notes
Items used in this recipe:
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Tis the season for fall colds, hopefully that was your first and last one of the year. I’ve been looking for a new book to read I’ll have to give The Girl on the Train a try, I really liked After You. This apple cider donut bundt cake looks so good! It’s making me think of any excuse I can come up with to have a brunch so I can make it!
Fingers crossed it’s the only one, but I won’t bet on it! I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the book! I’d been hearing mixed reviews. And thank you!! :)
Perfect timing! A few friends and I are hosting a fall themed baby shower this weekend and this will be soo perfect! Thank you!
Enjoy!! :)
What a beautiful, autumn cake! I love all the flavors and the simple dusting of sugar. I don’t like overly sweet frosting to get in the way of a good cake!
Thanks so much, Cynthia!
That book is next on my reading list! This bundt cake looks amazing – it reminds me of the apple cider mini donuts that we get when visiting the apple orchard!
Thanks, Taylor! :)
Hi, I was wondering what kind of apples you used in this cake? It looks delish and would love to try this weekend!
Thanks!
Beth
I used a combination of Paula Red and Cortland. But, you can use whatever sweet apple variety you like best. Enjoy! :)
The perfect fall dessert!
Thank you! :)
What a fun twist on this New England classic! Mmm. We’ve also already had our first brush with school year illness. UGH! I hope it’s not a preview of the year to come.
Thanks so much, Sarah!
Hi,
I would like to make your cake;however, it doesn’t have any oil or butter. Is the recipe correct?
Thanks,
Lisa
The ingredients are correct as listed. Enjoy!
I made the cake and let it cool completely. The cinn-sugar mixture didn’t stick at all. I ended up making a glaze from a diff cider cake recipe, basting the cake with it it, and then doing cinn-sugar. Wondering what you did to your cooled cake that got the sugar-cinn to stick? Haven’t tried the cake yet but it smells good!
My guess is you may have let it rest in the pan too long. The moisture and warmth from the cake should allow the cinnamon-sugar to adhere to the outside of the cake. However, you could always lightly brush with butter to stick it to the cake in the future. I hope you enjoyed it! :)
I made this cake last week and it was absolutely delicious!!! I greased my bundt pan with butter and sprinkled the cake with the cinn-sugar mix while it was still slightly warm, the mix stuck to the cake beautifully! Thanks for the great recipe!!!
So glad to hear you enjoyed it, Janet! :)
I just made the cake and it looks beautiful. I’ll let you know after we devour it tomorrow what the verdict is on the taste.
I hope everyone enjoyed it! :)
Well the cake was a big hit, everyone loved it. Thank you Rachel.
So glad to hear it! Thanks for the update, Julia! :)
Hi—I realize I’m late to this party, as it was posted last year, but I just saw it in a search today! I notice there’s no butter or oil in the recipe. You did include that in your muffin recipe (which I looked at first but decided a cake would be easier). Is there a reason you decided to omit it here? I’m trying to guess at what the results will be like with a fatless cake batter. Thx!
The butter used on the muffins was simply for coating. There is enough moisture on the outside of the bundt cake for the coating to adhere. :)
Hi, is apple cider same as apple cider vineger? Just want to check before baking tomorrow. thanks.
Do not use apple cider vinegar. Use apple cider, which is an unfiltered juice. If you don’t have access to apple cider, substitute apple juice and increase the spices slightly.
How do you recommend storing and transporting the cake? I need to make it the night before and take it somewhere in the morning. I don’t have an airtight container that’s the right size for a Bundt cake. Would putting it on a platter and wrapping it in aluminum foil be ok? Or would that ruin the topping very much?
As long as the cake has cooled completely, a platter and foil should be fine.
Rachel
I just wanted to thank you for this recipe!! I tried the muffins earlier and wanted to do a bundt cake with the same recipe for Thanksgiving, but was not sure of the measurements. You are a lifesaver!! The cake was delicious!! I did something a little different (at least I didn’t see it in the recipe), before adding the batter to the pan, I sprinkled about half of the cinnamon/sugar mixture in there so it would bake on top of the cake. After it was baked, I sprinkled the rest over the top (it looked a little bare). Thank you again.
So glad you enjoyed it, Terri! Thanks so much for sharing! :)
Is there really no butter or oil in this recipe? I can’t open the responses to see if someone else has asked this question and received a reply.
The recipe is correct as written.