Apple Cider Donut Cake

Apple cider donut cake is what happens when your favorite orchard donut grows up into a bundt cake. You get all the warm cinnamon-sugar flavor, none of the frying, and a slice that feeds the whole table. In fact, this apple cider donut cake starts with real apple cider simmered down to a syrupy concentrate, so the apple flavor is deep and unmistakable instead of faint. Also, grated apple keeps the crumb soft and moist for days, and warm spices do the cozy work. Finally, the finish is pure donut stand: a cinnamon-sugar coating pressed onto the warm cake and a sweet apple cider glaze drizzled over the top. Best of all, one bowl of batter, one pan, about 20 minutes of hands-on work — and a cake that tastes like October, even on a Thanksgiving table.

Why This Apple Cider Donut Cake Works

• Reduced cider is the flavor engine. Simmering 2 cups of cider down to 3/4 cup concentrates the apple flavor tenfold. Without this step, cider cake tastes like plain spice cake.
• Grated apple keeps it moist. A full cup of finely grated apple disappears into the crumb and keeps the cake soft for days — no dry bundt, ever.
• It finishes like a real donut. Brushing the warm cake with cider and pressing on cinnamon sugar gives the exact crackly, sweet coating of an orchard donut.
• No mixer skills required. Cream the butter and sugar, stir in the wet, fold in the dry — this is a forgiving batter that welcomes a beginner.
• It tastes better the next day. The cider flavor deepens overnight, so this is the rare cake that rewards baking ahead — perfect for a holiday schedule.

Ingredients for Apple Cider Donut Cake

• 2 cups (480 ml) apple cider
• 2 3/4 cups (330 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (110 g) packed light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (120 g) unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup (120 g) Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apple, peeled and finely grated
• For the cinnamon-sugar coating: 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar + 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• For the cider glaze: 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar + 2 tablespoons reduced apple cider

How to Make Apple Cider Donut Cake

1. First, pour the apple cider into a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 15–18 minutes. It will look syrupy and smell intensely apple-y. Set aside to cool completely. Reserve 2 tablespoons for the glaze and 2 tablespoons for brushing; the rest goes into the batter.
2. Then, heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 10-cup bundt pan generously with butter, then dust it with flour, tapping out the excess. Get into every groove — this cake needs to release cleanly.
3. Next, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in a medium bowl.
4. Then, beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.

Combine, Bake, and Glaze

5. Next, beat in 1/2 cup of the cooled reduced cider and the applesauce on low speed until just combined. The batter may look slightly curdled — that is fine.
6. After that, add the dry ingredients in two additions, mixing on low just until no dry streaks remain. Fold in the grated apple with a spatula. Do not overmix, or the crumb turns tough.
7. Then, scrape the batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth the top. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 45–50 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the thickest part comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
8. Next, cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes, then invert it onto the rack and let it cool completely, about 1 hour.
9. Next, while the cake is still just barely warm, brush it all over with the 2 tablespoons of reduced cider you reserved for brushing, then sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar coating all over the top and sides, pressing gently so it sticks.
10. Finally, whisk the powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of the reduced cider until smooth and drizzle it over the cooled cake. Slice and serve at room temperature.

Pro Tips for the Perfect Donut Cake

• Use apple cider, not apple juice. Cider is unfiltered and spiced, and it gives the cake its warm orchard flavor; juice is too sweet and too thin.
• Grease the bundt pan like you mean it. Butter and flour every groove, or the cinnamon-sugar coating will hide a stuck cake — a baking spray with flour works too.
• Do not overmix after the flour goes in. Stir just until the dry streaks disappear. Overmixing develops gluten and turns a tender crumb tough.
• Coat the cake while it is barely warm. The cider brush makes the surface tacky so the cinnamon sugar sticks; a fully cool cake will not hold the coating.
• Check doneness with a skewer, not the clock. Bundt pans vary, and ovens run hot or cool — a skewer with a few moist crumbs is the only test that matters.

Variations

• Apple cider donut loaf: Bake the same batter in a greased 9×5-inch loaf pan for 50–55 minutes — the same flavor, in a slice-and-share shape.
• Maple cider glaze: Swap the cider in the glaze for pure maple syrup and add a pinch of salt for a maple-donut finish.
• Mini donut cakes: Divide the batter among a greased mini bundt or muffin pan and bake 18–22 minutes; roll each one in cinnamon sugar while warm.
• Streusel-topped version: Skip the glaze and scatter a brown-sugar crumble over the batter before baking for a coffee-cake twist.
• Dairy-free: Swap the butter for a plant-based butter and the glaze still works — the crumb stays soft thanks to the applesauce and grated apple.

Storage and Make-Ahead

• Room temperature: Wrap the finished cake tightly in plastic wrap and keep it at room temperature for up to 3 days — it actually tastes better on day two.
• Freezer: Freeze the cake unglazed, wrapped in plastic and foil, for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature, then add the cinnamon sugar and glaze.
• Make ahead for Thanksgiving: Bake the cake up to 2 days before the holiday, wrap it well, and glaze it the morning you serve it. One less thing on the oven schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use apple juice instead of apple cider? You can, but the cake will taste noticeably less apple-y. Cider is unfiltered and more concentrated in flavor. If juice is all you have, reduce 2 1/2 cups down to 3/4 cup to compensate.

Do I need a bundt pan? No — a 9×13-inch pan works (bake 30–35 minutes) or a 9×5-inch loaf pan (bake 50–55 minutes). The bundt shape just gives the prettiest slices and the most surface for cinnamon sugar.

Why did my cake stick to the pan? Bundt pans are notorious for sticking. Grease with soft butter using a pastry brush to reach every groove, then dust with flour and tap out the excess. Let the cake cool exactly 15 minutes in the pan — too short and it is too soft to release, too long and the sugars glue it in.

Can I make this cake ahead for Thanksgiving? Yes — it is one of the best make-ahead holiday desserts. Bake it up to 2 days ahead, wrap tightly, and glaze the morning you serve it. The cider flavor deepens overnight.

How do I store leftover cake? Wrap slices individually in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving so the crumb softens.

Apple Cider Donut Cake

A soft, cinnamon-spiced bundt cake made with real apple cider reduced down to a syrupy concentrate, studded with grated apple, and finished like a cider donut — rolled in cinnamon sugar and drizzled with a sweet apple cider glaze.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 slices

Calories 385 kcal

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups (480 ml) apple cider
• 2 3/4 cups (330 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (110 g) packed light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (120 g) unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup (120 g) Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apple, peeled and finely grated
• For the cinnamon-sugar coating: 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar + 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• For the cider glaze: 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar + 2 tablespoons reduced apple cider

Instructions

 

• Pour the apple cider into a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat until reduced to 3/4 cup, about 15–18 minutes. It will look syrupy and smell intensely apple-y. Set aside to cool completely. Reserve 2 tablespoons for the glaze and 2 tablespoons for brushing; the rest goes into the batter.
• Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 10-cup bundt pan generously with butter, then dust it with flour, tapping out the excess. Get into every groove — this cake needs to release cleanly.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Beat the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla.
• Beat in 1/2 cup of the cooled reduced cider and the applesauce on low speed until just combined. The batter may look slightly curdled — that is fine.
• Add the dry ingredients in two additions, mixing on low just until no dry streaks remain. Fold in the grated apple with a spatula. Do not overmix, or the crumb turns tough.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth the top. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 45–50 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the thickest part comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
• Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 15 minutes, then invert it onto the rack and let it cool completely, about 1 hour.
• While the cake is still just barely warm, brush it all over with the 2 tablespoons of reduced cider you reserved for brushing, then sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar coating all over the top and sides, pressing gently so it sticks.
• Whisk the powdered sugar with 2 tablespoons of the reduced cider until smooth and drizzle it over the cooled cake. Slice and serve at room temperature.

Notes

Reducing the cider is the whole secret — simmering 2 cups down to 3/4 cup concentrates the apple flavor tenfold. Skipping this step leaves a bland cake.

Use apple cider, not apple juice. Cider is unfiltered and spiced, and it gives the cake its warm orchard flavor; juice is too sweet and too thin.

Grease the bundt pan like you mean it. Butter and flour every groove, or the cinnamon-sugar coating will hide a stuck cake — a baking spray with flour works too.

Grated apple keeps the crumb moist for days. Honeycrisp is sweet, Granny Smith is tart — either works, and a mix of both is even better.

The cake tastes best the day after baking, once the cider flavor deepens. Wrap it tightly and store at room temperature up to 3 days, or freeze it (unglazed) for up to 2 months.

Keyword apple cider donut cake