This apple cider cake is bursting with the best flavors of all, all wrapped up in a cute bundt cake form. Moist cake with a delicious glaze!
I love this time of year - crisp air, apple picking, alllll things pumpkin, going to the beach with my Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte to enjoy fall morning sunrises... *happy sigh*.
It’s also the time of year when my favorite apple orchard starts selling their apple cider donuts - which are fantastic.
A little while ago, I figured it would be fun to make an apple cider doughnut cake. I haven’t posted any new cake recipes in a while, after all... and apple cakes are always right up my alley.
When designing this recipe, I decided not to just go for the apple cider flavor, but to make it up in the same shape as those doughnuts - as an apple cider bundt cake!
Anyway, this easy bundt cake is the perfect way to serve up some fresh apple flavour this season.
The best part?
Having an apple cider soak added after baking keeps this cake nice and moist longer - so you can bake it up, and snack on it for several days. No special occasion needed!
Enjoy!
Ingredients
This recipe uses really basic ingredients that you can find at any grocery store. I’ve got a few notes on some of the ingredients, though:
Cake Flour
If you can get cake flour, great! If not, all purpose flour does work well in this recipe as well.
SLIGHTLY different texture, most people probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference, and definitely not different in a way that anyone would complain about!
Sugar
I like to use regular white sugar in this recipe, as it’s a nice, neutral flavour.
That said, if you’d like a bit more richness to the sweet, you can use packed brown sugar - either light brown sugar or dark brown sugar - in the cake and/or the soak.
It works really well with the apples, after all - it may just mute the apple flavour slightly.
For the glaze, though, you’ll want to use powder sugar / icing sugar / confectioner’s sugar.
Apple Cider & Apples
We like to use fresh apple cider from the farmers' market when it’s in season, as it tends to have the most apple flavor bring to the table, of the available options.
Grocery store apple cider - or even spiced apple cider - works for the off-season.
Can’t find any apple cider? Feel free to use plain apple juice in place of it.
It won’t have the same depth of flavour, but its long shelf life means it’s pretty easy to acquire at any time of the year!
As far as the grated apple goes, you can use pretty much anything you like - I usually like to use a more tart apple, like Granny Smith apples.
You need a cup of grated apple, which usually works out to under 2 apples (or one larger one!).
Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix
This is an important ingredient when it comes to the final texture, and the “fool-proof-ness” of this recipe.
Just be sure to use instant, NOT cook-and-serve pudding mix!
Everything Else
No real notes, but here are the remaining ingredients to make this cake:
Unsalted butter
Large eggs
Pure vanilla extract (Try my Homemade Vanilla Extract recipe!)
Baking Powder
Ground Cinnamon
Ground Cloves
Ground Nutmeg
Salt
Equipment
The main equipment you’ll need for this is a bundt pan.
I’ve made this in a 10-cup bundt pan, but in general I recommend a slightly larger bundt pan - most tend to be around the 12 cup size, and that gives plenty of room to avoid spillover when baking.
IMHO, the best bundt pans to use are those coated with a nonstick finish - there’s nothing worse than having a pretty bundt pan stick, and leave a chunk in the pan when turned out!
How to Make Apple Cider Cake
The full recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post, this is the pictorial walk through
Apple Bundt Cake
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C), generously grease a bundt pan with shortening or nonstick spray.
Combine flour, sugar, pudding mix, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and cloves in a large mixing bowl, set aside.
In a separate large bowl - or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment - whisk together cider, shredded apple, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla.
Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing on medium speed until smooth. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl, ensuring everything gets incorporated.
Pour the apple cider cake batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth the top.
Note: The bake time will depend on the proprotions and material of your bundt pan. Keep an eye on it, be sure to not overcook it.
Remove from oven and place on cooling rack while making apple cider soak.
Apple Cider Soak
In a small or medium saucepan combine butter, cider, and sugar.
Carefully bring to a boil over medium-high heat – do not allow to boil over. Reduce to a simmer and cook until sugar is dissolved and syrup becomes thicker.
While cake is still cooling in the pan, pour hot apple cider mixture on top of the cake.
Note: I like to use a fork or chopstick to poke a bunch of holes in the top, beforehand.
There is a lot of syrup and if cake doesn’t soak it up right away just wait a couple minutes and add the rest. It will take time to soak it up.
Apple Cider Glaze
Mix together powdered sugar and apple cider into a thick paste frosting.
Warm it in the microwave for a few seconds if it gets too firm.
You can pour it from the small bowl or measuring cup, or transfer it to a pastry bag.
Either way, pour / drizzle glaze over the cooled cake.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or so - just let it warm up a bit before serving. Cold cake is dry cake!
More Tasty Apple Recipes
Looking for some more apple desserts (and more!)? I’ve got you covered with even more easy apple recipes!
Apple Cinnamon Caramel Popcorn
Apple Crisp Macchiato
Brandied Apple Upside Down Cake
Candy Apples
Caramel Apple Pancakes
Chicken Burgers with Apple, Basil, & Gouda
Easy Apple and Blackberry Crumble
Easy Apple Blueberry Muffins
Gluten Free Apple Cake
Gluten-Free Apple Crisp
Gluten Free Apple Pie
Gluten-Free Caramel Apple Pancakes
Hard Apple Cider
Healthier Apple Oatmeal Muffins
Homemade Apple Turnovers
Maple Caramel Apple Pie
Maple Caramel Apple Recipe
Puff Pastry Apple Roses
Spiced Apple Cinnamon Rolls
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The Best Apple Cider Cake Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Bundt Pan
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 ½ Cups Cake Flour
- 1 ¼ Cups Granulated Sugar
- 3.5 oz Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix 1 box
- 4 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Nutmeg
- Pinch Ground cloves
- 1 Cup Apple cider
- 1 Cup Finely shredded apple
- 1 cup Butter melted
- 4 Large Eggs
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla Extract
Apple Cider Soak
- ¼ cup Butter
- ⅓ cup Apple cider
- ½ cup Granulated Sugar
Glaze
- ¼ cup Apple cider
- 2 ½ cups Confectioners / Icing / Powdered Sugar
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C), generously grease a bundt pan with shortening or pan spray.
- Combine flour, sugar, pudding mix, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and cloves in a large mixing bowl, set aside.
- In a separate bowl whisk together cider, shredded apple, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture, mixing on medium speed until smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth the top.
- Bake until fully golden and knife inserted into the cake comes out clean – about 1 hr. Remove from oven and place on wire rack while making apple cider soak.
Apple Cider Soak:
- In a small saucepan combine butter, cider, and sugar. Carefully bring to a boil – do not allow to boil over. Reduce to a simmer and cook until sugar is dissolved and syrup becomes thicker. Remove from heat.
- While cake is still cooling in the pan, pour hot syrup on top of cake.
- There is a lot of syrup and if cake doesn’t soak it up right away just wait a couple minutes and add the rest. It will take time to soak it up.
- Cool for 15 minutes in pan before turning out onto serving platter.
Glaze:
- Mix together powdered sugar and apple cider into a thick frosting. Warm it in the microwave for a few seconds if it gets too firm, then pour over the cooled cake.
Nutrition
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