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Apple Cider Doughnut Cake

A giant sliceable, sharable version of an Apple Cider Doughnut.

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Are Apple Cider Doughnuts the best thing about fall? Arguable, but they’re certainly a top contender. And this simple bundt cake? Well, it’s kind of like an Apple Cider Doughnut on steroids. Or at least one you can slice up and serve to all of your favorite people. And sharing is caring, after all.

The crumb here is a little bit lighter than the cakey texture of an Apple Cider Doughnut but I wouldn’t call it fluffy. The batter is made up of the usual baking suspects – flour, baking powder, sugar, eggs etc. – but also relies on cinnamon, apple cider, and applesauce for flavor.

In other words, it has that sort of autumnal sweetly spiced flavor we all know and love. It’s also dusted with cinnamon-sugar but only after being brushed with melted butter to ensure it sticks.

It’s much the same experience as a traditional Apple Cider Doughnut, what with all that apple flavor and the cinnamon-sugar crunch, it’s just in a slice-able, sharable form that you can enjoy right in your home kitchen!

Yield(s): Serves 12

10m prep time

45m cook time

4.6
Rated 4.6 out of 5
Rated by 15 reviewers
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you're making mealtime meaningful.
100% of the Share to Care sponsor fees fund meals for families in need. Learn More
Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
Preparation
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and butter and flour a 12-cup bundt pan.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour baking powder, baking soda, 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon, and salt.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the sugar, apple cider, oil, applesauce, vanilla, and eggs.
  4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and whisk until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
  5. Bake, rotating halfway through baking time, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 45-50 minutes.
  6. Set pan on a wire rack and let cool 15 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon.
  7. Invert cake onto wire rack. Brush with melted butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.
  8. Let cool before serving, and enjoy!