• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Anchored Baking
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Living
  • Shop
  • Give
  • Contact

Apple Cider Donut Cake with Apple Cider Caramel Sauce

October 14, 2020 By Lindsay Forbes Leave a Comment

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Apple cider donut cake

We all know and love the apple cider donuts you get at farmstands, still piping hot from the fryer! My personal favorites are from Cider Belly Donuts in New Hampshire 🙂 Where are your favorite donuts? This bundt cake is my attempt to recreate those same flavors at home… warmth from the spices, a slight tartness from the apples, and a crunchy cinnamon-sugar coating.

Special Ingredients

Does anybody else feel like apple cider donuts do not have enough apple flavor? Sometimes they just taste like spice cake to me. My goal was to really highlight apples. This is accomplished through:

  • Grated apples: That is right! There is fresh grated apple right in the batter. Because of the small size, it melts away while baking but it leaves behind flavor and moisture.
  • Reduced apple cider: A lot of recipes call for apple cider (duh!) but reduced apple cider intensifies the flavor even more. You can add more flavor without making the batter too runny.
  • Apple sauce: We are using unsweetened apple sauce so this really mostly helps with moisture and some apple flavor.
  • Apple cider browned butter glaze: After baking, we brush a mixture of browned butter and apple cider on the cake in order to get the cinnamon-sugar to stick.
  • Apple cider caramel: This cake is great eaten as is for breakfast or a snack. If you want to up the ante for dessert, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of apple cider caramel.
Slice of apple cider donut cake with apple cider caramel and ice cream

Working with Caramel

Making caramel at home is very tricky. You need a candy thermometer at the very least because caramel is so temperature-sensitive. Apple cider is reduced and added to the heavy cream with spices. I opted to use brown sugar as a base because of its warmth and added depth of flavor. Be careful when combining the heavy cream mixture with the melted sugar- it will bubble and spit at you!

How to prevent your cake from sticking to the pan

Bundt pans can have lots of pretty ornate details. The problem with this is that it treats lots of nooks and crannies. Without properly coating your pan, too much of the batter with stick to the edges and when you try to flip it, your cake will not easily release and you will be left with (still-delicious) cake chunks. In the past, I have had success with the baking non-stick spray (the kind that has flour in it). I didn’t have this on hand so I used this Magic Cake Pan Release Paste from If You Give a Blonde a Kitchen and I was really impressed! I loved how you had control of where you needed extra coverage. It worked like a charm!

Also, be sure to let your cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes after baking. As it cools, it will stink and pull away from the edges. Then you can invert it on a cooling rack to cool completely.

Bundt pan with magic release paste

I hope you love this recipe and that it reminds you of all the fun fall memories 🙂 Please leave a review if you make these and tag @anchoredbaking and #anchoredbaking so I can see your creation!!

Slice of apple cider donut cake with apple cider caramel and ice cream

Apple Cider Donut Cake with Apple Cider Caramel Sauce

Lindsay Forbes
This bundt cake brings apple cider donuts to the next level! Grated apple, reduced apple cider, and a brown butter apple cider glaze provide a lot of flavor and moisture. Serve this with vanilla ice cream and the caramel sauce for a fall dessert!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 30 mins
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 16 slices (10-cup bundt)

Ingredients
  

Cake Batter

  • 1 and 1/2 cup apple cider reduced to 1/2 cup, room temperature
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour (360 grams)
  • 3 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 and 1/2 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1 cup neutral oil (I used vegetable)
  • 1 and 1/4 cups brown sugar, packed light or dark
  • 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsweetend applesauce, room temperature
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup grated apple (I used 2 small apples)

Apple Cider Browned Butter

  • 4 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2 Tbsp apple cider

Cinnamon-Sugar Coating

  • 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • pinch of salt

Apple Cider Caramel Sauce

  • 1 cup apple cider, reduced to about 1/4 cup
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • pinch of salt
  • pinch of cinnamon
  • pinch of nutmeg
  • 1 cup brown sugar light or dark
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter

Instructions
 

For the cake batter:

  • Reduce apple cider: Pour the apple cider into a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring cider to a boil, stirring occacionally. It will bubble up and then start to settle down. Continue boiling until the cider is reduced to about 1/2 cup. Remove from heat and transfer to a heat-safe bowl to cool.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  • Sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking powder into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Set aside.
  • Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together the oil and sugars until combined. Scrape the bowl and add apple sauce, beat to combine. With the mixer on slow speed, add eggs one at a time, waiting for each to just disappear before adding the next. Scape the bowl.
  • Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat until barely combined, then add 1/2 of the reduced apple cider, the next 1/3 of the flour mixture, the rest of the apple cider, and then the rest of the flour. Do not overmix the batter, a few streaks of flour are okay.
  • Toss the grated apple in about 1 tablespoon of flour and sprinkle on top of the batter. Use a spatula to gently mix the apples in with the batter (trying to break up lumps of apple).
  • Spray your 10-cup bundt pan with nonstick spray or the magic paste (see notes). Transfer batter to the prepared pan and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  • Remove the cake from the oven, and let the cake cool in the bundt pan for about 10 minutes. Then invert the cake on to a cooling rack to cool completely. Set aside.

Apple Cider Browned Butter

  • Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Continuously whisk to prevent burning. The butter will go through stages- melt, bubbly/foaming, and then it will quickly start to brown and smell nutty. Remove promptly. Whisk in apple cider and set aside.

Cinnamon Sugar Coating

  • Whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
  • Set your cake on a cooling rack over a cookie sheet (this process is messy and this will help with cleanup). Use a pastry brush to completely soak the cake in the apple cider browned butter. May sure to spead it evenly so the cinnamon sugar will stick. Then sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the cake. You can try to carefully tillt it to get the sides. (You may not use all the sugar, use to your own taste/preference.)

Apple Cider Caramel Sauce

  • To boil the cider: Pour the apple cider into a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring cider to a boil, stirring occacionally. It will bubble up and then start to settle down. Continue boiling until the cider is reduced to about 1/4 cup.
  • Add cream, salt, and spices to the saucepan with the boiled apple cider. Set aside. (You will warm this up prior to combining with the melted sugar.)
  • For the sugar syrup: Whisk together brown sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Wipe the edges of the saucepan with a warm paper towel to prevent the sugar from burning up the side. Bring to a boil. Use a candy thermometer to track the temperature. Stir constantly. The mixture will become a warm, deep amber color and will thicken (it will continue to thicken after cooling).
  • While the sugar syrup is coming up to temperature, warm the apple cider cream mixture to a simmer.
  • Remove the sugar syprup from the heat when it registers 350 degrees F (this will take about 10-15 minutes). Slowly add about 1/3 of the apple cider cream mixture to the saucepan and whisk. NOTE: it will bubble and spit- be careful! Add the rest of the cream mixture and carefully whisk to combine. Add the butter and whisk until smooth. Transfer to a heat-safe bowl.

To serve:

  • I recommend serving this cake warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and the apple cider caramel sauce. The caramel sauce hardens pretty quickly (see notes). To warm it up, microwave at 50% power for 1 minute (or until you reach the desired consistency).
  • Enjoy!

Notes

  1. Here is the recipe for the cake pan release paste: https://www.ifyougiveablondeakitchen.com/grease-cake-pan-release/  
  2. I am still testing caramel sauce recipes that stay soft for longer. In the meantime, please microwave before serving). 
Keyword apple, apple cider, apple cider cake, apple cider caramel, brown butter, caramel, caramel sauce, salted caramel

Recipe modified from Stephanie’s Sweet Treats.

Filed Under: Breakfast, Cakes & Cupcakes, Recipes Tagged With: apple cider, apple cider caramel, apple cider donut cake, brown butter, bundt, fall

Previous Post: « Pumpkin Peanut Butter Frozen Dog Treats
Next Post: Election Cake »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Meet Lindsay

Welcome to Anchored Baking! This is where you will find sweet treats, some savory foods, and fun facts about culinary history. Read More…

Let’s Connect!

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Join the list

Subscribe to receive new posts via email.

anchoredbaking

New Recipe: Apple Cider Donut Whoopie Pies! Intr New Recipe: Apple Cider Donut Whoopie Pies! 

Introducing you to my favorite thing I made this fall- these whoopie pies! Whoopie pies are like little cake sandwiches (they may look like cookies but they are soft like cake).

These whoopie pies are made with reduced apple cider, warm fall spices, and a spiced marshmallow filling. The tops are brushed with melted butter and a cinnamon sugar coating that will remind you of the apple cider donuts you get at the farmstand.

I know you probably already have your Thanksgiving dessert picked out, but maybe you can make these with any leftover apple cider? You will not regret it. 

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow!!
.
.
.
.
.
#whoopiepies #appleciderdonut #appleciderwhoopiepies #applecider #falldessert #fallbaking #applepicking #kingarthurbaking #f52community #thebakefeed #foodtographyschool #foodblogfeed #anchoredbaking #thanksgivingdessert #falldesserts
#marshmallowfluff #spreadthefluff
The hardest part of living on Maui is being far aw The hardest part of living on Maui is being far away from our family and friends for the holidays. 

This is a throwback to the mango macarons I made for our friends before they moved back to the mainland. We are missing them a little extra this week!

The recipe is from @piesandtacos. It was my first time making macarons using the Swiss meringue technique, normally I use the French method. The Swiss method calls for heating the sugar and egg whites over a double boiler before whipping the meringue. I found the Swiss method resulted in a macaron batter that was a little sturdier and easier to work with. 

The macarons have homemade mango jam in the middle followed by a ring of mango buttercream. As always, I used the Golden Glow mangos from Yee's Orchard- they are the best! 

Camila of @piesandtacos has a fancy airbrush machine to paint the macaron shells (which looked SO nice). I don't have an airbrush machine so I used food coloring and a little vodka. Thanks to @barleyandsage for the inspiration! 

Hope you all have an extra special Thanksgiving week with your loved ones 🧡
.
.
.
.
.
#thanksgiving #friendsgiving #macarons #macaronstagram #macaron #mangodessert #mango #mauibaking #swissmeringue #fruitdesserts #yeesorchard #mauiliving #anchoredbaking
Thanksgiving pie- Maui style! These are the passio Thanksgiving pie- Maui style! These are the passion fruit and meringue bars from @cloudykitchen. They have a graham cracker crust, a lemon passion fruit curd, and toasted Swiss meringue on top. These are delicious and very fun to make (especially the torching part)!

This recipe is made in a loaf pan. Since I am baking for just the two of us most of the time, I really appreciate small batches. The leftovers stored very well in the fridge so you could easily make this ahead of time.

I will definitely make this recipe again. Thank you, Erin, for a great recipe!
.
.
.
.
.
#PassionFruit #lilikoi #cloudykitchen #foodphotopgraphy #mauibaking #smallbatchbaking #swissmeringue #fruitdesserts #thanksgiving #thanksgivingpie #thanksgivingdesserts
Happy Easter! 🐰 I posted this new recipe for a Happy Easter! 🐰 I posted this new recipe for a Tropical Coconut Carrot Cake Loaf and I think you will love it!

The cake batter is filled with shredded carrots and warm spices but it also has mashed bananas in it (a trick I learned from @ambitiouskitchen). The bananas add sweetness and moisture, giving the cake a perfect texture. I topped it with a coconut buttercream and toasted coconut flakes to complement the banana. 

Check out AnchoredBaking.com for the recipe! I hope you give it a try :)
.
.
.
.
.
#happyeaster #carrotcake #bananavread #coconutcake #carrotcakeloaf #quickbread #smallbatchbaking #coconutfrosting #tropicaltreats #eastercake #easterbaking #springbaking #cakeforbreakfast #anchoredbaking #thebakefeed #wsbakeclub
Happy St. Patrick's Day! ☘️ I just posted this Happy St. Patrick's Day! ☘️ I just posted this recipe for Irish Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Streusel and Vanilla Bean Custard Sauce. One of my favorite things about this cake is you can have it for dessert AND breakfast the next day! :) It is not too sweet and it is the perfect way to end a traditional boiled dinner if you are having that tonight. Visit AnchoredBaking.com for the recipe and more details! 
.
.
.
.
.
#stpatricksday #stpattysday #applecake #irishapplecake #custard #custardsauce #stpattys #thefeedfeed #thebakefeed #cakeforbreakfast #appledesserts #foodstyling #foodtographyschool #coffeecake #anchoredbaking #springbaking #caketime #cakelovers
Happy Mardi Gras! 💜💛💚 Today would be a gr Happy Mardi Gras! 💜💛💚 Today would be a great day to make these vanilla bean beignets with passion fruit curd. Hardly "traditional" but one of my favorite recipes I have ever published. The beignets have a fluffy, pillowy texture and the curd is a nice tangy complement to the sweet dough. I also wrote about the history of beignets on AnchoredBaking.com if you want to learn more :)

Laissez les bons temps rouler! (Let the good times roll!) 
.
.
.
.
#anchoredbaking #mardigras #NOLA #dessertrecipe #breakfastrecipe #thebakefeed #food52grams @food52 @thebakefeed #food52community @foodtographyschool #passionfruit #lilikoi #mauibaker #beignet #foodhistory #passionfruitcurd #doughnut #redstaryeast #thefeedfeedbaking #bakingblog
We spent one night at @campolowalu and wish we had We spent one night at @campolowalu and wish we had stayed longer! Who else loves camp cooking? Please share your favorite recipes to make while camping! I posted more details and pictures on AnchoredBaking.com :) 
.
.
.
.
.

#campolowalu #olowalu #maui #campcooking #maui #glamping #camping #outdoorkitchen #anchoredbaking
New recipe: White Chocolate Peppermint Bark Ice Cr New recipe: White Chocolate Peppermint Bark Ice Cream with Fudge Ribbons

This recipe has white chocolate melted into the custard base of the ice cream. Then we add fudgey chocolate ribbons and sprinkles of crushed candy cane to recreate all the flavors of peppermint bark. You are going to love this!!

This is a great recipe for anybody who celebrates Christmas in warmer climates but if you are anything like us, you can enjoy ice cream year round! 😉

Recipe on AnchoredBaking.com!
.
.
.
.
.
#homemadeicecream #icecream #christmas #christmasbaking #candycane #peppermintbark #foodstyling #peppermintbarkicecream #whitechocolate #bakingrecipes #feedfeed #feedfeedbaking #foodblog #anchoredbaking #makeittogether #thebakefeed #myanthropologie
New Recipe: Gingerbread Crème Brûlée! This reci New Recipe: Gingerbread Crème Brûlée! This recipe has a spicy, creamy custard base, a hardened caramelized sugar topping for the quintessential crunch, and the cutest gingerbread man stenciled on top to give a nod to the flavors inside.

Check out AnchoredBaking.com for all the tips and tricks including a template to stencil the gingerbread men.

I hope this makes an appearance on your Christmas dinner table!! Happy Holidays! 
.
.
.
.
.
#cremebrulee #crèmebrûlée #gingerbread #gingerbreadman #gingerbreadmen #holidaydessert #christmasbaking #dessertsofinstagram #kitchentorch #anchoredbaking #feedfeed #feedfeedbaking #foodtographyschool #foodphotographyandstyling #christmasbakes #dessertrecipe #bakingtips #bakingblogger #jochefculinary
Load More Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2020 Anchored Baking