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Cider donut cake on a plate with anise

Apple Cider Donut Cake

This tender and moist cinnamon infused Apple Cider Donut Cake has a sweet apple cider flavour and a crunchy cinnamon sugar coating. Perfect for fall and holiday entertaining.

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 10

Ingredients

Cake

  • ¾ cup butter at room temperature (1½ sticks)
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 3 eggs at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup sour cream or plain Greek Yogurt
  • 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • ¾ cup apple cider

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 2 tablespoons butter melted

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a large bundt loaf pan or a standard round bundt cake pan.

  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar at medium speed until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between each addition as necessary. Add vanilla and sour cream and beat until combined and smooth.

  3. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl.

  4. Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture and apple cider alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour, beating in between each addition. Batter will be thick.

  5. Spoon batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Baking time for a large bundt loaf pan is 50 – 55 minutes and for a standard bundt cake pan 40 – 45 minutes or until golden and a wooden pick inserted comes out clean. Leave cake in pan and let cool for 10 minutes. Turn cake out of pan and place on a rack to cool for 10 – 15 minutes more.

  6. For the cinnamon sugar topping, in a small bowl mix the sugar and cinnamon. While the cake is still warm on the rack, brush the entire top and sides with melted butter and sprinkle the top and sides with the cinnamon sugar mixture. If necessary tip the cake to ensure all sides get coated.

Recipe Notes

The cake yields enough batter for these vessels and baking times:

  • Large bundt loaf pan – bake for 50 – 55 minutes
  • Standard round bundt cake pan – bake for 40 – 45 minutes
  • Mini Muffin Tin – Makes enough for about 48 mini muffins with one rounded tablespoon of batter per mini muffin. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes. Quadruple the cinnamon sugar topping ingredients. For more specific instructions see paragraph in post about variation to make apple cider donut cake in mini muffin form.
  • Standard Loaf Pan - not recommended for a standard loaf pan as the volume of batter is too much for it.