Description
Warm spices and nostalgic apple cider flavors dance together in this irresistible apple cider donut cake. Rich autumn notes embrace homestyle comfort, delivering a delightful dessert that connects memories of harvest season with pure baking joy you’ll cherish.
Ingredients
Scale
Primary Dry Ingredients:
- 2.5 cups (290 g) cake flour
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) baking powder
- 1.5 teaspoons (7 ml) ground cinnamon
- 0.5 teaspoon (2 ml) nutmeg
- 0.5 teaspoon (2 ml) ginger
Wet Ingredients and Fruit:
- 1.25 cups (284 g) salted butter, room temperature (2.5 sticks)
- 1.25 cups (250 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (220 g) dark brown sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) pure vanilla extract
- 0.67 cup (153 g) sour cream, room temperature
- 0.33 cup (79 g) apple cider, room temperature
- 1 cup (180 g) grated apples (about 2 medium apples)
- Baking spray
Cinnamon-Sugar Topping:
- 0.25 cup (57 g) salted butter, melted (0.5 stick)
- 0.67 cup (133 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground cinnamon
- Dash of freshly grated nutmeg (optional)
Instructions
- Calibrate the oven temperature to 350°F and position the rack at the center to ensure even heat distribution.
- Meticulously sift the cake flour, baking powder, and warm spices into a medium mixing vessel, creating a uniform dry ingredient blend.
- Utilize an electric mixer to whip the butter until it transforms into a light, airy texture, approximately two minutes.
- Incorporate both granulated and dark brown sugars into the butter, creaming the mixture until it becomes voluminous and pale, roughly 3-4 minutes.
- Introduce eggs individually while the mixer operates, ensuring complete integration after each addition. Blend in vanilla extract for enhanced depth of flavor.
- Whisk apple cider and sour cream together in a separate container until achieving a silky, homogeneous consistency.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture in three strategic stages, alternating with the liquid components to maintain the batter’s delicate structure.
- Delicately incorporate freshly grated apples, distributing them evenly throughout the batter without disrupting its airiness.
- Thoroughly coat a Bundt pan with baking spray, ensuring complete coverage of intricate ridges and curves.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface to create an even distribution.
- Bake for 55-65 minutes, monitoring for a golden exterior and checking doneness with a clean toothpick test.
- Allow the cake to rest in the pan for ten minutes, then carefully invert onto a wire rack for complete cooling.
- Craft a fragrant cinnamon-sugar coating by thoroughly blending granulated sugar with warming spices.
- Brush the cooled cake generously with melted butter, creating a tacky surface for the spice mixture.
- Liberally dust and press the cinnamon-sugar blend across the entire cake surface, ensuring complete coverage of its distinctive Bundt contours.
Notes
- Perfectly captures the cozy essence of fall with its warm spices and apple-infused flavor profile.
- Requires precise mixing technique to maintain the cake’s light and fluffy texture, so follow the folding instructions carefully.
- Bundt pan is crucial for achieving the classic donut-like shape and maximizing the crispy cinnamon-sugar coating.
- Room temperature ingredients ensure smooth batter and even baking, preventing dense or lumpy cake texture.
- Coating process transforms the cake from a simple dessert to a decadent treat that mimics the beloved apple cider donut experience.
- Best enjoyed fresh on the day of baking, but can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 65 minutes
- Category: Breakfast, Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 32 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg