Apple cider bundt cake
We love apple desserts, but often find that apple cake is either mushy or lacks real apple flavor. The solution? Concentrated apple cider!
We used it in a tender, super-apple-y bundt cake recipe that we very slightly adapted from Browned Butter Blondie. You can see the original recipe here.
If you want to try the recipe, we highly recommend that you purchase or make apple cider concentrate. Our process is listed right after the ingredients section.
This cake serves 12. Allow at least an hour to make concentrated apple cider. Cake prep takes about 15 minutes. Bake time is about 50 minutes.
INGREDIENTS & EQUIPMENT
Cake
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (266g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon fine or table salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3/4 cups (170g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) dark or light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 3 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/3 cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature
- 3/4 cup concentrated apple cider
- 10- to 12-cup bundt pan
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- pinch of nutmeg
DIRECTIONS
Concentrated apple cider. Optional, but highly recommended!
If you're only making concentrated cider for this recipe, start with 3 cups of apple cider. In a medium saucepan on your stove, heat the cider to a low boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue to allow it to reduce to about 1/4 of the original amount (so, reduce by 75 percent). You can also make a larger amount, and save the remainder to make other apple desserts. Store the extra in a bottle in the refrigerator or freeze for later use. Allow the reduced cider to reach room temperature before adding to the cake.
Cake
- Heat oven to 350° F (180° C). (If you have a thinner bundt pan, or it is dark inside, reduce the heat to 325° F (160° C)
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with SideSwipe or a flat beater, or using a hand held mixer, beat the butter and sugars together on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time. Incorporate each egg before adding the next.
- Add the vanilla and sour cream. Mix on medium until fully incorporated.
- On your mixer's lowest speed, add the flour mixture, alternating with the apple cider. Begin and end with the flour. Mix until just incorporated. Don't overmix, or you may end up with a tough cake.
- Generously grease a 10- or 12-cup bundt pan or spray with non-stick baking spray.
- Scoop the batter into the bundt pan, smoothing the top by shaking or with a spatula.
- Place the bundt pan on a large baking sheet and bake for 45-50 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the top of the cake comes out clean or with a few crumbs remaining. The cake will also be starting to shrink from the inside edges of the pan. Check the doneness early, as this cake is much tastier when it's moist!
- Remove the cake from the oven and cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. After it has cooled a bit, invert the cake onto a plate or platter. Cool the cake completely before adding the cinnamon sugar topping (next step).
- Mix together the remaining granulated sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl.
- Using a silicone or traditional pastry brush, coat the entire cake with the melted butter. You can also brush on some apple cider if you like.
- Immediately sprinkle the cake generously with the cinnamon sugar mixture, using your hands to press it gently into the top and sides of the cake. If you have some trouble getting the sugar mix to stick, brush a little more butter in the bare areas and sprinkle again.
- Serve immediately. This cake keeps, covered, at room temperature for up to three days. Freeze well-wrapped and un-sugared, for up three months.
MAKE AHEAD TIP
If you want to freeze the cake for later, wrap the cake well before you cover with melted butter and sugar mixture. Should freeze for up to three months.
