Apple Cider Donut Bundt Cake – an incredibly tender and moist apple spice cake with a delicious cinnamon sugar coating.
One of My Favorite Fall Traditions
Since moving to Utah nearly 10 years ago, one of my favorite fall traditions is visiting Rowley’s Big Red Barn in Santaquin. It’s about a 45-minute drive from our house and worth every minute on the road! As soon as we arrive, we hop the wagon ride out to the field to do all the activities first. The kids used to love the corn mazes, slides, zip-line and apple throw.
After hours playing in the field, we always head back to the Red Barn for apple cider donuts, ice cream and apple slushies. We get one of everything! (Well, more than one donut, because those are too hard to share. Ha!)
A few years ago, I came home from one of our visits and decided I had to recreate the donuts in cake form!
Apple Cider Donut Bundt Cake
For this cake, I worked off my pumpkin cake recipe from my Pumpkin Pie Cake. In my pumpkin cake layers, I use two cups of pumpkin puree. Since we’re not using pumpkin, we’re replacing that with a cup of applesauce and one cup of apple cider for this cake. All these liquids make this cake incredibly moist! I’ve also added some cinnamon and nutmeg for a little extra flavor. This Apple Cider Donut Bundt Cake is simply one of the best fall desserts you’ll ever make!
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
Once the bundt cake is baked and cooled, you’ll use a pastry brush to coat the cake with butter and then a dusting of cinnamon and sugar. I used coarse sugar, but you can also use regular, granulated sugar. (or powdered sugar for a more “wintery” looking cake!”
Tips for Making a Bundt Cake
- Bake at a low temperature for longer to ensure your cake bakes completely but doesn’t burn around the edges.
- Allow the cake to cool in the bundt pan for at least an hour to cool completely. Allowing the cooled cake to sit will make it easier for the cake to come out of the cake pan.
- This cake will freeze well if covered in plastic wrap. Just make sure to bring back to room temperature before serving.
- At room temperature, this cake can be stored for a couple of days in an airtight container.
Which Bundt Pan Should I Use
When making bundt cakes out of my cake recipes, I recommend using a 12-cup bundt pan. You’ll have plenty of room for the cake to rise without spilling. I recommend THIS bundt pan.
How to Make This Apple Cider Donut Bundt Cake: Video Tutorial
Other Cakes You’ll Love for Fall
- Caramel Apple Cake
- French Apple Pie Cake
- Turtle Pie Cake
- Pumpkin Gingersnap Cake
- 5 Delicious Thanksgiving Cakes
Apple Cider Donut Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp (5 g) ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp (1 g) nutmeg
- 1 tsp (5.6 g) salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp (21 g) baking powder
- 1 1/2 cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup (110 g) brown sugar
- 1 cup (224 g) vegetable oil
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (250 g) unsweetened applesauce, at room temperature
- 1 cup (248 g) apple cider juice (not vinegar), at room temperature
- 1 tsp (5.6 g) vanilla extract
For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 1/4 cup (56 g) unsalted butter melted
- 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp (5 g) cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a bundt pan with non-stick spray and then dust with flour. Set aside.
- In a medium size mixing bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking powder. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar, brown sugar and oil. Mix on medium speed to combine.
- Add the eggs to the sugar mixture and mix on medium speed for about two minutes.
- Add the applesauce and vanilla. Mix to combine.
- With the mixer on low speed, add ⅓ of the flour mixture, followed by half of the apple cider. Continue alternating the flour mixture and the apple cider, finishing with the flour mixture. Mix until no streaks of flour remain. The batter will be slightly thin, not thick.
- Pour the batter into the bundt pan and bake for 50 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs on it.
- Let the cake cool for an hour in the bundt pan before turning it over onto a cake plate or cooling rack.
- Using a pastry brush, coat the cake in butter.
- Combine the ¼ cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon and then sprinkle onto the top and sides of the cake. To coat the sides, it's best to fill your hand with the mixture and pat it on the cake.
Did you use a course sugar picture looks course?
Granulated sugar.
I have a question. The recipe calls for 1 1/2 tablespoons of baking powder. Is the amount correct? Thank you.
Do you think you could use this recipe for mini-bundtlets? Would anything change? Shorter baking time?
Yes just keep an eye on them!
Just curious if you would make any changes for high altitude? (6000ft) Thanks!
It is already adjusted for high altitude!
I used sparkling apple cider because it’s all I could find. Hopefully, it turns out!
I had to cook the cake an extra 25 minutes beyond the 50 and the inner circle is still not cooked all the way. Taste is great and I am trying the recipe again tomorrow. Not sure if it’s the eggs nearly bring room temp or even the cider. But it needs maybe double the cook time? Felt so odd!
That’s weird! Make sure your oven is preheated for awhile before next time!
Same. I think it’s because low altitude.
This recipe is perfect! I made mini bundts, they just came out of the oven and I’m enjoying one now. Literal perfection. I made one small change: I started with 2 cups of cider and cooked it down to 1 cup, to make a more intense apple flavor. It worked like a charm!! Thank you for the great recipe!
Thank you so much!
Highly recommend. Made this for breakfast today. Easy and very moist and delicious. My cider was not very strongly flavored so maybe next time I’ll reduce it down and get more flavor. Outstanding!
Thank you!!
This turned out great! I love apple cider donuts and cake, so I was thrilled to be able to combine the two. Very moist and tasty.
Thank you so much!
Have made this recipe 3 times now, its that good! Located in Georgia. First time just used measuring cups and spoons not by weighing anything, baked in regular bundt pan was fantastic. Second and third time we used a mini bundt pan that has 6 bundts (had enough batter for 12 bundts total, filled them with 1/2c of batter) again delicious! Currently baking again this time tried the weighing ingredients method. The flour was off quite a bit, everything else seemed to be spot on or close, should we have tried sifting the flour? Other question we couldn’t get the spices to weigh at all in the recipe amounts. First time weighing ingredients any guidence greatly appreciated!
Hi 🙂
When measuring using the metric/weight method you normally just use teaspoons and tablespoons for spices etc. I normally always use the metric versions of the recipes on this website and never had an issue with it. But totally get how the flour might be off as it all depends on how loose you pack the flour if using a cup measure! Hope that helps 🙂
I just made these and want to freeze them (I made smaller bunts) do I freeze them before I brush with butter?
No brush the butter on after you defrost them!
Hi- What size bundt pan should I use for this recipe?
10-15 cups
Would this freeze well if I need to make it in advance?
Yes! Double wrap in saran!
Is it possible to substitute apple juice for cider?
Yes!
This was excellent – it took my oven an extra 10 minutes – one of my favorite bakes yet.
yay!
If I made this a day or 2 ahead of time what is the best way to store it? Should I coat with cinnamon/sugar/butter right before serving?
Yes do the butter and cinnamon sugar right before serving! Keep it frozen wrapped in saran!
This is a fantastic cake! Delicious, easy recipe. Day 2 was equally as great!
Thank you so much!
A wonderful fall cake without pumpkin! East to make and tasted delicious.
Thank you!! It’s one of my favs!
Any idea how long to bake in mini Bundt pan ?!
About 15 minutes.
I’m not sure what happened here, but I followed the recipe as written and it came out blah and took forever to cook. I preheated to 325 and sat for almost 15 minutes before cake went in. I feel like either the measurements in spice are off or maybe I needed to reduce the apple cider again to gain flavor. Either way, not sure I’d make it again 😕
Bummer. Sorry it didn’t work for you.