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.
I haven’t purchased coarse sugar before. Does your image show coarse or extra coarse sugar?
Coarse.
So moist and delicious! And the smell from the oven smelled like fall!
Love to hear it!
I usually use Applesauce as substitute for oil….any suggestions..as I don’t want cake to be too runny?
I wouldn’t sub more applesauce. The texture will change. You can use a different oil.
Another way to get the coating on the cake us to dust the greased Bundt pan with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Can’t wait to try this. Thanks.
Great idea, Mark! I’m definitely trying this next time!
I used the same method, I coated my pan with cinnamon sugar instead of flour, just watch so it doesn’t burn! Great idea 💡😸🐈🐾
How do you think this would work with King Arthur 1 to 1 Baking Flour? Thank you!
Great!
Incredible! New fall staple.
Thank you!
Do you use unsweetened apple sauce, cinnamon apple sauce, or plain sweetened apple sauce?
I use unsweetened.
I made this cake with all organic ingredients and followed the recipe exactly. Even though I am at a high altitude it came out perfectly. It is delicious and my family loved it. The Apple Cider Donut Cake will now be an autumn tradition in my home.
Thank you!
I’m at high altitude too! I’m so glad you loved it.
Made this twice now and everyone loved it! I do have 1 questions, is it really 1 1/2 Tablespoons of baking powder or is that supposed to say teaspoons? The second time I made it I used Tablespoons, even though I was hesitant because I have never seen that amount in a recipe. The first time I made it I think I automatically used teaspoons just thinking that’s what the recipe said. Both actually came out great but the first one was a little more condensed (short).
Tablespoons is correct.
I’ve made this cake three times now. I love it and it’s always a big hit!
Yay! love that!
When you say apple cider as an ingredient do you mean apple cider vinegar? I can’t find just regular apple cider.
No. Apple cider. You can use apple juice if you can’t find apple cider.
This came out great! My bundt pan was too small to hold all the batter so I made some of it into cupcakes – they baked for about 20 minutes and turned out well. I don’t like my desserts very sweet so I cut the white sugar from 300 g to 100 g (1.5 cups to .5 cups) and I thought it was perfect. I also used butter and flour to grease the bundt and cupcake pans and the cakes came out very smoothly! Thanks for the recipe!
MMM delish!
After 50 minutes, my cake tester showed raw batter. I had to bake for over an hour. Followed the recipe to the letter, and my oven is highly accurate. What could cause that?
It’s ok! Some take longer than others.
I can’t wait! It’s in the oven now; however, it’s been 50 minutes and the inside is still very wet. I’ll check it in 10 and see how it’s doin.
That’s ok! Every oven is different.
The BEST. It’s so delicious and easy. I used homemade apple sauce that was supposed to be apple pie filling that I accidentally cooked too far. So that probably helped make the cake so amazing.
Yum!!
This cake is delicious!!
Thank you so much!
Tried this for the first time. Turned out perfectly! So moist and flavorful. I baked it at 350 and needed 50 minutes in the standard Bundt pan. My new fall favorite!
Thank you!
Has anyone tried making this with all purpose gluten free 1to1 flour?
Yes and it’s delicious.
Has anyone tried using mini Bundt pans? Any changes?
For mini bundts you’ll bake them for 15-20 minutes. Check them after 15.
Very moist, fragrant, and delicious. I’m not a regular baker but really wanted to make the apple cider donut cake. I just made my 2nd, so good! My coworkers ate up the first cake. The house also smells wonder. Thanks for a great recipe, Courtney!
Love it!