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 1/3 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 1/4 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’m wondering if instead of coating in sugar I could do some type of apple cider glaze? Do you have a recommendation that would work?
I don’t but it sounds delicious! Try it!
I made this cake yesterday because I had an open bottle of apple cider. It came out great! Very moist with just the right combination of sweet and spicy. I did have to bake it for a full hour, but that was the only change I made. I will definitely be making it again.
Yay! I’m so glad!
Followed directions to the T- one exception I only had 1/2 cup of applesauce instead of 1 cup. The cake still came out fabulous! Thank you to the creator!
Yay!
No eggs?
There are eggs
The ingredient list is missing the number of eggs. Can you pls let us know how many. Thank you.
It says 3 in the ingredients.
I only use fresh apple cider, never the store bought stuff. I liked to get it in the days before it was pasteurized so I could let it ferment a bit! Instead of apple sauce, i used my home made apple butter. This cake was so good! I had to read the comments to find the eggs. Could you please list them in the ingredients? Thanks bunches!
Eggs are listed in the ingredients!
Love these desserts
Yea
Hey del
Hi, can I substitute apple cider with apple juice, as I’m not able to find cider near me.
Thanks Courtney
You can. It just won’t be as strong of a taste.
Do you ever have problems with your powdered sugar sinking into the cake? I have a Bundt cake I make and it tends to sink in sometimes so it seems if I put melted butter on a cake and then put powdered sugar on it, it would sink in even more? I am no baking pro so I am curious as to how to keep the powdered sugar from sinking in! ?
Are you letting the cake cool off before adding your icing?
You can get a non melting confectioners sugar at King Arthur’s. Doesn’t melt even if you sprinkle it while still hot.
I can’t wait to try this!!! Do you think I could add some chopped apples in this or would this mess up the recipe? I also want to add some caramel sauce to go with it.
Try it! I bet it could work.
Just made this, and it’s absolutely delicious! This will definitely be my go to cake for fall.
Could chunky applesauce work with this recipe?
I wouldn’t
Hello Courtney,
I read step five where you “Add the applesauce and vanilla. Mix to combine.” Then step six says: “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 cider”
Is this also when I add the applesauce and vanilla mixture in with the flour mixture and cider? I didn’t see that. Thank you!
You want to add the applesauce and vanilla mixture in before the flour and cider.
Hi Courtney,
Have you ever made these as cupcakes without cupcake papers? Just curious! Thanks for your amazing recipes!
I haven’t!!
This recipe sounds so amazing. Do you think it could be used in cupcake liners?
Sure!
Do you think if I make ahead and freeze, that applying the butter/sugar coating after thawing will work well? Or should I make, store at room temp for a few days, then apply coating on day of serving. (Have to make ahead) thx!
You need to apply it when its warm!
Hmmm. In your instructions, the cake is supposed to cool in the pan for an hour before unmolding, and in the notes you mention putting the coating on a *cooled* cake. I had no problem unmolding the cake after 10 minutes (I used Bakers Joy), so the cake is still warm ATM, and now I don’t know if I should coat the cake while it’s still warm, or wait until it’s room temp.
Room temp
Have you ever tried coating the pan with the cinnamon & sugar mix & then adding the batter & baking it? I have a poppyseed cake recipe that I coat the pan with oil & sprinkle with sugar & it turns out so yummy. Wondering if the same concept would work for this yummy cake.
I haven’t with this cake, but that will work great!
Do you use sweetened or unsweetened applesauce?
Thank you
unsweetened.
Can you substitute butter instead of the vegetable oil?
I wouldn’t
I am going to make this recipe but have not yet. An idea for you.. Every fall I buy a gallon of fresh cider and simmer on low until it is reduced to 2 cups. It will keep easily for a year in the refrigerator and gives me a great apple cider flavor throughout the year. Using this concentrate I would make an apple cider glaze for the cake. I think using apple butter insead of sauce will also give the cake a stronger flavor
I made this today as we watched college football. I used my homemade applesauce which is chunky and I included in the middle of the cake, a cinnamon/butter/brown sugar mix! Absolutely delicious. Your cakes are the best!