Apple Cider Donut Cake

This apple cider donut cake has all the cozy flavor of a warm orchard donut baked into one big Bundt cake. Reduced apple cider, apple butter, and warm cinnamon spice make a tender, moist cake, and a buttery cinnamon sugar coating gives every slice that classic donut finish. This treat takes me back to fond childhood memories when I lived in Kentucky and visited apple orchards.

Apple cider donuts are one of my favorite parts of fall, and this cake gives you all of that flavor without any frying! If you love apple desserts as much as I do, you'll also want to try my Apple Fritter Bread, Apple Coffee Cake, and Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars. They all fill the house with the most amazing smells of apples and cinnamon.

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Why You'll Love This Apple Cider Donut Cake!

This apple cider donut cake tastes just like the donuts from the apple orchard, but it's baked in a Bundt pan and feeds a whole crowd. It's easy to make, stays moist for days, and always gets rave reviews.

Here are more reasons why you'll love this apple cider donut cake recipe:

• All the flavor of a cider donut with no frying and no donut pan needed.
• Reducing the cider gives the cake a big, bold apple flavor.
• Apple butter and Greek yogurt keep the cake tender and moist.
• The cinnamon sugar crust on the outside tastes just like a real donut.
• One Bundt pan makes 12 generous slices, perfect for fall gatherings.

This easy apple cider donut cake is so cozy and will disappear fast!

Equipment Needed

• 10 to 12-cup Bundt pan
• Small saucepan (for reducing the apple cider)
• Mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Hand mixer or stand mixer
• Pastry brush
• Instant-read thermometer (optional, but so helpful!)
• Wire cooling rack

Key Ingredients

Apple cider: The star of this apple cider donut bundt cake recipe! Simmering it down from 1 and ½ cups to ¾ cup concentrates the flavor. Use fresh apple cider, not apple juice.

Apple butter: Adds even more apple flavor, extra moisture, and a lovely deep color.

Vegetable oil: Keeps the cake soft and moist, even a couple of days later.

Granulated and brown sugar: Using both adds sweetness plus a hint of caramel flavor that pairs perfectly with apple.

Whole milk Greek yogurt: Makes the crumb tender with a subtle tang. Sour cream works too.

Eggs: Use room temperature eggs so they mix smoothly into the batter.

Cinnamon and nutmeg: The warm spices that make this taste like a true apple cider donut.

Butter, sugar, and cinnamon: Used to coat the pan and again to finish the cake for that classic cinnamon sugar donut crust.

Step-By-Step Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350℉. Thoroughly grease a 10 to 12-cup Bundt pan with butter, making sure to get into all of the nooks and crannies. Mix together the cinnamon sugar for dusting the pan and set it aside.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the apple cider to a boil, then turn it down to a simmer. Let it cook for about 7 to 8 minutes, until it has reduced from 1 and ½ cups to ¾ cup. Set it aside to cool while you prep everything else.

Whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to beat the vegetable oil with both sugars. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on medium speed until well combined. Then mix in the apple butter, Greek yogurt, and vanilla.

With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture and the reduced apple cider a little at a time, alternating between the two. Mix just until no white streaks of flour remain. Don't overmix!

Add the cinnamon sugar to the greased Bundt pan and shake it all around the bottom and sides. I like to do this right over my kitchen sink, tapping the pan until everything is covered and shaking out any extra. The sugar will bake right into the cake giving it extra caramelized texture just like the outside of a fried apple cider donut!

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the inside of the cake reads 190℉ to 200℉.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully turn it out onto a wire cooling rack. If the pan was greased well, it will pop right out! Let it cool completely.

Once cooled, brush the cake all over with melted butter. Mix together the remaining sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle it over the top and sides, pressing handfuls onto the cake so it sticks.

Slice and enjoy!

Storage

If there are leftovers, store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature, and it will stay fresh for a up to 3 days.

Freezing: Allow the cake to cool completely before freezing. Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap, then place it in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the cake overnight in the refrigerator or for several hours at room temperature before serving.

Expert Tips

A few simple tips will help your apple cider donut cake turn out perfect every time.

• Don't skip reducing the cider. It's what gives the cake its big apple flavor.
• Grease every ridge of the Bundt pan so the cake releases in one piece. And the dusting of the pan with cinnamon sugar creates an amazing caramelized texture on the exterior of the cake like a fried donut!
• Use room temperature eggs for a smooth, even batter.
• Mix just until the flour disappears to keep the cake tender.
• Use an instant-read thermometer to check for doneness (190℉ to 200℉).
• Gently press the cinnamon sugar onto the sides so it sticks.

Did you try this recipe? Please let me know what you think! Leave a comment below, and a 5- star rating. I would love to hear from you! Subscribe Here to get new recipes sent straight to your inbox!