Easy Apple Cider Donut Cake

The apple cider donut is the best reason to drive to an orchard in October, and the worst part is that the season ends. This cake is the home version of that stand: a tender, warmly spiced Bundt made with apple cider reduced down until its flavor is unmistakable, then brushed with butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar while it is still warm, so every slice carries that crackly, sandy coating a real cider donut wears.

It belongs with the other fall regulars in our Desserts collection, and it pairs naturally with our Easy Apple Crisp with Oat Topping — crisp when you want fruit front and center, this cake when what you are really after is the donut. No fryer, no dropping batter into hot oil, and no eating the results standing over the stove because they will not keep. A Bundt keeps beautifully.

The one step you cannot skip is reducing the cider. Straight from the jug, cider is flavored water; simmered down to a third of its volume, it becomes a concentrate that survives the oven and still tastes like apples and spice on the other side. It takes about 15 quiet minutes on the stove, mostly unattended, and it is the entire difference between a pleasant spice cake and a cake people ask about.

Reduce the cider — then cool it

Start with 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) of fresh apple cider — the cloudy kind from the refrigerated case, not clear apple juice, which has had most of its character filtered out. Simmer it, uncovered, until you have about 1/2 cup (120 ml) left; a heatproof measuring cup makes checking easy. Then let it cool for at least 10 minutes before it meets the batter. Hot concentrate poured over the eggs and butter can curdle the mixture and melt the butter into pools, and the crumb pays for it. Reduced and cooled, it blends in smoothly and the whole kitchen will already smell like the orchard stand.

The cinnamon-sugar coat goes on warm, not hot

Timing the coating is a small thing that changes the result. Straight from the pan, the cake is too fragile and steamy — the sugar melts into syrup and the slices tear. After about 10 minutes of cooling, the crumb has set enough to handle, but the surface is still warm enough for butter to soak in and give the cinnamon sugar something to grip. Brush every ridge and valley of the Bundt with melted butter, then spoon and pat the sugar mixture over it, working over a rimmed tray so the excess can be scooped up and used again for the bare spots.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups apple cider (360 ml), reduced to 1/2 cup, for the batter
• 3 cups all-purpose flour (360 g)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder (8 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (2.5 g)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (6 g)
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (5 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (1 g)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice (0.5 g)
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter (170 g), softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (100 g)
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (10 ml)
• 1/2 cup sour cream (120 g), at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (42 g), melted, for the coating
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150 g), for the coating
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (4 g), for the coating

Amounts are for the yield below. US customary measures first, grams in brackets for scale users.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Reduce the cider. Pour the apple cider into a small saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, uncovered, for 12 to 15 minutes, until it has reduced to about 1/2 cup (120 ml). Pour it into a heatproof cup and set it aside to cool for at least 10 minutes while you make the batter.
2. Heat the oven and mix the dry ingredients. Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 10 cup Bundt pan thoroughly, getting into every ridge, then dust it lightly with flour. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice together in a medium bowl.
3. Cream the butter and sugars. Beat the softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl for 3 to 4 minutes, until pale, fluffy and noticeably lighter. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in the vanilla. Room-temperature eggs matter here — cold eggs can make the creamed butter seize into curds.
4. Combine the batter. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the reduced cider and the sour cream, beginning and ending with flour. Mix on low only until each addition disappears. The batter will be thick and smell strongly of cider and spice — that is exactly right.
5. Bake until a tester comes out clean. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and tap the pan once on the counter to settle it. Bake for 42 to 48 minutes, until the top is deep golden, the cake is pulling slightly from the sides, and a skewer in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
6. Coat and cool. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a rack set over a rimmed tray. Brush the warm cake all over with the melted butter. Stir the coating sugar and cinnamon together and spoon and pat it over the whole surface, reusing what falls to the tray. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing so the coating sets into its crackly shell.

Nutrition estimate

Nutrition figures are estimates calculated from standard ingredient data for the yield stated. Your actual values will vary with brands, substitutions and portion sizes — treat them as a guide, not a guarantee.

Storage & reheating

The cake keeps, covered, at room temperature for up to 3 days — the cinnamon-sugar crust actually protects the crumb from drying out. Refrigerate it only if your kitchen is very warm, and bring slices back to room temperature before serving. Individual slices freeze well for up to 2 months, wrapped tightly; thaw at room temperature, still wrapped, so the coating does not absorb moisture and turn sticky. A 10-second warm in the microwave brings back the just-baked softness. Nutrition figures are estimates from standard ingredient data and vary with brands and substitutions.

Easy Apple Cider Donut Cake

Recipe by Ahsan ul Haq, FryDaily editor · Published 18 October 2026

Orchard donut flavor in an easy Bundt — concentrated cider, cinnamon-sugar top.

Yield: 12 servings  ·  Scale: 1x2x3x

Prep20 minutes

Cook45 minutes

Total1 hour 5 minutes

Servings12 servings

Calories340 kcal

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups apple cider (360 ml), reduced to 1/2 cup, for the batter
• 3 cups all-purpose flour (360 g)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder (8 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (2.5 g)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt (6 g)
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (5 g)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (1 g)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice (0.5 g)
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter (170 g), softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar (100 g)
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (10 ml)
• 1/2 cup sour cream (120 g), at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (42 g), melted, for the coating
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar (150 g), for the coating
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (4 g), for the coating

Tick ingredients off as you prep, and tap a step below to mark it done as you cook. Scaling adjusts the listed amounts - seasoning to taste stays your call.

Instructions

1. Reduce the cider. Pour the apple cider into a small saucepan and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Cook, uncovered, for 12 to 15 minutes, until it has reduced to about 1/2 cup (120 ml). Pour it into a heatproof cup and set it aside to cool for at least 10 minutes while you make the batter.
2. Heat the oven and mix the dry ingredients. Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 10 cup Bundt pan thoroughly, getting into every ridge, then dust it lightly with flour. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice together in a medium bowl.
3. Cream the butter and sugars. Beat the softened butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl for 3 to 4 minutes, until pale, fluffy and noticeably lighter. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each, then beat in the vanilla. Room-temperature eggs matter here — cold eggs can make the creamed butter seize into curds.
4. Combine the batter. Add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the reduced cider and the sour cream, beginning and ending with flour. Mix on low only until each addition disappears. The batter will be thick and smell strongly of cider and spice — that is exactly right.
5. Bake until a tester comes out clean. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and tap the pan once on the counter to settle it. Bake for 42 to 48 minutes, until the top is deep golden, the cake is pulling slightly from the sides, and a skewer in the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
6. Coat and cool. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a rack set over a rimmed tray. Brush the warm cake all over with the melted butter. Stir the coating sugar and cinnamon together and spoon and pat it over the whole surface, reusing what falls to the tray. Cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing so the coating sets into its crackly shell.

Calories: 340 kcalProtein: 4 gCarbohydrates: 52 gFat: 13 gSaturated fat: 8 gSodium: 260 mgFiber: 1 gSugar: 32 g

Recipe by Ahsan ul Haq · FryDaily. Printing? This card is designed to print cleanly on its own.

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