If you love the cozy flavors of fall, my Apple Cider Donut Cake may become your new favorite Bundt. Inspired by classic apple cider donuts that my dad and I used to purchase by the bagful at orchards and fall festivals, this cake delivers the same warm spices, tender crumb, and sweet apple flavor. Whether you enjoy it plain, dusted with cinnamon sugar, or drizzled with a simple glaze, this cake is a crowd-pleaser that captures all the magic of autumn in one slice.

Apple Cider Donut Cake on a serving plate.

Top Reasons to Love My Apple Cider Donut Cake

Easy Ingredients: Other than apple cider, you likely have most of these baking staples in your refrigerator or pantry.
Texture and Flavor: The cake is wonderfully moist, filled with warm spices and complemented with a crunchy cinnamon-sugar coating. The secret? Reducing fresh apple cider for a concentrated apple flavor, then blending it with cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, and brown sugar to create a cake that’s rich, fragrant, and downright irresistible.
Perfect for Fall Gatherings: From apple picking and weekend bakes with the family all the way up to the Thanksgiving holidays, this recipe makes enough to feed a crowd.....or for people to go back for seconds!

Expert Tips for Recipe Success

How to ensure your Apple Cider Donut Cake comes out perfectly, every time!

Reduce the apple cider: Make sure you reduce the cider almost completely to concentrate the apple flavor and create a thick spiced puree for the batter.
Don’t overmix!: An overmixed batter creates a dense cake. After adding the dry ingredients, mix just until blended and smooth.
Spray the pan: As with all of my Bundt cake recipes, I recommend that you spray your pan with nonstick baking spray, such as Baker's Joy or Pam for Baking. This is my top tip for a Bundt that releases easily from the pan.
Serve slightly warm: Although this cake tastes great at any temperature, I love to enjoy it warm, mimicking a warm, freshly baked apple cider donut.

Notes on Ingredients and Special Equipment

Please check the recipe card at the bottom of this post for specific quantities.

Apple Cider Puree

Apple cider: Unsweetened. This will be reduced for a stronger apple flavor.
Tart apples: I like to use either Granny Smith or MacIntosh varietals.
Brown sugar: Recipe calls for light, but you can substitute dark.
Cornstarch: Thickens the apple cider reduction. An equal amount of flour may be used in a pinch!
Ground cinnamon, cardamom, allspice: Create that signature warm spice flavor for the cake. You can substitute 2 teaspoons apple pie spice instead.

Apple Cider Donut Cake

All-purpose flour: Substitute an equal amount of your favorite gluten-free flour blend for a GF cake.
Butter: Unsalted butter at room temperature.
Oil: Choose a neutral oil, such as vegetable, canola, safflower, or melted coconut oil.
Granulated sugar: For both the batter and the coating.
Eggs and egg yolks: Choose large eggs, at room temperature.
Vanilla: Bake with pure vanilla extract vs. imitation whenever you can, as it will result in a better "true vanilla" flavor.
Buttermilk: If you don't have buttermilk on hand, make your own! To make one cup buttermilk, mix one cup milk with one tablespoon lemon juice and let the mixture sit on the counter for 10 minutes or until thickened.

Would you like to save this?

We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Recommended Special Equipment

Bundt pan: I used Nordicware's Party Bundt for this recipe, because I love how easy it is to slice the finished cake into even sections. But any minimum 10-cup Bundt pan will do (this Brilliance Bundt pan would also be super pretty!)
Stand mixer or handheld electric mixer: Either work well for this easy batter.
Food processor, mini chopper, or blender: Used to puree the apple cider mixture. Fun fact: I actually used my Ninja Smoothie Maker to do the pureeing for this recipe, and it worked like a charm!
Pastry brush: Helpful for coating the outside of the Bundt with butter, and a great tool to keep handy in your utensil drawer.

Step By Step Photos and Instructions

Photos showing how to make the apple cider puree.

Prepare the Apple Cider Puree

Step 1: Reduce the apple cider with the fresh apples on your stovetop. This helps to concentrate the apple cider flavor.

Step 2: Continue to cook the mixture until the cider has almost completely reduced and the apples are softened (which will make them easy to puree.)

Step 3: Add the cornstarch, brown sugar, and spices and stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes.

Step 4: Puree the mixture using your food processor or blender.

Step by step photos of the Bundt cake batter.

Prepare and Bake your Apple Cider Bundt Cake

Step 1: Whisk the dry ingredients (flour, spices, and leavening.)

Step 2: Cream the butter, oil, and sugar until light. I like to use a combination of butter and oil to ensure great flavor and moist texture. Add the eggs and egg yolk.

Step 3: Beat in the apple puree and vanilla flavorings.

Step 4: Mix in the flour on low speed, alternating with buttermilk. Mix until all ingredients are just incorporated. An overmixed batter can result in a dense cake.

Step 5: Transfer batter to your sprayed Bundt pan (I recommend a nonstick baking spray) Bake until the top is puffed and golden and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean, 40-50 minutes.

Step 6: Cool the cake in the pan for 5 minutes, and then invert it onto a cooling rack to cool 10 minutes more.

Step 7: Coat your cake! Brush the outside of the Bundt with melted butter.

Step 8: Immediately sprinkle the surface with your cinnamon-sugar mixture pressing lightly so that it adheres to the butter. Let set at least 10 minutes before serving.

Four Apple Cider Donut Cake Variations

Glazed Apple Cider Donut Cake: Make a tart apple cider glaze to drizzle over the cinnamon sugar coating. In a medium saucepan, boil 2 cups cider over medium heat until cider is reduced to about ⅓ cup. Whisk with 2 cups confectioners' sugar and 3 tablespoon cream. Whisk in more cream if necessary, until glaze is smooth and thick but pourable.
Cream Cheese Frosting: For a richer dessert, spread or drizzle the outside with a tangy cream cheese frosting, which pairs nicely with warm spices (think carrot cake!)
Gluten-Free Version: Swap the all-purpose flour with an equal amount of your favorite gluten-free flour blend.
Apple Cider Donut Cupcakes: Bake the batter in muffin tins. Dip the tops of the finished cupcakes in melted butter and coat them with cinnamon-sugar.

Glazed Apple Cider Donut Cake on a serving plate.

Make ahead and Storage Instructions

Store your baked Bundt cake at room temp, tightly covered, for 2–3 days.
Refrigerate your cake, covered, for up to 5 days.
Freeze your baked and completely cooled cake for up to 2 months. Wrap the Bundt tightly in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil before freezing. Thaw overnight at room temperature or in the refrigerator. For best results, wait until the cake has defrosted before coating and glazing.
Rewarm slices for 10-15 seconds in the microwave or wrapped in foil in a 300F oven for a fresh-from-the-oven flavor (and aroma!).

If you Love this Apple Cider Donut Cake, Check out some More of My Seasonal Apple Sweets!

Tried this recipe and loved it? Take a photo and tag me on Instagram or give it a review!

Delicious homemade apple coconut Bundt cake with powdered sugar and coconut topping. Perfect for cozy fall baking.

Apple Cider Donut Cake

Julie Hession

My Apple Cider Donut Cake recipe was inspired by fall trips to New Jersey apple orchards. We'd always return home with a bag of warm apple cider donuts (minus a few devoured on the road!) This soft and moist Bundt cake mimics the flavors and textures of those donuts, including a batter flavored with spiced apple cider puree and a crisp, sweet cinnamon sugar exterior.

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 45

Servings slices

No ratings yet

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Equipment

1 Minimum 10 cup Bundt pan
Stand mixer or hand mixer
food processor (see equipment section in post)
pastry brush (optional)

Ingredients

Apple Cider Puree

2 cups chopped tart apples, unpeeled (I use Granny Smith or McIntosh)
1½ cups unsweetened apple cider
¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground allspice

Cake

2¾ cups all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (one stick)
½ cup canola, vegetable, or safflower oil (see Ingredients section in post)
1¼ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 large egg yolk, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
⅓ cup buttermilk (well shaken)

Topping (See Notes)

½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted

Would you like to save this?

We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!

Instructions

Prepare Apple Cider Puree

In a medium saucepan, cook apples and cider over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes or until apples have softened and cider has almost completely reduced.
Stir in the brown sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, cardamom, and allspice and cook over medium low heat, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until the mixture has thickened.
Let the mixture cool slightly, then transfer it to s food processor fitted with a metal blade (see Notes); process until smooth.

Prepare Bundt Cake

Preheat your oven to 350℉. Spray your Bundt pan with nonstick baking spray (see Notes.)
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, beat butter, oil, and sugar at medium speed for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and the egg yolk, one at a time, making sure each egg is incorporated before adding another. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Beat in the vanilla and the apple cider puree.
With the mixer on low speed, beat in half of the flour mixture. Beat in the buttermilk and then the remaining flour mixture. Mix until all of the ingredients are incorporated and the batter is smooth. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top.
Bake in the center of your preheated oven for 40-50 minutes or until the top of the cake is puffed and golden and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then carefully invert it onto a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes more.

Sugar Coating (and/or Glaze)

In a small bowl, whisk sugar and cinnamon. Using a pastry brush, brush the surface of the warm cake with the melted butter and then immediately sprinkle the surface with the sugar mixture. Let the topping set for 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
If you would like to add a glaze on top of the sugar topping, try my Vanilla Glaze, Orange Glaze, or Apple Cider Glaze (see Variations section in the post.)

Notes

For Bundt cakes that don't stick, I always recommend spraying your pans thoroughly with nonstick baking spray, such as Baker's Joy or Pam for Baking. This method is much easier, and much less messy, than using the "butter and flour" method.
You can use a food processor, mini chopper, or blender to puree the apple cider mixture. Fun fact: I actually used my Ninja Smoothie Maker to do the pureeing for this recipe, and it worked like a charm!
The cake can be prepared and stored at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap to store. If desired, rewarm a slice in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or wrapped in foil in a 300F oven.