Rhythm Rielly

Bake With the Seasons · September

There are perfectly respectable autumn cakes.

And then there is a cake that gets brushed with melted butter while it is still warm and covered in cinnamon sugar because apparently we have decided restraint can wait until winter.

This apple cider donut cake takes everything wonderful about a fresh cider donut—the apple, cinnamon, nutmeg, tender crumb, and gloriously sugary outside—and turns it into one easy cake.

No frying. No donut pan. No standing over hot oil making six donuts at a time.

Just one very autumnal cake and a cinnamon-sugar coating that gets absolutely everywhere in the best possible way.

Why You’ll Love This Apple Cider Donut Cake

• Real apple cider flavor
• Buttery cinnamon-sugar coating
• No frying required
• No special donut pan
• Tender yogurt-based crumb
• Easy enough for a weekend breakfast
• Dangerously good while still slightly warm

The Secret: Reduce the Apple Cider

Apple cider contains a lot of water. Pour too much directly into cake batter and you can end up with plenty of moisture but surprisingly little apple flavor.

Instead, we’re going to simmer the cider first.

As a result, reducing it concentrates the apple flavor without flooding the batter with extra liquid. It takes a few minutes, but it makes a noticeable difference.

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 1 1/2 cups apple cider
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, optional
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream

For the Cinnamon-Sugar Finish

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Small pinch of salt

How to Make Apple Cider Donut Cake

1. Reduce the Apple Cider

Pour the apple cider into a small saucepan and bring it to a gentle simmer over medium heat.

Then continue simmering until the cider has reduced from 1 1/2 cups to approximately 1/2 cup. Depending on the pan and heat level, this may take roughly 15–25 minutes.

Once reduced, transfer the cider to a measuring cup and let it cool while you prepare the rest of the cake.

2. Prepare the Pan

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

Generously grease a standard 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan, making sure to reach every curve and crevice. A tube pan can also work.

3. Mix the Dry Ingredients

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, optional ginger, and salt.

4. Cream the Butter and Sugars

Beat the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until creamy and slightly lighter in texture.

Next, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then mix in the vanilla.

5. Add the Yogurt and Cider

Stir the Greek yogurt into the cooled reduced cider.

Then add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture in several additions, alternating with the cider mixture. Mix only until everything is combined.

6. Bake

Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Next, bake for approximately 40–50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the thickest portion comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10–15 minutes, then carefully invert it onto a cooling rack or serving plate.

7. Make It Taste Like a Cider Donut

Mix the granulated sugar, cinnamon, and pinch of salt in a small bowl.

While the cake is still warm, brush the outside generously with melted butter. Then immediately sprinkle and gently press the cinnamon sugar all over the surface.

Yes, some cinnamon sugar will fall onto the plate.

That is not a problem. That is a snack for later.

What Is Apple Cider?

For this recipe, look for the cloudy, unfiltered apple cider commonly sold refrigerated during apple season rather than sparkling cider or apple cider vinegar.

However, apple juice can work in a pinch. Traditional cider usually has a fuller apple flavor that becomes especially delicious when reduced.

Can I Make This Without a Bundt Pan?

Yes. The Bundt shape gives you lots of surface area for that buttery cinnamon-sugar coating, which is one reason it works so well here, but the flavor does not depend on the pan.

A tube pan is the easiest alternative. Alternatively, you can divide the batter between loaf pans or use an appropriately sized round cake pan, but baking times will change. Begin checking earlier for shallower cakes and always test the center for doneness.

Can I Add Apples?

You can fold about 1 cup of finely diced peeled apple into the finished batter before baking.

For the best texture, choose a firm baking apple so the pieces retain some bite. Keep them fairly small so they distribute throughout the cake rather than creating heavy wet pockets.

Make It Even More Dangerous

The cinnamon-sugar version is already plenty good, but autumn rarely rewards restraint.

• Salted caramel: Drizzle a little warm caramel over individual slices.
• Maple: Add a small drizzle of maple glaze just before serving.
• Apple butter: Serve a spoonful beside a warm slice.
• Vanilla ice cream: Put it on a still-warm piece and accept your fate.
• Extra cinnamon sugar: Keep a little aside and sprinkle it over freshly cut slices.

What to Serve With Apple Cider Donut Cake

This is exactly the sort of cake that belongs beside hot coffee, black tea, chai, or a mug of warm apple cider.

For dessert, meanwhile, serve slices slightly warm with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, caramel sauce, or a spoonful of apple butter.

Storage

Once completely cool, keep the cake tightly covered at room temperature for approximately 2–3 days.

For that reason, the cinnamon-sugar coating is at its best on the first day, when the exterior still has a little texture and the center is especially tender.

The Cake That Turns September Toward Autumn

September begins with figs, plums, pears, and blackberries still carrying the abundance of late summer.

Then the apples arrive.

Suddenly there is cider in the refrigerator, cinnamon on the counter, and a perfectly reasonable excuse to brush an entire warm cake with butter and roll it in sugar.

That is why this recipe finishes the September chapter of our Bake With the Seasons collection. It is the moment the kitchen unmistakably begins to smell like autumn.

More September Baking

• Fresh Fig & Honey Cake — ripe figs, Greek yogurt, almonds, and warm honey.
• Plum Crumble Bars — juicy fresh plums tucked between a buttery oat crust and crumble.
• Pear & Almond Galette — seasonal pears and almond filling wrapped in rustic pastry.
• Blackberry Cornmeal Cake — fresh blackberries baked into a tender golden cornmeal cake.

Cut the first slice while it is still just a little warm.

You’ve been warned.