Apple Cider Donut Cake with Spiced Apple Butter Filling

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Apple Cider Donut Cake…with a spiced apple butter filling, of course! It’s all the flavors you know and love from a warming cup of apple cider, but in a delicious cake instead! Moist and tender brown sugar cake, flavored with fresh apple cider and a hint of cinnamon, filled with a luscious homemade apple pie spiced apple butter, and finished with a spiced sugar. Every bite is reminiscent of a decadent cake donut, but even bigger, better, and 2x as delicious! Serve alongside your morning cup of coffee as a sweet way to start your day or simply enjoy with friends and family around the Thanksgiving dinner table.

About The Recipe

If there’s only one cake you bake this Fall, it’s this cake! It quite literally tastes like Fall in every bite. It’s the perfect treat to bake to start the Fall season and the beginning of cooler weather.

And ever since the first of September rolled around, the grocery stores have been carrying lots and lots of fresh apple cider. Of course, my mom and I just had to buy some!

It’s one of our favorite things about the Fall season.

And, between me and you, I have been craving our Apple Cider Donuts Holes since the temps started dropping. They are a staple in our kitchen come Fall and taste absolutely amazing.

They are warm, tender, and full of sweet Fall flavors.

Though, since we’ve already shared those, we wanted to share something equally as delicious, but new.

Which is where we got the idea to turn our favorite donuts into a baked donut cake! I mean, who doesn’t love an extra large donut?

Every bite is tender, perfectly sweet, and bursting with apple flavor! I could not be more obsessed with this cake.

The best part? It can be enjoyed alongside breakfast, with brunch, or even as an extra delicious Fall dessert!

What is a Donut Cake?

Well, a donut cake is a combination between your favorite cake donut and a bundt cake! This recipe in particular is inspired by Fall. Infused with sweet apple cider and cinnamon, this cake is the perfect breakfast/dessert to enjoy this Fall season!

Reasons You Will Love This Apple Cider Donut Cake

• Sweet, moist, and full of flavor.
• The cake takes only about 15-20 minutes to mix up.
• Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dessert.
• Guaranteed crowd pleaser.
• Filled with homemade apple butter!

Equipment Needed

• Instant Pot
• Blender
• Wooden Spoon
• 10 Inch Bundt Pan
• Mixing Bowls
• Whisk
• Stand Mixer
• Rubber Spatula

Ingredients

Full ingredient amounts and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

For The Apple Butter:

• Fresh Apples – For this recipe, you can use your favorite baking apple to make the apple butter! From Granny Smith to Honeycrisp.
• Granulated Sugar – Adds sweetness.
• Brown Sugar – Not only does this add sweetness, but the brown sugar adds a delicious molasses undertone to every bite.
• Apple Pie Spice – Gives this apple butter just the right amount of spice.
• Fresh Apple Cider – Adds an extra amount of apple flavor.
• Boiled Cider – This is our secret ingredient to an absolutely delicious apple butter!
• Lemon Juice – Acts as a natural preservative, while also cutting the sweetness slightly.

For The Cake:

• All-Purpose Flour – No need for fancy cake flour for this recipe! Regular unbleached all-purpose gives this cake the perfect structure and texture.
• Ground Cinnamon – Adds a subtle spice to this cake.
• Baking Powder – Leavening is essential in baking. This provides the perfect rise in the cake to give is a light, tender, and delicious texture.
• Salt – Enhances the flavor while also cutting the sweetness of the cake.
• Unsalted Butter –  We opted to use unsalted butter for this cake so we could control the amount of salt in the recipe!
• Granulated Sugar – Adds just the right amount of sweetness, without being too much.
• Brown Sugar – We opted to add a little bit of brown sugar to compliment the flavor of the apple cider.
• Large Eggs – This cake uses 2 large eggs to create the ultimate structure in this cake.
• Apple Cider – Creates an intense apple flavor!
• Vanilla Extract – Gives this cake a subtle undertone and delicious flavor.

For The Topping:

• Apple Cider – After baking, this cake is brushed with apple cider to make sure the spiced sugar sticks to the cake, while also keeping the cake moist.
• Granulated Sugar – Adds sweetness and a little bit of crunch to this cake.
• Ground Cinnamon – Gives this cake a little extra spice.

How To Make This Apple Cider Donut Cake

Step 1: Make apple butter

Combine all ingredients in instant pot. Pressure cook on high for 10 minutes. Release pressure.

Carefully transfer apple mixture to blender. Purée.

Return to instant pot. Cook on low sauté, stirring frequently, for 45 minutes or until mixture mounds on spoon.

Step 2: Prepare cake batter

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add flour mixture alternately with apple cider, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Stir in vanilla.

Step 3: Layer into pan & bake

Spoon half of batter into prepared pan. Gently spoon and spread 1 cup apple butter on top of batter. Top with remaining batter.

Bake for 65-70 minutes, or until done.

Step 5: Make topping

In a small bowl, whisk together sugar and cinnamon.

Step 6:Top cake

Turn cake out onto serving platter or cooling rack. Brush entire cake with apple cider.

Coat with cinnamon sugar.

FAQ’s and Troubleshooting

How To Store

Once this cake has cooled, it can be stored in a covered cake plate at room temperature for 2-3 days. Though, the best way to store this cake is in the fridge! It is a very moist cake and will keep for up to a week.

You can also freeze this cake as a whole or in individual slices for 2-3 months.

Substitutions

• Any type of baking apple can be used to make the apple butter.
• Cinnamon can be used in place of apple pie spice in the apple butter.
• You can use store-bought apple butter to fill this cake.
• This recipe can be made vegan if non-dairy butter and your favorite vegan egg replacement (we like aquafaba!) are used.

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Expert Tips

• 1 pound apples is equal to about 3 cups sliced.
• You can make the apple butter on the stovetop, if desired. Click Here for the stovetop directions!
• Be sure to check the expiration date on your baking powder before baking.
• Your eggs, butter, and cider need to be room temperature!
• When layering the cake, try to keep the apple butter away from the edges and center of the pan to ensure the apple butter doesn’t cause the cake to stick.
• Let this cake cool completely before turning out!
• Don’t skip brushing this cake with apple cider after baking, as the cinnamon sugar won’t stick as well without it.

When you make these Apple Cider Donut Cake With Apple Butter Filling, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.

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