Apple Cider Donut Cake with Apple Butter Filling

overhead image of cut apple cider donut cake with slice on white plate beside with yellow leaves, flowers, apples, a cake knife, and empty glasses around.

Apple Cider Donut Cake with Apple Butter Filling

Enjoy the best of Fall baking with this extra large and extra delicious Apple Cider Donut Cake! Filled with luscious homemade apple butter, this brown sugar cider cake is the only Fall treat you'll be needing all season long.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 1 10

Total Time: 1 35

Servings: slices

Calories: 451kcal

Ingredients

Apple Butter

1 pound apples peeled, cored, and sliced
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon apple pie spice
¼ cup fresh apple cider
1½ Tablespoons boiled cider
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Cake

2¾ cups all purpose flour
4¾ teaspoons ground cinnamon
2½ teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar firmly packed
2 large eggs room temperature
1½ cups apple cider
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Topping

½ cup apple cider
1 cup granulated sugar
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

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.

Cake

Heat oven to 350℉/177℃.
Spray 10-inch bundt pan with baking spray. Set aside.
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.
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.
Allow to cool before turning out.

To Finish

In a small bowl, whisk together sugar and cinnamon.
Turn cake out onto serving platter or cooling rack.
Brush entire cake with apple cider.
Coat with cinnamon sugar.

Notes

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.

Expert Tips:

1 pound apples is equal to about 3 cups sliced.
You can make the apple butter on the stovetop, if desired.
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.

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