Apple Cider Doughnut Cake – our favorite Fall dessert! SO easy to make. NO mixer required! Simply whisk together the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients and bake. All-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, baking powder, apple cider, applesauce, eggs, olive oil, vanilla, and turbinado sugar. Coat the cake with cinnamon and sugar. Can freeze leftovers for a quick dessert later.
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Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the start of cooler weather, watching the leaves change, and sipping on apple cider. This Apple Cider Doughnut Cake is one of my favorite ways to use up all that yummy apple cider. The cake is packed full of great flavor and that cinnamon-sugar coating really puts this cake on a whole new level. This cake personifies Fall!
How to Make Apple Cider Doughnut Cake with Applesauce
This cake is really easy to make from scratch. You don’t even need a mixer! You can do it all by hand if you wish. Now, I did throw everything in my KitchenAid mixer, but it isn’t necessary.
To make the cake, whisk together all the dry ingredients – all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, cinnamon, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients and sugar – apple cider, applesauce, eggs, olive oil, vanilla, and turbinado sugar. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until combined. Pour the batter into a greased and floured Bundt pan and bake.
Once the cake has cooled off slightly, brush the cake with melted butter and coat it with cinnamon and sugar. It gets a little messy, but it is worth the extra effort to get the whole cake coated.
Tips for Making Bundt Cake from Scratch
- There is no butter in the cake batter. The batter uses olive oil. I know it sounds strange, but it works.
- Another different ingredient in this cake is turbinado sugar or raw sugar. I bought my turbinado sugar at Walmart.
- Can Apple Cider Cake be made in advance? Yes! You can make this cake ahead of time and store it in an airtight container. The cake will keep on the countertop for 3 to 4 days and up to a week in the refrigerator.
- Can Apple Cider Cake be frozen? Yes! I will usually slice the cake into slices, wrap them in plastic wrap, and put the slices in a freezer bag. I love being able to pull out a slice of cake for a little afternoon pick me up. You can also freeze the whole cake. Follow the same process as freezing slices – wrap and put in a freezer bag. Let the cake thaw on the counter for an hour or so before slicing.
We loved this Apple Cider Doughnut Cake. It tastes like fall. We love to serve the cake slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce. It is also great with whipped cream! This cake is perfect for all your Fall parties! Everyone LOVES this easy cake! Here are a few more of our favorite Fall cake recipes from the blog:
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Apple Cider Doughnut Cake
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- 1¾ cups turbinado sugar
- 1 cup apple cider
- ¾ cup olive oil
- ¾ cup applesauce
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- ½ cup sugar white
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
- In another bowl, whisk together turbinado sugar, apple cider, olive oil, applesauce, vanilla, and eggs.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and whisk until well combined.
- Pour batter into prepared Bundt pan.
- Bake cake 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Let cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan and place on a baking rack,
- Combine ½ cup sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon.
- Brush cake with melted butter and sprinkle liberally with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Use your hands to coat the side of the cake.
- Cool the cake completely and serve.
Notes:
- There is no butter in the cake batter. The batter uses olive oil. I know it sounds strange, but it works.
- Another different ingredient in this cake is turbinado sugar or raw sugar. I bought my turbinado sugar at Walmart.
- You can make this cake ahead of time and store it in an airtight container. The cake will keep on the countertop for 3 to 4 days and up to a week in the refrigerator.
- I love to freeze leftover cakes. I will usually slice the cake into slices, wrap them in plastic wrap, and put the slices in a freezer bag. I love being able to pull out a slice of cake for a little afternoon pick me up.
- You can also freeze the whole cake. Follow the same process as freezing slices – wrap and put in a freezer bag. Let the cake thaw on the counter for an hour or so before slicing.
Steph
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I made this with all regular flour and 1 cup of regular sugar + one cup of light brown sugar in place of the turbinado sugar and it turned out great for anyone wondering about those particular substitutions. I took it to a party and everyone loved it.
What kind of apple cider do you use? Where do you buy it? Alcoholic?
Apple cider is readily available at grocery stores. It is not alcoholic.
This looks delicious! Thanks for the recipe. What do you suggest using if I can’t find the raw sugar? Brown sugar? Or brown + granulated?
I’ve only made this as written. Unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
This cake was very easy to make. Wonderful texture and moist! I prefer a sweeter cake so ate mine with homemade caramel sauce. I froze most of it to make bread pudding with one of these days.
Hey there! Could I substitute the apple sauce with homemade apple butter?
What a great idea! But unfortunately, without further recipe testing, I cannot answer with certainty. As always, please use your best judgment regarding substitutions and modifications.
Can you make this in a 9×13 pan? Or what suggestions if you don’t have a Bundt pan?
I made this over the weekend with all white flour. It's delicious. Served by itself it makes a good coffee cake. I brought half to work and it quickly disappeared, I would make this again.
I used white flour and unsweetened applesauce… delish!
Can these be made into cupcakes
Sure!
Thanks!
Hi! Is extra virgin olive oil ok or would that be too strong? Thanks
I used Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Is the whole wheat flour necessary? Or can I use all regular white flour?
I have only made this as written, so I can't say how it would turn out with all regular flour.
Did you use sweetened or unsweetened applesauce?
I used sweetened applesauce. I used Mott's
I have the same question…sweetened or unsweetened
What's the difference between the turbanido sugar, and just regular sugar?
Turbanido sugar is coarse and has molassss. It's more like a coarse brown sugar that isn't as processed.