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A golden Apple Cider Bundt Cake coated in cinnamon sugar sits on a white plate with cinnamon sticks nearby.
Maryam

Apple Cider Bundt Cake

A moist, warmly spiced bundt cake that tastes like fall in every bite, with reduced apple cider intensifying the flavor and a tender crumb that keeps for days.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings: 12 slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 380

Ingredients
  

For the Cake
  • 2 cups apple cider not hard cider; divided
  • 12 tbsp unsalted butter 1.5 sticks, room temperature, plus more for pan
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 2.5 cups all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp ground nutmeg freshly grated if possible
  • 0.25 tsp ground allspice
  • 0.75 tsp kosher salt
For the Cider Glaze
  • 1.5 cups confectioners' sugar sifted
  • 3 tbsp reduced apple cider from reduced amount above

Equipment

  • 12-cup Bundt pan
  • Medium saucepan
  • Large Mixing Bowl
  • Wire cooling rack

Method
 

Prep and Reduce the Cider
  1. Pour 2 cups apple cider into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until cider has reduced to 1/2 cup, about 15-20 minutes. It should be syrupy and coat the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and let cool completely. Reserve 3 tablespoons for the glaze.
  2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Thoroughly butter a 12-cup bundt pan, getting into every crevice, then dust with flour and tap out excess. This prevents sticking better than baking spray.
Mix the Batter
  1. In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl.
  2. Beat in eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until fully incorporated. The mixture should look smooth and pale.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt.
  4. With mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the reduced cider in two additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix just until combined and no flour streaks remain. The batter will be thick.
Bake and Glaze
  1. Spoon batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake pulls slightly away from the pan edges, 50-55 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then invert onto rack and cool completely, about 1 hour.
  2. Whisk confectioners' sugar with reserved 3 tablespoons reduced cider until smooth and pourable. Drizzle over cooled cake, letting it drip down the sides. Let set for 15 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Reducing the cider concentrates the apple flavor dramatically - don't skip this step. For the cleanest release, butter your bundt pan with a pastry brush to reach every curve, then chill the pan for 10 minutes before adding batter. The cake keeps beautifully wrapped at room temperature for 3 days or frozen unglazed for up to 2 months.