Easy Apple Cider Bundt Cake
This easy apple cider bundt cake dresses up a box of spice cake mix with apple cider, melted butter, and cinnamon sugar for a festive fall or holiday dessert that tastes exactly like a big apple cider donut.
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The best season for eating is definitely fall.
All the pumpkin and apple treats at the fall festivals.
Seriously the best.
And I look forward to the apple cider donuts at a nearby fall fastival almost all year.
This apple cider bundt cake is basically an apple cider donut cake.
So much yes to this.
It’s a cinnamony, apple bonanza that makes a lovely and seriously easy dessert all fall long.
And it’s festive enough that you could serve this up as Thanksgiving dessert or even for Christmas dessert if you want to offer your guests something other than pumpkin pie.
Ingredients and Kitchen Supplies
To make this apple cider donut cake recipe, you’ll need:
- Spice Cake Mix – You can use your favorite brand. We like both Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines. Can’t find it? Use yellow cake and add 1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, and 1 full teaspoon of ginger and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon to the batter.
- Apple Cider – You can use a store bought jug of apple cider or use some leftover homemade apple cider.
- Butter – Butter will give this cake the best flavor. You’re going to melt it both for the batter itself and for the topping.
- Eggs
- Topping ingredients– Ground cinnamon, granulated sugar, and melted butter.
Kitchen supplies to have on hand include:
- mixing bowls
- electric mixer
- measuring cups and spoons
- a spatula to scrape the sides of the mixing bowl and smooth out the cake in the pan
- bundt cake pan to get the right shape but regular cake pans would work though you may have to adjust your cook time.
How to Make Apple Cider Bundt Cake
1. Make the apple cider donut cake batter.
Before starting, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F or the temperature indicated on your cake mix packaging.
In a small, microwave safe dish, melt only the butter you need for the cake batter itself.
Once the butter is melted, mix the butter, spice cake mix, apple cider, eggs, and melted butter together with an electric mixer in a large mixing bowl.
Scrape the sides down as needed to make sure all the cake mix gets incorporated into the batter.
Pour the batter into a bundt pan you’ve sprayed with nonstick spray
2. Bake the bundt cake.
Bake for 36 to 41 minutes.
Check the cake around 36 minutes by carefully poking a toothpick or wooden skewer in.
If it comes out clean it is done.
We recommend checking the cake about 36 minutes into baking with a toothpick or other long, thing stick.
Once the cake is baked, take it out of the oven and let it cool.
3. Make the topping.
When the cake is cool enough to handle, you can turn it out by turning it upside down onto a cake platter.
It should pop right out of the bundt pan when you turn it over.
Once the cake is out of the bundt pan, melt additional butter in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a separate bowl.
Spoon the melted butter over the top of the cake or brush it on with a pastry brush.
Then sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top, making sure to cover the top.
Serve and enjoy!
Storing
Once you make the cake, you can store it in a cake storage container for about 4 days on the counter or up to a week in the fridge.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve apple cider cake with a lot different toppings and sides.
For added apple flavor, you could make easy fried apples and spoon them on top of the slices of cake.
For an extra treat pair it with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce
You might also like topping it with warm caramel or whipped cream.
Tips and Tricks
- You could skip the cinnamon sugar topping and either ice it with vanilla buttercream or a glaze similiar to the glaze on these pumpkin donuts.
- Serve with ice cream, whipped cream, and fried apples for some added flavor.
- Make sure to adjust baking times if you use a different pan, like a round cake pan or a cupcake pan.
- Before pouring the batter into the pan, make sure to liberally spray the pan with nonstick spray. Even non-stick bundt pans tend to stick if not greased. You can also coat it with flour to help ensure the cake comes out easily.
Other Easy Fall Dessert Recipes
- Boozy Pumpkin Sheet Cake
- Instant Pot Stuffed apples
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Baked Stuffed Apples
- Cinnamon Swirl Pumpkin Bread with Streusel Topping
- Easy Marbled Cut Out Pumpkin Spice Cookies (without puree)
- Easy Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls
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Equipment
- 1 Bundt Cake Pan
Ingredients
- 1 package spice cake mix
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 3 whole eggs
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon (divided)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (for topping)
- 1/2 stick butter, melted (for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Melt 1/3 cup of butter in the microwave or in a pot on the stove.
- Mix the apple cider, melted butter, eggs, cake mix, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in a large mixing bowl.
- Grease the bundt pan and pour the batter in.
- Bake for about 36 to 41 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the oven when a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Allow to cool for a few minutes.
- As the cake cools, melt 1/2 stick of butter.
- In a small bowl, mix 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and the sugar in a small bowl.
- Remove the cake from the pan and set on a plate. Pour the butter over the top of the cake and then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top.
- Serve the cake with your favorite toppings, like whipped cream or ice cream, and enjoy!
