Apple Cider Doughnut Cake has all the flavor of a warm cider doughnut baked into one soft, moist fall cake ~ with plenty of apple cider, warm spice, and that classic cinnamon-sugar finish.
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It’s the first thingI bake every fall
I highly recommend this wonderful apple cider doughnut cake ~ it’s pretty much everything you want in an easy fall treat. There’s nothing fancy or fussy about it, but it’s soft and tender, with a thin cinnamon-sugar crust just like those cider doughnuts you get when you go apple picking. The aroma is intoxicating, and it’s the perfect thing to bring to a party or fall gathering. It’s also ideal for housewarmings, new neighbors, new parents, or anyone who could use a little extra comfort or care.
What readers are saying
➡ This Apple Cider Doughnut Cake is the most delicious cake I ever made — and I bake a LOT! I could have eaten the whole cake.
➡ Have made this 3 times in 2 weeks already lol due to popular demand.
➡ This has become one of my all time favorite cakes.
➡ I had to reach out about this recipe because holy batman it is GOOD.
cider doughnut cake ingredient highlights
- all purpose flour + oat flour
- I use both all purpose and oat flour in this cake, which gives it a nice, tender crumb and a ‘dough-nutty’ texture.
- Oat flour can be found in your supermarket baking aisle, and you can easily make oat flour at home using your blender or food processor.
- apple cider
- this is where a lot of the cake’s fall flavor comes from, so use good fresh cider if you can. I like the cloudy, unfiltered kind you find refrigerated in fall.
- applesauce
- adds moisture to the cake. You might also try apple butter.
- vegetable oil
- using oil instead of butter keeps this cake moist and delicious.
- cinnamon
- I usually use nutmeg as the defining flavor in my doughnut cakes, but in this case cinnamon deserves top billing.
more doughnut cake recipes
Apple Cider Doughnut Loaf Cake
Glazed Old Fashioned Buttermilk Doughnut Bundt Cake
Chocolate Sour Cream Doughnut Bundt Cake
I attribute the pillowy texture of this apple cider doughnut cake to the applesauce and the oat flour in the recipe. Oat flour is readily available in most large grocery stores, and Bob’s Red Mill makes a good one, but it’s essentially oats that have been ground into a fine powder, so if you don’t have any on hand you can actually process rolled oats in a food processor or high speed blender, like a Vitamix, to make your own. For more details, check out my post on how to make your own oat flour!
how oat flour changes the texture of this apple cider cake
Oat flour gives baked goods a nice soft texture and a little extra flavor. I love it to add it to regular flour in lots of different types of recipes. It does wonders for my Irish oatmeal soda bread and my quick whole grain rolls.
Oat flour has a slightly higher moisture content than wheat flour, which helps keep cakes moist and tender.
Oat flour has a lovely nutty, earthy taste that adds depth to the flavor of this cake.
I recommend a basic bundt pan
This is a must in any kitchen. Recipes that call for bundt pans rely on the shape to bake the cake properly
Bundt pans come in all sorts of wonderful shapes and sizes, which is great, but if you only buy one, I like to use this one from Wilton. It’s a basic, all purpose pan that’s sturdy, nonstick, and a standard size. The simple fluted shape insures an easy release, and isn’t that what it’s all about? Click here for details.
Reader-tested variations
I don’t expect you to read through 400+ comments, so I pulled out some of the best ideas readers have tried with this cake.
- Make it gluten-free: Karen and Susan have had great results with Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free baking flour, while Karla uses her own blend of rice, tapioca, coconut, millet, and sorghum flours.
- Boost the apple flavor: Sandy adds a cup of grated apple, Lorraine and Susan use boiled cider, and Anne adds a little apple brandy.
- Add more cinnamon crunch: Judy dusts her greased Bundt pan with cinnamon sugar, while Bella adds a layer of cinnamon sugar to the bottom of the pan before baking.
- Add a glaze: Jen drizzles the finished cake with a simple cider icing.
- Swap the oil: Linda uses melted butter in place of the vegetable oil.
- Make your own oat flour: Amanda and Eyvonne grind oats in a NutriBullet or food processor with great results.
- Change the pan: Dee turns it into a layer cake, and reader “A” made half the recipe in an 8×8 pan and baked it for 27 minutes.
- No cider? Enid uses apple cider vinegar diluted with water and loves the result.
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Apple Cider Doughnut Cake
Video
Equipment
- standard bundt pan (10-12 cup capacity)
Ingredients
dry ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups oat flour
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
wet ingredients
- 1 cup apple cider
- 3/4 cup applesauce
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil, I use safflower
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
topping
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Generously butter and flour your bundt pan, making sure to get into all the nooks and crannies. Don’t skip this step!
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk the wet ingredients together in a another bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until just combined, don’t over mix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out without wet batter clinging to it. Set the pan on a cooling rack for 15 minutes.
- Stir the sugar and cinnamon together for the topping.
- Invert the cake onto a plate. Brush with the melted butter, and sprinkle generously all over with the sugar.
Notes
- Sub cardamom for cinnamon, yum.
- Fold in some finely diced fresh apple for texture.
- You might use apple butter instead of applesauce.
- Instead of the sugar coating you could make a simple glaze out of cider and powdered sugar to drizzle (liberally!) over the cake.
Nutrition
more ways to cook with cider
Apple cider adds natural sweetness, flavor, moisture, and a pop of acidity to so many foods! I make it a point to keep a quart in the fridge all season long.
- Kale and Fall Fruit Salad with Cider Poppy Seed Dressing
- Baked Apple Cider Doughnuts ~ New York Times Recipe
- Homemade Apple Cider
- Apple Cider Doughnut Loaf Cake
- Hot Buttered Apple Cider
- Mulled Cider Jelly
- Slow Cooked Cider Brats with Apple Onion Relish
- Wild Rice Salad with Maple Cider Vinaigrette
- Hard Cider Braised Pot Roast with Fresh Sage
Can you use just AP flour instead of oat flour?
Yes you can Joyce!
I wonder what would happen if I added some chopped apple…
I think that’s a really good idea, give it a try and report back!
Couldn’t find oat flour ( if you can believe that?) I subbed it w whole wheat flour…. will let you know how it comes out.
Interesting…I think it will be fine with whole wheat flour, can’t wait for your report!
Made this yesterday and it’s yummy! I made my own oat flour in food processor and it turned out perfectly!
I’m happy to hear that Eyvonne, I think I can safely say that this cake is just about foolproof, and I’m so goad you went with the oat flour!
Do i have to use Oat flour?
No, you can use all regular flour, it just won’t be as tasty 😉
What are the dry ingredients.
The recipe is toward the end of the post Debra, and the dry ingredients are:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups oat flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
Can I grind up rolled oats to substitute for the oat flour
Yes, absolutely, I’ve got a whole post to show you how, here.
One and a half cups of sugar and you’re saying this recipe isn’t overly sweet?! This looks delicious but I’m going to cut the sugar in half. I’m sure the cake will taste just fine with “only” 3/4 cup of organic cane sugar.
Lol, I guess when I say that I’m really referring to the taste of the cake, Melanie, but I’ll be interested to hear if you have success lowering the sugar, I assume that will work.
Any idea if this recipe will bake properly at high altitudes? I just moved from 14 ft above sea level to 5518 ft above sea level.
Have this in the oven now. Thank you!
Apple Cider goodness is in the oven!!! Made my own Oat flour, thank you for the tip!
Hooray, hope you like it.