Confession time! As someone with more opinions than I can fit in three cookbooks, one audiobook, and even 18 years of archives on this website, sometimes when I want to grumble about something food-related but it’s not the time or place, I tuck it in a little document called “rants” that is so full of cringe, you only have my permission to publish posthumously. But I can’t write a headnote for this particular cake without first owning up to #23 on the list in advance: “Apple cider cakes are lies.” Which begs the questions: Who hurt you, Deb? What gives? Essentially, my quibble is that you can put all of the wonderful fresh-pressed apple cider you want in a cake, but it rarely comes through to actually taste like apple cider. The flavor is not robust enough. I’m not saying it can’t be wildly delicious with all of the cinnamon spice we also put in these cakes, but it rarely, to me, tastes like an accurate representation of its name.
And yet here I am, riding in on the Audacity Express with none other than an apple cider cake for you today. If history is any indication, and by history I mean my previous recipes for Apple Cider Caramels, Apple Cider Doughnuts, and even the Apple Cider Old-Fashioned (from Smitten Kitchen Keepers), you can probably already guess that I’m going to start this recipe by reducing the apple cider so it’s more concentrated and the flavor better comes through. It’s not going to have the intense apple cider clarity of the caramels or cocktail, but it’s heading in the right direction. We’re adding the cake’s spices right to the apple cider so as it cooks away on the stove, it’s going to be like the simmer pot of your dreams exploded (gently, aromatically) in the kitchen and this alone makes this recipe worth dropping everything to make. To smell it is to long sigh — I am serious.
But I’m utterly burying the lede to not also mention that this cake is dairy-free and egg-free, i.e. vegan. It filled a void last month when I’d realized that the traditional honey cakes for the Jewish new year were something that neither the vegan, nor the egg- and dairy-allergic members of our family could enjoy and whipped this up as a swap. I had not expected that the cake would so soundly knock it out of the park on the first round, that it would taste precisely like a warm apple cider doughnut, the kind that’s the highlight of apple picking excursions, but it is the reason I’ve made it several times since, even when there were no dietary limitations at hand. Like the other dairy-free, egg-free cakes on this site [Chocolate Olive Oil Cake, Plush Confetti Cupcakes, Plush Coconut Cake] this is an incredibly springy, moist cake. You’ll never know what it’s “missing,” because it tastes as good as every cake should. Don’t skip the glaze; it really brings home the apple cider flavor.
[This cake apparently fulfilled my lucky-on-the-first-try recipe testing quota for the year as I’ve been lumping along pathetically in everything else I’ve cooked since. Balance!]
Something new! I’m so excited to announce the special audiobook edition of Smitten Kitchen Keepers, Smitten Kitchen Keepers: A Kitchen Counter Conversation! Available on November 12th and read by me, I hope it feels exactly like you’ve pulled up a chair and I’m hanging out in the kitchen with you, discussing techniques, substitutions, and chatting about what I think makes each recipe special. Bonus recipe: When you purchase the audiobook, you will receive a signed holiday card from me with a bonus recipe! To receive your card and recipe, complete the form with your purchase order number right here. [US Residents, 18+. Ends December 13, 2024.]
Podcast! A new episode of my podcast with J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, The Recipe with Kenji and Deb, is out and it’s all about Popcorn. You can listen to it anywhere you get your podcasts and catch up on any episodes you’ve missed right here. New episodes drop every other Monday. I hope you enjoy listening as much as we’re enjoying the conversation.
Video
Glazed Apple Cider Doughnut Cake
- 4 cups (1 quart or 945 ml) fresh apple cider (see note)
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) neutral-flavored oil
- 1 cup (215 grams) light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cider vinegar
- 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar
Make the batter: Heat your oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round or 8-inch square cake pan with parchment paper and coat the sides with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and kosher salt. Make a well in the middle and pour in oil, brown sugar, cider vinegar, and 1 3/4 cups of the reduced cider (reserving the remaining 1/4 cup for the glaze). Whisk to combine until no lumps remain. Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake the cake: For 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is springy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few sticky crumbs (but not wet or loose batter). Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then cut around it with a knife to ensure it is loosened and flip it out onto a plate.
Finish the cake: Place powdered sugar in a medium bowl and stir in 3 tablespoons of the remaining spiced apple cider reduction, whisking until a thick glaze forms. Add some or all of the remaining 1 tablespoon reduction if needed to get your desired consistency. Pour the glaze over the center of the cake and use a spatula to gently trickle it down the sides.
Go ahead, eat the cake while it’s still warm.
Do ahead: This cake keeps at room temperature loosely covered for 2 to 3 days and up to a week in the fridge.
Previously
6 months ago: Spinach and Artichoke Pan Pizza
1 year ago: Chicken Rice with Buttered Onions
2 years ago: Apple and Cheddar Crisp Salad
3 years ago: Winter Squash and Spinach Pasta Bake
4 years ago: Skillet Turkey Chili
5 year ago: Chicken Curry
6 years ago: Even More Perfect Apple Pie
7 years ago: Quick Pasta and Chickpeas and Chocolate Olive Oil Cake
8 years ago: Garlic Wine and Butter Steamed Clams, Baked Alaska, Indian-Spiced Cauliflower Soup and Skillet-Baked Pasta with Five Cheeses
9 years ago: My Old-School Baked Ziti and Cannoli Pound Cake
10 years ago: Better Chicken Pot Pies and Better Chocolate Babka
11 years ago: Miso Sweet Potato and Broccoli Bowl and Purple Plum Torte
12 years ago: Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
13 years ago: Apple Pie Cookies
14 years ago: Mushroom Lasagna
15 years ago: Quiche Lorraine and Breakfast Apple Granola Crisp
16 years ago: Majestic and Moist Honey Cake, Best Challah (Egg Bread), and Mom’s Apple Cake
17 years ago: Peter Reinhart’s Bagels and Peanut Butter Brownies
18 years ago: Lemon Cake
Deb, next time you host a humanitarian fundraiser, set us a dollar goal for releasing the Rants Document. I’ll break open the piggy bank . . .
Thank you for the cackle!
Thank you, Deb! I love reading about your recipes almost as much as making them! Question: You say to bake in a square 8″ or 9″ pan and yet, the photo shows a round cake. What size round pan would one use if they wanted a round cake?
Thank you. This cake fit in a 9-inch round (as shown) or an 8-inch square.
Could I had chopped up apples to this? Peeled and diced? If I did would it be wise to precook them a bit? Thanks!
So, this is a bit like an old-fashioned Wacky Cake, or Depression Cake! I’m so excited to make this! Us Okies have to find ways to pretend it’s actually Fall outside :)
Gah. That wasn’t meant to be a reply!
I have a stash of reduced cider just for this and I even managed to get all the right spices in it! I have been waiting for this recipe for almost a year now Deb, but I did not expect it to be a donut cake. Can’t wait to hit the kitchen!
This smelled wonderful but sank horribly, I have no idea what went wrong. Might have to apply the reduced cider idea in other places tho.
For those cakes sinking in the middle, here’s a list of things to consider; https://thedoughacademy.com/why-did-my-cake-sink-in-the-middle-7-simple-fixes/
My cake sank a bit in the middle too. Might have taken it out a bit too early (I hate to overbake!). Simple solution was to flip it over before glazing. It looked and tasted heavenly!!
I also had issues with sinking in the middle! I referenced list of things that might have gone wrong, but none checked out for my cake. I used an 8×8 pan and tester came out clean in the middle. Still delicious!
I bought a bottle of boiled cider at Kalustyan’s a while ago and I have only used it to enhance applesauce. I’ve been wondering how to else to cook with it. I think this will be perfect!
The bottled boiled cider is likely quite a bit thicker than the two cups of reduced cider would be here, so you probably wouldn’t want to swap equal amounts. The one that King Arthur Baking sells (from Wood’s Cider Mill) is reduced to an eighth of the original cider volume, so to get to that one-half concentration that Deb uses in this recipe, you’d want to add three times as much water. See if your bottled cider is the same-.
I have some King Arthur boiled cider stashed in my fridge and was just wondering how much I needed to dilute it to replicate the reduced cider for this recipe — thanks for doing the math!
Deb! I just moved my family to London and have been turning to your recipes frequently to ground me so THANK YOU for the cloudy apple juice suggestion (and for your work in general!). I can’t wait to make this. Cheers.
Do you think the spiced cider from Trader Joe’s would work?
I’m making it right now using the Trader Joe’s Spiced Cider, but also added the spices as written—I am leaning in! I’ll post again if it doesn’t work out, but I’m excited to try! The pan was surprisingly full; hoping it doesn’t overflow!
It was officially delish! We agreed it tasted almost like gingerbread. My husband ran to get another piece while it was still warm!
Deb, Love this, must make soon🍎 Question: Can the cider reduction be made in advance, kept in fridge till ready to make the cake?
I don’t know how long I’d want to keep the cider reduction in the fridge (I tend to forget about things I don’t use right away until it’s too late) but I wonder if it might *freeze* decently, if needed.
Seemed ok going in the oven but then sank and turned pretty rubbery after sitting for 10 minutes. Not sure what happened!
I made my cider reduction and froze it. It defrosted well and the cake tastes great! You need to ensure you stir it well before using it.
This should keep fine. It’s still very liquid.
You can also add some as a flavoring in apple pie or other baked dishes. I like adding some to oatmeal or other dishes where you might use maple syrup.
I desperately want to make this today! But I only have apple juice (see: 2yo and 6yo at home). Could I use extra juice and extra spices to make it “cider-y”?
Apple cider tastes very different from apple juice. So, so different. Apple juice is much sweeter, and apple cider tastes like someone liquified an apple.
Apple juice is so acidic and thin. Cider is thick, cloudy, sweet. I really don’t think it could be substituted, unfortunately
Thank you!
How well would this freeze? Unglazed of course?
It should freeze well.
Thank you for this recipe! Worked well, I’ve never made a vegan cake before and this smacked. I did add a 1/4tsp of baking powder to get a slightly fluffier rise, and reduced the icing to 3/4c powdered sugar with 1Tbs of maple syrup and the 3Tbsp of cider reduction to get a little bit of the refined sugars reduced, worked like a champ.
I bought 2 quarts of apple cider and made your batch cocktails from Keepers just a few days ago. This recipe used up the rest! The cake is in the oven now. A perfect pair. And now I know I can cook down the whole container of cider at once next time. Thank you.
Do you have a suggestion for a gluten free version? Has anyone tried a gluten free version and if so – any suggestions?
I’m trying it GF tonight – it’s going in the oven in a sec. Will report back.
Absolutely delicious- so moist. Great cider flavor. I love the photo here of the white glaze, however, adding the cider reduction which adds great flavor does produce a dark colored glaze – not quite as attractive as the photo. However, I will definitely make this again and again.
I made recipe into 18 muffins using Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 GF flour (the light blue bag) and they came out well. (They’re still cooling.) Because GF baked goods need more structure (and there is no egg in this recipe) the smaller size of muffins helps them keep their rise. I’ll try it later this week as an 8” cake (I reduced a half gallon of cider so have enough for two batches.).
I used silicone muffin pans bc GF bakes also stick more, though I don’t think it’s necessary. You need to let them cool in the pan almost completely, bc the gum(s) in GF flour blends are extra soft when warm – you rise having the bake collapse. Will glaze them when they’re cool for the same reason. I think this would apply to cake size as well.
The Paleo grain free version over flowed the pan FYI. It didn’t set up correctly, but it does taste good in a bowl alongside coffee in the morning.
Thank you for so much wisdom for those of us who do not typically bake GF. This is part of why I read the comments here. This is such a great community!
Hmm, I was planning on trying muffins too. I’m headed to visit two sets of grandchildren, so the better for sharing!
I have the Bob’s all purpose gluten free baking flour, and will hope that works well too. Thanks for explaining that you made 18 muffins.
I’m also at high altitude, so will report if this works! I’m going to search out recipe changes for altitude.
Thank you for this! I’m celiac so I use 1-1 GF flour in all my baking and I wish I’d seen your comment before I made this cake (which is delicious and I love it) because i did have an issue removing the cake from the pan after only ten minutes as the directions said to do, it didn’t stick but kind of collapsed and fell apart. I did a 9” round cake pan.
I am baking a grain free (Paleo) version rn. I will also report in.
Interesting! What swaps are you making?
Hi Juanita. How did your grain free version come out? Any tips? I’d like to try this with Bob’s Paleo flour. Thanks!
I used Bob’s 1:1 gf flour, and it was terrific. I baked it just before doing a regular flour version for my sister, and the cakes looked basically identical when they were all done and cooled. The gf cake was done in less time – it probably would’ve been done at 25 minutes.
I made GF with Trader Joe’s GF flour and am sad to report it was a disaster of epic proportions. Overflowed and burnt all over the oven, what was left collapsed and was still not finished cooking at 40 minutes, and finished product had the soggiest bottom you ever did see (which, in turn, became the soggiest top). Tasted OK but I’m so sad I wasted a quart of homemade apple cider on this.
I LOVE the idea of reducing cider down to make the flavour pop in the cake. Bookmarking for next year’s Rosh HaShanah. Thank you for making it a cake shape and not a loaf. While I love the many loaf-shaped honeycakes of the world (including my family’s, which has lots of fennel and anise but no cinnamon,) I find a round cake more festive!
I’ve enjoyed your recipes for years! I learned how to make cold brew coffee from your recipe blog. I think way back in 2007? 2008?. Your zucchini bread recipe is my go-to every summer when our zucchini crop goes wild. You’re family at this point. I know this cake is going to be amazing and I wholeheartedly agree about most other apple cider cakes being a lie. 😂 I can’t wait to test this out! Thank you for sharing! ❤️
I have been making “wacky cakes” for almost 40 yrs but never thought about using apple cider!
I didn’t read the comments before I boiled 2 quarts of apple juice down to 1 quart, to use half for this cake. Well, I did it last night & holey buckets, it was AMAZING! If you try this, use a BIG bowl & don’t add the vinegar because there’s plenty of acid in apple juice. It’s sweet & moist & perfect! I will be making one using apple cider but I’m happy I tried with reduced apple juice & ended up with this great cake!
For those asking, I’ve found that using 1:1 GF flour for “wacky cakes” works very well.
Could you make this in a bundt pan to make it more like a big apple cider donut? Or would it be too small since it’s only meant to make one layer (maybe double the recipe …)?
You could probably 1.5x it for a bundt, or even double it, depending on the size of the bundt.
I made it last night in a half size bundt pan, and even though I bumped the baking time up to 45 minutes, it still came out too moist. Tasty, though!
This looks amazing! If you wanted to dress it up for like a thanksgiving contribution, would you recommend maybe a nutty-granola-y crumble around the edge? Something else?
Maybe some candied nuts?
Some sugared cranberries would be lovely with this!
You could try it as an apple upside-down cake.
I am excited to make this cake today and my house is anxiously awaiting its arrival after dinner tonight (provided we can wait that long before slicing in)! I was wondering if you have tried replacing some of the AP flour with a bit of whole grain spelt? I love the addition of whole grains to your strawberry summer cake and like to add them when I can. I may attempt on my own and will report back!
Can boiled apple cider in a bottle be used? Would it be the same amount or is the bottled stuff more intense?
I haven’t ever used a boiled apple cider product so I don’t have any way of knowing how reduced it is. This will be just a little reduced. It’s still very much a liquid. So, if it’s thick and syrupy, it’s not the right swap. It’s possible you could water it down, but again, without testing it, I just don’t know that the cake will taste as it should.
This is very timely, I just made another apple cider doughnut cake last week! That one was a loaf format and had a similar reduction, but did not call for spices in the cider while reducing. I think that will make a very nice more-flavorful touch. Now I know what I’m doing with the last of the cider I helped press recently!
I want to read your cringy list of rants more than anything. Almost as much as I want to bake this cake right now. So I’ll do that instead.
But I really want more rants, I would feel so seen. Kate’s idea is amazing, what an event that would be!
Dare I ask- we have a family intersection of vegan and GF/DF. Any suggestions for a GF flour substitute that would work? Its not my area of expertise but I do love to bring desserts to holiday gatherings.
Cup4cup! The regular one isn’t dairy free but they make one that is. King Arthur Flour and Bob’s also make gf/df flour all-purpose flour blends that are good (King Arthur’s is better).
I have celiac and I agree on those flour recommendations! :)
Bob’s Red Mill worked well (the 1-to-1 light blue package).
This is my go to GF flour for my daugter who has celiac disease. Easy to work with and impossible to tell the difference in taste. Highly recommend!
https://shop.gfjules.com/collections/flour/products/gfjules-all-purpose-gluten-free-flour-1-5-lbs-pack-of-1
Can I substitute melted butter if I don’t have a neutral oil?
Yes
Well, “neutral oil” is a mistake I won’t make next time… :)
I made this cake with a neutral oil. Not sure if the oil was ‘off’ but it’s all I could taste! Definitely using butter next time.
Here in Australia apple cider is a carbonated alcoholic apple drink, but I take it from your note you mean just fresh apple juice (which for us would be a variety found refrigerated rather than shelf stable). I find it fascinating that in the states it isn’t just called…Apple juice? Intrigued to understand what makes it cider not juice!
Apple cider in the U.S. is made from pressed, fresh apples. It is raw and unfiltered, has no added sugar and is probably unpasteurized. Apple “juice” can really vary by brand, but usually has added sugar, and has been put in a glass bottle or plastic container in a manner which will make it “shelf stable” for some period of time. Some states even have laws about the labeling of juice and cider. The taste difference is also notable with the cider being just like biting into a crisp apple while the juice has more of an artificial taste.
Thank you Paula, cider in France is the same as in Australia and I was as confused as Rani!
Can I sub regular vinegar for apple cider vinegar?
To be honest I’d quite like to try it with the alcoholic cider! Bet that would make quite ab awesome cake….
You get cloudy alcoholic ciders in the UK too – it’s often around 8-9% but the sort made on farms gets to 15% or higher!
We also have alcoholic carbonated cider, we just call it “hard cider” in the US. “Apple cider” in the US is the non-alcoholic fresh pressed apple juice (cloudy, a little musty, very tasty).
Another vegan cake! Love you!
Excited to try this! I recently made another baker’s recipe for chewy apple cookies for Rosh Hashana and that one used 2 bags of pulverized freeze-dried apples. It really concentrated that apple flavor in a way that sounds similar to how the reduced cider works here. Apparently I’m a sucker for all things apple and glazed!
I’m a little stumped with this one. When reducing cider, how can I tell when I’ve reached 2 cups? Surely you’re not transferring it back and forth between the pot and a measuring cup. Are you eyeballing it?
I was wondering exactly the same thing!
Pour the desired reduced amount (2 cups here) into a pot, insert a chopstick and mark the liquid level on the chopstick. Add the rest of the liquid and reduce away, checking periodically with your handy chopstick!
Thank you for a shockingly simple, bang-your-head-against-the-wall, why-didn’t-I-think-of-that, solution. Like Robyn (above), I thought my only option was to go back and forth between the pot and a measuring cup.
I’m going to try the recipe as-is, but will probably try a second one with a streusel topping!!
That is a brilliant suggestion- thank you!
ELAINE! You are a genius!
This would have helped me so much knowing in advance. I kept pouring back and forth. Took me way longer than 30 minutes. Maybe my simmering was too low. It would be a great tip to add to recipe in future. Thank you!!
Thank you!
I pour back and forth all the time when reducing. The only way to know for sure. A large 4 cup liquid measure works well.
I tried the chopstick method but either marked it wrong, or something. Pouring back and forth is like nuking the planet from orbit–the only way to be sure. fwiw, I have a lovely 2 cup pyrex cup that does the trick. (apologies for the opaque Aliens reference…)
SO excited to try this! I’ve got all ingredients on hand except the apple cider which I’ll buy from the farmers market this weekend! I have celiac so I’ll be using my GF measure for measure flour :) Can’t wait! Thank you!!!
Hi Deb, I have the Trader’s Joe’s Spiced Cider – do you think that would be an okay substitution? It’s 100% juice, the ingredients are: apple juice, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, orange and lemon peel. Thank you!
You can use it. Not sure if it’s enough spice for the whole cake vs. the spices we’d add, but it will probably need more.
I used the TJ’s Spiced Cider and I added the spices listed above. The flavor is on point ☝🏼!
Just made my glaze for this incredibly fragrant apple-y cake — almost done, currently baking, very excited. I added to the glaze a few drops (small squeeze) of lemon, which enhanced the spiced apple cider taste and cut a bit of the powdery and /or cloying taste that powdered sugar can impart. Fwiw, etc.
Thank you, I had the same question on whether to add spices to this
I’m so excited to try this! I was just lamenting to my sister that I haven’t had an apple cider donut since I went vegan almost 15 years ago. I can’t wait to make this this weekend! I’m such a fan of your recipes and trust that this will be amazing. Thank you Deb!
Could I make this with applesauce instead of apple cider? I have a bunch of homemade that I want to use up!
Highly recommend the spiced applesauce cake on this site!
Excited! Was going to make a different recipe for a party but want to try this. Would this work well in something smaller? Baking cups. Need something individual sized.
Thank you for making pareve desserts! I think I will make this for our Shabbat this week — I can’t wait!
This cake is apple cider fall perfection, and dare I say even BETTER than the actual doughnut. I just happened to have apple cider leftover from making boiled cider for Erin McDowell’s apple pie, and this recipe magically appeared in my inbox. Serendipity at its finest.
Does the reduced cider need to cool before using it in the batter?
I was wondering about that myself. No, it doesn’t need to cool. The batter will foam up and you might want to get it into the oven quickly, but it baked up nicely with a good structure.
No, it’s fine still hot. It will foam up a little but didn’t affect the rise of the cake. (I was surprised too but it worked both ways, so as always, I wrote the recipe for the faster one.)
This sounded so good that I had to make it right away. The smell and the texture are great, but I am not that much into the flavor. Even though I dialed back on the cloves and allspice, I find that the spices overwhelm the apple flavor. Might be because I had a piece when it was still warm.
(Oh, and in case you wonder, like I did, if you should let the boiled cider cool before stirring it into the batter, don’t worry about it. It foams spectacularly when it gets mixed, but it keeps bubbly enough for a good structure in the final cake.)
i’m reading these comments while making it for the first time and now I have a whole “to cool or not to cool” conflict going.
Me too! Considering how amazing that cider smelled (smelt?) once it was reduced I was expecting a much stronger Apple flavor. And I cut back on the spices too.
I’m delighted by this. I agree that other apple cider cakes are delicious but a letdown, and also have a baby with an egg and dairy allergy. Finally I have a 1st birthday cake plan!
One of our fave parts of the apple cider donuts is the crunchy sugar coating- would it work to brush with melted butter (no allergy concerns in this house) and cover with a raw sugar? Not a (strong) baker, just like to watch them on TV
Yes, I would guess that would work. Bon appétit has a similar recipe and that’s essentially what they do to the outside of their apple cider doughnut loaf cake. They take a little of the red red reduced cider. Mix it with butter, brush it all over and then sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top. Yes, I would guess that would work. Bon appétit has a similar recipe and that’s essentially what they do to the outside of their apple cider doughnut loaf cake. They take a little of the reduced cider mix it with butter, brush it all over and then sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top. I’m sure that would work here as well.
What a nice little cake! I halved it and baked it in a tall 6″ pan. I didn’t have quite enough cider for the glaze, so instead I used a bit of King Arthur’s boiled cider, which worked beautifully. Definitely repeatable!
I have boiled cider and was wondering how much to use. Can you please share what worked for you?
It was fun to make but doesn’t really taste like apple cider, and certainly not like apple cider donut. More like a spice cake with a tinge of apple. It’s nice that it’s vegan but I don’t think I’ll make it again.
Maybe it depends on how strong the apple flavor in the cider is? That tends to change depending on which varieties they use
My daughter made this and it came out of the pan okay, then cracked clean across and in a couple other spots. Any idea what would cause that?
It was delicious anyway, to be clear!
This cake fell firmly in the “ugly but delicious” camp. It sank in the middle. Then because it said to serve warm, I flipped it out of the pan too quickly and parts of it stuck to the pan and so it really looked pretty bad. And I put the glaze on while the cake was still warm – again rookie move, and it sank into the cake. Delicious, but not pretty.
I’m not quite sure why it sank in the middle. If I make it again, I’d bake it in a springform pan. Because of all the cider and moisture in it, I think getting this cake out of the pan cleanly is a little tricky
I had the same exact experience and I used a springform pan. My cake sunk in the middle and then stuck to the parchment paper on the way out. I timed the ten minute rest exactly so I suspect that just might not be long enough. I also added the glaze too warm as there were no specifics in the recipe about timing so I’d recommend editing that.
I’m glad to hear it’s delicious at least, I haven’t eaten a piece yet!
For 1/2 recipe of the cake, I started with 1 Tbs boiled cider in the glaze, then added a little more to get it to the right consistency. I think that using boiled cider instead of the cider reduction from the recipe would not work as well in the cake itself; the boiled cider is quite a bit stickier and more potent than the cider reduction!
I made this! Followed all directions except mistakenly adding 1/4 c reduced cider to powdered sugar- it was not a problem! Rave reviews from all around!
I just realized I added the full 2 cups of cider to the batter….thank you for making me feel better (instead of dumping it)! And I had read through beforehand – just spaced.
Despite the error, this was DELICIOUS! Will definitely add to the Fall dessert line-up. Thanks for another great one, Deb!
I’ve never managed to make something the day it posts before and this was a treat! I’m so glad you told me I could eat it warm. It’s DELICIOUS warm, and I’m assuming it’ll be good room temp tomorrow! I’m now taking a cake with a small slice out of it to work/school tomorrow, but it’s almost my birthday, so my research students will have to deal with getting “leftover” cake!
We don’t have apple cider in our farmer’s markets. Is there a substitute that’s widely available?
Apple cider seems to be something different here. Does this use the sparkling apple cider (alcoholic or non-alcoholic)? Or is it fresh juiced whole apples ?
In the US, apple cider is generally known as the cloudy liquid produced by pressing (compacting) apples. There are no additives or preservatives, which is why it needs to be refrigerated. I’ve never tried putting apples through a juicing machine, so I’m not sure what you’d end up with (too much apple pulp?). I live in New England, so we’re spoiled by the availability of fresh apple cider from the many apple orchards in the area.
Apple juice is the clear golden liquid that’s been processed and sometimes has added sugars. You DON’T want to use apple juice!!
Check the note above the recipe for which to use and how to find it.
I was so excited for this cake, but mine ended up tasting like baking soda. It bubbled like crazy when I mixed it, and cooked fine (no collapsed center. But definitely tasted like too much baking soda.
Brilliant trick for tracking liquid reduction: pour the desired REDUCED amount into your pot. Insert a chopstick and mark the level of liquid on the chopstick. Pour in the rest of the liquid and reduce away, periodically inserting the chopstick to check the level of reduction!
Oh, that’s such a good idea! I was just thinking about how much I hate having to measure reductions. Thanks for the tip!
This is SO SMART. Thank you!
Brilliant. The problem for addle brained cooks is that we still have to pay attention…
Hi! Looks delicious! Do you pour the reduction into the dry ingredients while it is still hot off the stove?? Thanks.
Yes – totally fine to pour them in hot – no eggs mean there’s nothing to scramble. Just make sure you’re fully prepped – oven hot, pan lined – because the batter foams and you want to protect that volume by working quickly.
You did bury the lede! I’m so excited that this recipe is egg free. My 3yo is allergic and we haven’t been able to enjoy our favorite cider donuts since the year he was born. I’ve made some vegan baked cider donuts, but they were just meh, so I can’t wait to try this cake!
Do you think this could be made into muffins or even mini muffins? I prefer to do that because I work in an ER and when I bring stuff in I like it to be easy to quickly shove into a desperate mouth before careening to The Next Thing. Maybe I’ll just keep checking them for done-ness and mark the time for next time!
Yes, mini muffins should be fine. And thank you for the work you do!
Can I bake these as cupcakes?
Yes, they should work fine.
I live in a country that doesn’t have apple cider available, is there a substitute I can use instead? I’m so excited to try this recipe
I haven’t experimented with making apple cider fresh, but it *seems* like it should be as simple as just juicing fresh apples, or maybe blending them and straining/pressing the liquid.
Thank you so much. I’ll give it a shot.
My kiddo is obsessed with apple cider and has made it by putting apples in the food processor and squeezing out the juice. Yield is not great, and it’s a pain, just fyi ;).
Oh my goodness. This is incredible! A definite addition to Thanksgiving this year, and, having been born on the long ago Thanksgiving day in 1976, I am very picky about what makes it into the day’s rotation. Thanks Deb! ❤️ 😊
OMG! Just made this and took the first bite and I am smitten! One of THE best, flavorful cakes I have ever tasted. The spices do not overwhelm the apple flavor and it is just perfect. I made it just as written and added the reduced cider when it was quite hot, worked perfectly!
Thank you Deb for such a delicious recipe!
When you flip the cake onto a plate after ten minutes cooling in the pan, doesn’t the warm cake make the bottom soggy? Also, do you glaze while the cake is still warm or wait until after fully cooled?
cool!
Made this & it was delightful! Forgot to add spices to the cider, added them to the dry mix and it tasted great. Alas, did not have powdered sugar so I had to forego the glaze but it was still *chefs kiss.* Will make with the glaze next time :) Been reading your blog since college, thanks for 15 years of cooking inspo!
happened to have an already reduced by 1/2 gal of cider so this recipe went together like a dream—smelled great baking too–looks good too as I take it out of the pan, cover it with glaze—–and I go to clean-up notice that there is the jug of ACV sitting un-opened—well will be able to see what it would have brought to the party in a little bit! darn CRS disease lol
I haven’t made the cake (yet). I tried to share it on Facebook from your link to share on Facebook and received a message “User has opted out of this platform”
That’s odd — I am still on Facebook and updating there. https://www.facebook.com/smittenkitchen/
I made this today and it is SO GOOD!!!! Especially warm….. YUM. Will definitely share recipe and make again!
This had the whole house mad with anticipation and curiosity because of the intense spice cloud wafting out of the kitchen. Did not disappoint. Used an 8 inch square tin, 30 mins at 350 and it was perfectly baked, rotated halfway through to account for hot spots. Will absolutely make again, up there with the upside down apple and ginger cake with molasses, had the FIL reminiscing about his Grandmother and her baking back in the day, really rewarding to make and eat!
Why not start with boiled cider? I think it’s more concentrated, I think it’s reduced to a fourth. But then I just bought a bottle so I’m thinking of ways to use it. It makes a great breakfast syrup
It’s a more niche, expensive product (I avoid calling for products like this whenever I can) and it won’t be the same from brand to brand. Plus, it’s a syrup and we’re not reducing the cider that significantly here.
Ah ok! Thanks for responding 😁
Is there a way to put apples in an apple cider donut cake?
I have the same question! I’m considering making an apple compote to spoon over it instead of trying to bake them into the cake. This would be instead of the glaze and spooned over when serving.
I wouldn’t do it here without making other adjustments. It will add too much moisture. And the apples are likely to sink because the batter isn’t very thick.
Absolutely delicious! I couldn’t handle forking out $14 a quart for the local cider, so I bought a bottle of “simply apple” and it worked great! I used the remaining cider to make a small batch of the cider old fashioned. Two simple but amazingly tasty treats!
Okay, made this again for my GF husband! Used the bobs red mill GF flour in the red bag along with a tsp of xantham gum. I had to bake it about 40 min to cook through, but it tastes amazing and the husband has already eaten two warm slices. Thanks!
Here’s what is probably a silly question. Say I over reduce the cider. Just top it up with unreduced cider to 2 cups and give it a good stir?
I have absolutely over-reduced the cider before. I replaced it with water. I figured that’s all that was cooking off, the flavor remains.
It’s funny that thus is the exact cake I recently bought from QVC. Did they steal your recipie?
How thick is the reduced cider? I did mine on a really low temp and it looks like 2 cups of cider instead of 4. It tastes a bit stronger but is still the consistency it was before.
The consistency is about the same. We’re not making a syrup, just a more flavorful apple cider.
Truly one of the most delicious cakes I have ever tasted! I made it as a bundt to make it a lil fancier and I will definitely be bringing this to a holiday party. Thank you for sharing and making me feel like a talented baker, your recipes are the best!
How did you prep your bundt pan? And what were bake times?
My wife and I made this last night with Burlap & Barrel’s Wassail mulling spice collaboration with Angry Orchard (star anise, cinnamon, vanilla, black lime, nutmeg, cloves) — absolutely divine, my god. I can’t wait to make this again and again with all manner of seasonally appropriate spices. I really appreciate that it’s basically a one bowl recipe with the exception of the pot you need for boiling the cider — which I bet you could use for the glaze too, and I’ll be trying that next time.
Well I am learning things today. As an Australian, my brain went “donut cake”, then “but there’s no hole in the middle of the cake?”. To which I assumed my version of donut is probably what you’d call baking a cake in a ring pan.
Then…you have apple flavoured donuts?!??!
And then the delightful comments above that clarified that apple cider in the US is very different to our alcoholic apple cider here 😀 I have more reading to do!
Apple cider in the U.S. is a non-alcoholic drink made from unfiltered pressed raw apples. It requires refrigeration. It is usually available in the fall around September-October and is produced by apple farms/apple orchards. A lot of people like to go apple and /or pumpkin picking and the farms often sell doughnuts that are made with reduced apple cider. They are amazing, especially when served warm!
That’s amazing! We have apple picking here – usually a good day out and chance to see beautiful changing colours of leaves as well. I’ve never heard of pumpkin picking (or farms, for that matter – though we must have them!) here. Pumpkin does not hold the same level of clout in Aus as it does in the US.
Oh wow, this was delicious! I had a jug of cider and knew we had to try this as soon as I saw it. My husband and two teenage boys loved this. Thank you!!
My 9-year-old is allergic to eggs, and we’re always looking for baking recipes that keep it simple/don’t go too crazy with pricey ingredients. This was perfect. He loved it, as did the rest of the family, who visited the kitchen one-by-one to ask about the amazing smell.
I bought a half gallon of cider to make your caramels and this was a great way to use the other half up! Beautifully moist and so easy. Perfect fall treat to whip up in an afternoon.
I dunnit. Over reduced the cider, topped it up. And then forgot to reserve a quarter cup for the glaze. While I reducing a half cup of cider, got cute and added a glug of maple syrup. When I saw all the bubbles, I fretted that it would go syrupy before I could get it on the cake. It didn’t.
Well, it doesn’t seem to matter if you add the extra quarter cup. Maple flavor in a glaze needs more than a glug. And this recipe gets tacked to fridge door on the first day of fall for the rest of my life.
I will likely post photos on Instagram (aynrandom) late tonight.
The recipe calls for kosher salt, but I know Morton’s is not a 1-1 equivalent to Diamond. Can you tell me how much kosher for each brand? Thanks.
Deb might recognize this from her June 1010 post…
1 teaspoon table salt = 6 grams
1 teaspoon Diamond kosher salt = 2.8 grams
1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt = 4.8 grams
1 teaspoon David kosher salt = 6 grams (i.e. the same as table salt)
Or, in plain language:
1 teaspoon table salt has the same saltiness as 2⅛ teaspoons of Diamond.
1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt has the same saltiness as 1¾ teaspoons of Diamond.
1 teaspoon David kosher salt has the same saltiness as 2⅛ teaspoons of Diamond.
“But aack, this stresses me out because how am I supposed to know what a recipe tester used?” Here’s my advice: Pretend they used Diamond salt and if using any other brand, start with half. We can always increase the amount of salt later (and hey, “season to taste” is the gold standard for a reason) but scrubbing it out is not an option.
Just made this cake… lemme say, I never met a baked good I didn’t like… this makes a nice moist cake. As we live at ‘ground zero’ apple country in New England, used fresh pressed cider. It took about 40 minutes to reduce. I would definitely make this again, but think I would adjust the spices a bit…. Didn’t really get much apple-y flavor, as in a donut, but thought the cake tasted more like gingerbread or a spice cake. Next time, I will try with just cinnamon, and a tiny bit of nutmeg… the universal old fashioned donut seasoning. I will omit the ginger, allspice and cloves…. I love them, but more like in hermit cookies where the spice itself is the predominant flavor, here, I found them overbearing to the apple flavor.
so so good! I just scarfed a warm piece wondering why my cake cratered in the middle? the glaze pooled there so it wasn’t the prettiest but extremely delicious!
I did notice that the cake needed to bake a little bit beyond 35 minutes, maybe 36-37. I started watching it carefully at the 32 minute mark. Even at 34 to 35 minutes it was still very slightly depressed at the center and I wanted it to be just a bit higher and fuller at the center. That happened to coincide with the cake, pulling slightly away from the edges of the pan. I did not have any issue with it sinking once I took it out of the oven. So maybe the baking time?
I have never had a cake fail in 25 years until this recipe! Yikes. The reaction between the baking soda and cider vinegar was strong enough that everything was bubbling. It flowed over in the oven and was a semi disaster – I double checked measurements and don’t know what went wrong. Bummer.
I had the same issue. Batter was incredibly foamy and wet. Had to take out at least half a cup of batter to bake and it still almost overflowed the pan. Measures the flour and followed the recipe to a T.
Same here.
I also had an overflowing problem my first go :/ Quickly had to put a lined cookie sheet on the rack below to catch the drips. I have more cider so I am determined to try again. Will probably try 2, 8 inch round cakes and have a 6 inch pan ready to go as well in case two, 8 inch pans can’t contain the volume.
It made the cake decidedly un-vegan, but I added brown butter to the glaze. Great recipe, thanks!
Mine also overflowed. The volume in the 9” cake pan gave me the indication that it would but I went for it anyway. Oh well. I’m glad to know I wasn’t the only one bc I was pretty sure I had all the measurements right and this is my first cake failure too!
Me,too. It is like a science project. It’s been in the oven 40 minutes and still raw in the center. I weighed the ingredients and it just barely fit in an 8 inch round.
Same problem here. I weighed out everything, but the batter bubbling and overflowed. Been in the oven 35 minutes and no sign of doneness. Could there be too much baking soda?
i had the same problem! the batter was so bubbly & i held back at least 1/2 cup because i was worried it would overflow in the oven. it baked all the way up to the top of the pan but didn’t overflow. i baked it for closer to 40 minutes & even though a toothpick finally came out clean, the center was still quite gooey when i cut warm slices. it did firm up little more once cooled. still a bit of an odd texture, but the flavor is so good!
i’ve made tons of smitten kitchen recipes over the years but this is the first time i’ve had something not turn out perfectly.
This cake is amazing. I live in the heart of cider donut-land and I’d still rather stay home and eat this!
Semi-pro tip: The Vermont boiled cider that’s pretty readily available in New England (and by mail elsewhere, including via King Arthur) works well. E.g., https://www.woodscidermill.com/product-page/wood-s-boiled-cider-1-pint. It’s a reduction from 1 gallon of good-quality cider to 1 pint of their final product. So for those who don’t want to do the math (I made this before having morning coffee, so I can relate!), just dilute 1/4 cup of boiled cider with 1 3/4 cup water, then bring to a boil with the spices long enough to steep them but not evaporate any liquid. Then use in the recipe as directed. It’s a small shortcut, but reduces that crucial elapsed time from inspiration to consumption of deliciousness!
Correction: Use 1/2 cup boiled cider and 1.5 cups of water. I told you my brain wasn’t working yet…
Made this last night for a Halloween party and it was demolished! So good. I live near Denver so adjust all recipes for high altitude by reducing the leaving agents and sugar slightly. So only one teaspoon of baking soda and about a tablespoon less of brown sugar. It turned out PERFECTLY. Will definitely be making throughout the season.
Fellow Denverite – thanks for the tips on altitude adjustment!!
So good!! I doubled the recipe and it worked perfectly. The bubbling batter was something I didn’t expect, but I waited to pour into pans until it had settled down and it wasn’t a problem.
The batter seemed really thin, and I was concerned that it wouldn’t work, but the cakes were so moist!!
Unfortunately this wasn’t a hit for me. It tastes quite sharp and vinegary – looking at my cider vinegar, it’s cloudy “raw organic” cider vinegar, I’m wondering if that’s sharper than the standard stuff? (or possibly sharper than what’s typically available in the states?). I also used a bramley apple cider which is a bit more tart than anything I ever tried in the US so I’m sure that’s not helping. Ah well!
Hi Haley – are you in the UK? I’m hoping to make this for niblings with egg and dairy allergies and wondered if you used the bramley apple cider in place of the fresh apple juice Deb suggested in the head notes. (I’m vaguely aware that several US friends find the UK’s cloudy apple juice a poor drinking alternative for fresh US cider, but maybe it holds up better for cooking? Cider seems to be one of those terms that’s used for all kinds of different drinks in different parts of the world, or even within the same country, unfortunately, and I’m not sure what to grab next time I’m at Tesco’s!)
Hiya Angela, yep, I’m in the UK! I’m from America so have quite a lot of experience cooking with and drinking American apple cider and since moving here 10 years ago I’ve had luck using the Duskin fresh apple juices, and that’s what I used in this case (Bramley though, as that’s what I could find locally this time round). The bigger issue with this cake in my opinion was how vinegary it tasted – as I said, probably not helped that I used quite a tart Bramley juice, but I couldn’t believe how much vinegar I could taste and smell even though there was only a tablespoon in it (I used the Aspall raw organic apple cider vinegar)
I was really excited about this. I even sent the link to a friend. Followed it to the letter and disaster. Collapsed in the middle. Soaked up the glaze in a bad way. And doesn’t taste like a doughnut at all. It really needs a stronger crumb to live up to the name.
Are you at any kind of altitude?
No, I’m at sea level, about an hour north of you.
Exact same thing happened to me. Measured everything with a food scale. I’m at sea level. Will try one more time to see if I did something wrong. I rarely have a fail with one of your recipes, Deb. Not sure what happened.
My whole family loved this cake and a few family members even requested a second piece! I live in the Netherlands and we don’t have Apple Cider in stores here, so I made the cider myself. Definitely not my last time making this! (I actually couldn’t prove it myself because I am gluten intolerant but I do believe my family when they say it’s amazing 😅)
Deb, I have a question about this cake and ALL your recipes: here you say 2 cups of flour = 260g. However, I use King Arthur AP which is 1 cup = 120g. What do you think is better to do — follow your weight measurements, or follow your cup measurements (which would mean measuring out 240g rather than 260g)? When I’m reading a recipe where they do *not* specify a weight, I definitely just go with my KA reference of 120g/cup … but when you provide both, which should I use? (I realize that 20g in this case is not a big difference, but I’m always curious). Thank you!
I have never measured a cup of flour that only weighed 120 grams. My cups of flour (fluffed, scooped, leveled) clock in between 130 and 135 grams.
I made this with zero issues and my vegan husband is in heaven. I used two tablespoons of cider for the glaze and got it on nice and thick while the cake was warm and damn if that isn’t perfect. Texture is springy and plush without being dense and the whole idea is perfection. Kudos on a winner.
Fifteen minutes out of the oven: huh. It’s cake, but the flavor-voices are all yelling different things.
Four hours later: oh, okay, yes, GOOD. Voices singing in harmony. Edges are crispy in contrast with spongy, plush texture. Moistness in balance.
Did use half white whole wheat, half AP, which gave a bit of welcome toothsomeness. Skipped the glaze because I overreduced the cider and had to top it up with more cider, so definitely did not want to eat up more time cooking down more. I might go a different route: brush the warm top with melted, salted butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar – a la French breakfast puffs or doughnut muffins.
Will make again!
I love the taste of this cake. It was easy to make but my cake came out broken on top and when I flipped it it fell into wedges. Any suggestions how to prevent this?
I made as directed with just a smidgen less sugar in a thick walled aluminum 9” round. Also, it didn’t foam a ton- maybe my baking did us to blame?
Thanks for these fabulous recipes and stories about life.
I think you probably turned it out of the pan and flipped it when it was still a little too warm. I had much the same thing happen, although it didn’t totally break apart – just cracked deeply. I’ve never turned out a cake when it was quite so warm, so I think that’s the culprit.
Thank you!
Very good. Mine has pleasantly crisp, almost caramelized edges. I’m contemplating trying this in a muffin tin next time, as a means of increasing the crispy edge ratio, and furthering the similarity to a doughnut. Easy to make, and goes together quickly, especially if you did the cider reduction while doing something else.
Unlike some others, I though the spices could perhaps even be dialed up if you wanted, but on the other hand maybe some of my spices are a little old…
Could the unglazed be frozen?
Tried this last night, and it was delicious! Next time I might add a tiny bit of apple cider vinegar to the glaze to give it a touch of tang.
Cake had a great texture and was easy to make but really lacked flavour. Glaze was delicious. This was the review of everyone who tried it. What spices would you add to the batter to make it pop?
I’m tempted to add actual apples to this recipe — either chopped into cube-ish pieces, or just sliced (maybe having a pile of sliced apples on the bottom of the pan, and then adding the batter on top? Or maybe even putting caramel at the bottom, then apple slices, and turning it out?). Is there any reason not to try this approach?
It might work as an upside-down cake, but I wouldn’t add apples to the cake directly. It will add too much moisture and they will likely sink in the thin batter.
Looks like people had very different results with this cake! For my part, I made this cake the first time a week ago and only had an 8 inch round pan so I just used that. I had no issues with the batter bubbling over the sides and the cake rose nicely. I knew because I was using a smaller pan that it would likely need more time in the oven, but after 45 minutes it was still raw in the middle and I had this go pick up my son from school. I ended up eating around the raw parts and enjoyed the cake. I tried again today with the same 8 inch round pan. Again, no issues with the batter overflowing and the cake rose beautifully. It ended up needing 50-55 minutes in the oven, but the end result was great. Both my husband and I enjoyed it, and I have extra apple cider so will probably make it again soon. I used the King Arthur 8 inch round aluminum cake pan in case that made a difference.
For what it’s worth–I did add a single layer of very thinly sliced apples to the bottom of the pan, upside-down cake style. I had to be very, very gentle with unmolding the cake after cooking. It was delicious but also the texture of the cake is delicate, and even taking extra care I had to zuzh back up a corner that came off. So I’d say go for it if you don’t mind a cake that’s extra-apple delicious but a little rough around the edges.
This was a disaster for me. It flattened out, was dense and almost gelatinous in the middle despite the cake tester coming out clean. Did I miss a note about how much to let the cider reduction cool? If not, could you please include a note about how much to cool the cider mixture? I suspect that was my main issue. Was definitely my biggest unknown while making it. So sad to lose the time and waste the ingredients. :(
I cooled my cider reduction and followed all other directions. I had the same result: clean cake tester, very dense and moist cake.
I cooled my cider completely. My cake was also very dense and way too moist, despite being cooked through. I never expect anything baked to taste like a true donut, but I at least want it to come close. This did not. Give the cost of ingredients, this won’t be a try again recipe.
i’m so glad I read this while making it for the first time. Will cool my cider!
Delicious, Apple cider donut in a cake!! My only issue were the measurements as listed – I like to use a scale and weigh in grams vs cups when baking. I followed the grams and it was significantly more than the cup equivalent (ie calls for a cup of brown sugar or 215g – it was 199 grams at under 2 cups!). Had to wing it a bit because of this. Would make again with slightly lower temp (top cracked on mine).
Served this at a small dinner party last night and it’s a true WOW! Yes, it’s even better than the doughnut. I used pasteurized apple cider, ’cause it’s what I have, but it worked beautifully. I also fancied it up a tiny bit with a couple freeze-dried apple cinnamon chips in the center for garnish.
Homemade vanilla ice cream was the perfect companion :)
Deb,
This looks delicious! I must make this now.
Two questions:
Who is the maker of that cake plate the cake is on? Covet
and when is your next cookbook coming out? I’ve gone thru all 3, I think.
Thanks, you’re much loved by many.
Thank you. The plate is from Crate and Barrel or CB2, a few years ago.
I made this today and the taste is perfect!
Unfortunately I made the worst mistake I’ve ever done in baking in years and forgot the oil! It’s a bit tough now, so I’m not sure how it will be tomorrow. But the taste is fantastic and I will make it again. With oil.
No, you only made the SECOND worst mistake. In my early cooking days, I made brownies from a box mix. Read the box quickly and mixed it together, Threw it in the oven, was surprised I didn’t get much of a rise.
Recipe called for quarter cup. I didn’t see the “1/4” I had put in a whole cup. The original brownie “sliders”. One guy choked one of ’em down. Even the rats that regularly raided our trash can were like, “whoa, dude. maybe a little less oil next time?”
Just served this to my husband and his best friend and they both took their first bite and started laughing. It was so good they couldn’t say anything but laugh.
This was amazing. So moist. Only adjustment is needing a reminder to whisk up the reduced cider before portioning it out. I didn’t and the glaze ended up heavily spiced and brown due to all the spices that sank to the bottom of the pot. It still tasted just fine!
This is an easy, tender spice cake. I would definitely make it again when I need a vegan dessert. However, it bears little resemblance to a cider donut, other than having some similar spices in it.
I made this tonight and it was so unbelievably good. My kids want it to be part of Thanksgiving, and I’m in absolute agreement.
This was great! I stead of making a glaze, we had a bit of plain yogurt on top and drizzled it with some of thr remaining cider. So comforting in these stressful times!
Wow this turned out amazing!! Can’t believe it’s vegan too. Pretty healthy as well? The best fall dessert I’ve made!!
Could you add deiced apple to this cake??
I would not. It will add too much moisture and the pieces will probably sink.
This apple cider doughnut cake is amazing. My house smelled wonderful and the cake was so delicious. Thank you!
Just the recipe I didn’t know I wanted! Does the cider have to be fully cooled before mixing into the batter?
Hi, could this recipe work with gluten free flour? Thinking cassava which seems the most mild of the many gf flours available. Thank you in advance!
This was a homerun—super easy, delicious, and vegan. I am not much of a baker and followed the recipe to the letter, and it came out perfectly. My family happily gobbled it up for dessert, and it did double duty for a breakfast treat in the morning (still super moist after leaving on the counter lightly wrapped overnight). Thank you!
What do you think about substituting applesauce for the oil?
So delicious. I used 100g coconut palm sugar and it was plenty plenty sweet. Only had 1/4 cup powdered sugar on hand and it was still plenty of topping. Really great cake!
I made this gluten free and it came out great.
I used 1 cup sorghum flour, 1/2 cup tapioca flour, 1/2 cup millet flour, and 1 tsp xanthan gum.
This is a fantastic cake!
I have no clue what happened, but my cake basically looked like a donut because the center completely collapsed after baking. Honestly? No one cared. This thing is delicious and truly tasted like a glazed apple cider donut. I can’t wait to make it again!
I made this today and it overflowed in my oven! After 40 minutes the middle was still raw and I had to throw the whole thing in the garbage. Any idea what could have happened?
Made this cake yesterday morning to take to a dinner party. Followed the instructions exactly and yet…as others have mentioned, my cake fell in the middle so there was a puddle of glaze. It was not pretty. Perhaps allowing the reduced cider to cool (as my day required) limited a necessary chemical reaction? I definitely did not see any bubbles as some bakers described when pouring the reduction into the well in the dry ingredients.
I had hoped that the taste would render its unimpressive appearance a non-issue but it was really just okay. Not as appley as I’d hoped even though I used local fresh pressed cider which, in the PNW, should be amazing.
If you didn’t see bubbling, I’m wondering if you forgot to add the tablespoon of cider vinegar?
So this apple cider cake has no actual apple cider in it?! It’s just apple juice cake? !!
No, Deb is stating at the top that apple juice will not work. The recipe calls for a quart of apple *cider* that is reduced to 2 cups.
The first ingredient is apple cider.
I was sooo looking forward to enjoying this cake. Read the recipe today from the post, and got right to making it this evening. It was one of the biggest baking disasters I have had in a long time. I put the batter in the oven, and it turned into a bubbling, overflowing, sticky mess. I had to throw the whole thing out, and spent quite a bit of time cleaning the oven and the cake pan. I read the recipe ten times, and there was nothing I didn’t follow, and didn’t misread the ingredients or measurements. It seemed to me like there was too much baking soda in the batter, but I did put the one-and-a-half teaspoons the recipe calls for. Super disappointed.
If you end up with extra apple cider syrup like I did…. it is delicious in coffee!
This has good flavor, but was very moist…almost too moist. I had trouble swallowing it because it was so moist. Not sure how to remedy this, but just noting it here. I really consider this a spice cake, not necessarily an “apple cider doughnut cake”. In saying that, I think I have a few recipes that I prefer over this one–mostly due to the overly moist texture of this cake in particular. Yes, I cooked it thoroughly–even longer than suggested. Again, flavors are good–but not my best result, sadly.
Was super excited to make this until I got to the comments. Normally all of Deb’s recipes have rave reviews! This was a little mixed. Here’s what I did, to account for the feedback.
I eliminated the vinegar. I didn’t want to waste all these ingredients (especially reduced cider) for the cake to have a sharp, vinegary taste. This worked well and had no adverse effect.
Based on others saying their cake sank, I double checked with a cake tester. While clean at 30 minutes, the cake didn’t bounce back when I touched it. I left it in for an extra five minutes to make sure the texture was right.
Finally, my 9-inch round definitely seemed on the verge of having an overflow. I poured most of the batter in, and then made five muffins (which I baked for about 25 minutes).
The flavors here right out of the oven was just OK. After letting the cake sit for a couple of hours, it was definitely better, but not my favorite from Deb.
Just to note, the vinegar is necessary to ensure the correct texture and rise. It’s not for flavor, nor does it make it taste vinegary.
I just made it and it really tastes vinegary! And it didn’t the first time I made it! I am so curious.
OMG Never mind – I used baking powder by accident. Throwing out sad mistake and bringing cider donuts to thanksgiving.
Sadly, this might be the worst recipe I’ve ever made from SK. I followed directions exactly. The cake was gummy and too sweet, and didn’t taste anything like a cider donut. So glad some of you made it work, but not for me.
Could this be made with apple sauce instead of the oil?
Really good. Even when you forget to reserve the 1/4c of reduced cider. Oops!
If I didn’t have ground cloves could I just simmer with a whole clove and strain it once reduced? If so, how many cloves?
four cloves
Love this cake recipe! I’ve made it twice already – the second time with Red Jacket honeycrisp cide (can find at Whole Foods) and that extra bit of tart really made the whole cake sing. Will be making this all fall season! Only addition I made was 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg because I love that classic donut flavor. Thank you Deb! Another winner :)
I have no idea what I did wrong, but this was a epic fail. Batter filled up a 9″ pan, then overflowed the pan during cooking all over the oven floor. The the center of the cake sank like a stone. Like i said, epic fail. Any thoughts on what went wrong?
I did use Trader Joe’s cider…
Was your baking soda expired, perhaps? I think it’s the reaction of baking soda and vinegar that should cause it to rise.
I actually think it might be the opposite: the reaction of baking soda + acid was too strong. I had the exact same experience as Judy. The foaming was violent upon mixing the batter, and it bubbled over the sides of the pan for the first 30 minutes it was in the oven; then, once the overflow subsided, what was left took forever to solidify and then turned rather rubbery. I’m baffled as normally I have excellent luck with Deb’s recipes. I wonder if perhaps there is a typo in the amount of baking soda?
Mine came out very moist and fluffy! I think it’s a little too sweet. Next time, I’ll reduce the sugar a little and try a cinnamon-sugar mix on top instead of the glaze– to reduce sweetness and get a little more doughnut-inspired crunch on top.
Made it this morning! I followed the recipe exactly (except for the allspice which had expired by over 10 years! ).
I had a bit too much batter which I poured into a greased ramekin. If my unglazed mini cake is any indication, this cake will be a huge hit at dinner tomorrow night.
I often have a vegan friend for dinner and I love making her happy with easy to make but excellent desserts. My non vegans always ask for the chocolate olive oil cake but I’m happy to add another to my rotation.
I actually had trouble with this! It came out perfectly baked around the circumference of the cake, but underbaked and goopy in the middle. Did I overfill the pan? Should I have just left it in longer?
I just ate a piece of mine now that it cooled enough and the glaze settled on it (although i made the glaze too liquid) and I’m thinking the same thing about the middle of the cake! The toothpick kept coming out clean so I took it out of the oven but I’m wondering if I should’ve kept it in longer
Smells delicious and tastes delicious!
The only thing I had trouble with was the glaze…it thinned out too much so I added a bit more confectionery sugar, that helped but not as pretty looking as yours!
Thanks Deb for all your hard work!
I cannot be the only one who, in my desperation to get this whamma jamma in the oven, poured piping hot apple cider reduction into my batter….. Eeeeeeek. It reacted with the baking soda and caused quite a foam-up, but I have no idea what it’ll do to the finished cake (and will not find out until tomorrow). …But maybe Deb knows!
Uff da, this one is a not ever again for me. The smell and taste of cider vinegar were so strong, both in the scent of the batter and the finished product that I found it inedible. I thought maybe I had misread tablespoon and it was supposed to have been a teaspoon, but no I read and measured right.
Tasty! I had trouble figuring out how much my cider had reduced (without taking it out and measuring) so just estimated. In the end, though, the spices seemed to settle to the bottom and the last of the cider, which wasn’t added to the cake/icing was probably the best part. Anyone have any tips for how to navigate this (or am I the only one with the issue?). Either way, it was still delicious!
I made this this afternoon – turned out wonderful. The texture is amazing. I only used 200 grams of brown sugar and it turned out fine. I used an 8″ square metal pan and it took close to 40 minutes until it sprang up in the middle when I touched it.
For those of us at high altitude, I’m at 7,700ft and tried this recipe with typical adjustments and it failed miserably. Looked very typical of high altitude fails. I may keep trying, but the usual tricks didn’t cut it.
I’m very excited about the Smitten Kitchen Keepers audio edition! I just pre-ordered it. I love to listen to audiobooks while I do the dishes, and am excited to dive into the recipes in this format.
I just want to say too that in the last week, I’ve seen two popcorn air poppers in the little collections of free stuff that appear outside apt. buildings in Brooklyn… I laughed to myself that the owners probably heard Deb’s podcast about popcorn and ran out immediately to buy a Whirly Pop!
Started by making this in an 8×8 square. Baked for 35 min and I swear my toothpick came out clean but I was mistaken. It immediately sunk in the middle after slight cooling and was still batter in the center. Attempt #2 i used a 9″ circle and went 40 min. OMG perfection. This tastes JUST like a donut and is absolutely delicious. The glaze is spot on. Definitely a keeper!!
I made this today, and it was very easy AND delicious. I didn’t have fresh pressed cider, so used pasteurized.
Deb, please read important; I have been coveting your back Staub braiser and decided to order it. I used the linked on your site. I was offered a 15% discount and placed or tried to place my order. I was unable to and now have three “ pending charges ( as if I ordered it three times) of @$300. There was a note saying the order could not be processed and to try again later. I called the Zwilling
Phone number, help is not swift. They say they are taking off the charges and will get back to me and that I should order again, but now I’m afraid to. I order online all the time and never had this issue. I thought you should know.
Not Deb, but hopefully this helps: I’ve done lots of customer service for online retailers, and this is a pretty typical experience if your credit card company doesn’t recognize the merchant. If the transaction didn’t go through, those pending charges won’t post to your account. I wouldn’t worry too much about it! Maybe double-check with your bank to make sure they’ll allow the transaction before trying again, or just try with a different card.
I’m sorry to hear you’re having a problem. Feel free to email me with the issue at deb@smittenkitchen.com and I’ll make sure it gets to their attention.
if anyone is curious, I made this using the rest of a jug of apple juice that someone around here had bought and drank only a glass of. regular store brand no sugar apple juice – followed the same process and the cake is absolutely delicious! it took more like 40-44 minutes to bake for me, but that may just be my new oven I haven’t calibrated yet.
Unfortunately something went wrong for me as well! The volume of the batter was way more than that of my 9inch cake pan– had to switch to a springform with high walls instead. And then the cake was still nearly liquid at 35 min– left it in for close to an hour. The flavor is still delish, but the texture is a little weird, gummy-like as a few people have said. Any idea what went wrong? It seems like half of people are getting perfect results and I want to love it!
Now following up after having a piece with coffee for breakfast– it is still definitely edible, and I really like the flavor. Texture has improved a little over a day to just be like a too-moist cake rather than gummy, but I still want to fine tune this one :) I love the SK chocolate olive oil cake (same magic cake concept) and I wonder how this one is coming out differently. Thanks as always Deb– you’ve taught me so much!
This was outstanding, five stars! I made half in donut pans for the kids, half in a loaf pan, skipped the icing. Only had dark brown sugar so the cake baked up darker on the inside. The donuts were tricky to get out (maybe because dark brown sugar made them stickier?) but so delicious and worth it! Thank you for sharing more egg and dairy free recipes!
This was delicious! A word of caution, though. The batter foams up quite a bit when you mix the ingredients, and it totally filled my 9″ round pan. I put the cake pan on a sheet pan in case it overflowed, and I was glad I did–because it did! Really yummy, though!
We really enjoyed this cake, though it doesn’t remind me of cider doughnuts. Mine was still quite wobbly at 35 minutes, though the tester was clean. It seemed done at 43 minutes but turned out to be underbaked in the center. Next time I’d go straight to 45 minutes and test from there.
Just made this! It’s delicious! My only mistake is using too much of the cider in the glaze I wasn’t sure what the consistency was supposed to be and so it ended up pouring off the sides and the cake is sitting in a pool of glaze but it’s yummy just not pretty. It doesn’t really have an apple cider donut taste as much as I thought it would but I’m not sure why. Will definitely make this again! Probably for thanksgiving!
This recipe was simple and EXTREMELY delicious!! I followed the recipe exactly with grocery store apple cider and the cake was moist and flavorful. An instant favorite!!
Oof, I was all set to make this for a dinner gathering tonight, but, now I’m hesitant after reading all the comments. It seems to have worked out ok for some, but too many have noted mixed results. Bummer. Now, what shall I bake instead?
you should make it!
I made this (twice)! First time was user error – I was fooled by a “clean” toothpick and missed the signs that it was underdone in the middle. The center of the cake fell after it came out of the oven. I think the thing to keep in mind about this cake is that it’s such a thin batter that you may not see the crumbs you’re expecting when doing the toothpick test, if that makes sense?
The second time, I really paid attention to the feel of the center of the cake and waited until the center felt springy and set AND I had a clean toothpick. Came out magnificent, delicious, and no falling! The second time through, it took about 42 minutes (although who knows how well my oven’s calibrated).
The apple cider donut vibes are impeccable!
How might this be adapted to work in a loaf pan?
I just made this cake for second time in two weeks. It’s PERFECT.
A rare miss from Smitten Kitchen! I think this recipe has potential but needs some tweaking to be foolproof. I am an experienced baker, but my cake turned out underbaked (despite reading ~200 F on a instant read thermometer), gummy, and overly sweet. I also found that 1 tsp of Morton’s kosher salt to be too salty, even though I like a salty-sweet dessert. I think 3/4 tsp is a more appropriate amount if you are using Morton’s kosher. I used warm reduced cider and had the same problem as others with a foamy batter. It ended up rising to the very brim of my 9″ cake pan (no way an 8″ pan could possibly work) and then sinking in the center as it cooled. I almost never throw away food, but I’m not sure I can finish eating this cake.
Bakers – It is an 8” SQUARE pan vs. a 9”round. High school geometry, which I was by no means good at. Square pan, 8×8=64 sq inches. Round pan, 3.14 X 4.4 squared = 63.59 inches. Equivalent. No idea why it overflowed for some people though.
Mine came out perfect!! Cider reduced in 35 minutes. I used an 8” square pan since several reviews said they had overflow with a 9” cake pan. Was puffed and done at just shy of 35 minutes. Did not sink. Absolutely perfect moist crumb. Not gummy-just moist. It didn’t quite remind me of an AC donut (and I’ve eaten my share!) but this is a lovely cake and I will make it again!! Perfect fall dessert. Lighter than gingerbread (which we also love) but still with all those nice warm spices. My husband and I both loved it.
Standard cake pans, at 2 inches deep, will have the same volume capacity whether you use an 8-inch square pan or a 9-inch circular pan — 128 cubic inches for the square and 127.23 for the round.
Cakes that test done but collapse in the middle generally can be attributed to: not preheating the oven sufficiently; overbeating (too much air) or under mixing (not fully incorporating the ingredients) or wrong pan size. The latter often happens if, for instance, you try to bake a cake layer in a loaf pan — a narrow, high bake will fall in the center if it was intended to be a wide, low bake.
I’m usually a huge fan of your recipes, but this one was really disappointing. Alas. An extremely rare smitten kitchen fail for me. Don’t worry. Still a big fan. The cooking time was off and the texture was wrong. I will stick to your chocolate cake and other recipes.
This recipe is fantastic! It’s not just that the crumb is springy and tender and the flavor is fantastic. It’s also incidentally vegan and incredibly easy to make. Most of the ingredients are pantry staples, the only special purchase required is the apple cider.
This is going in my permanent recipe rotation, it’s an amazing cake.
Could I use this as the cake portion for an apple upside down cake?
I usually love smitten kitchen recipes, but I didn’t love this cake. The leavening agents, the baking soda and vinegar, came through too much for me in the finished cake. It means this vegan cake really tastes vegan if you know what I mean – like something is missing.
After 30 minutes in a convection oven, my toothpick came out super clean, sides of the pan were released and the middle still sunk in. It’s perfectly baked but doesn’t look as pretty as Deb’s pictures. Any idea why? I used the proper ingredients with zero substitutions and followed the directions!
I made this over the weekend and it was delicious!! I followed the directions as closely as I could and had no problems. I will definitely make it again.
Unfortunately my cake turned out very gooey. I followed the directions with two exceptions, I decreased the baking soda for altitude and I doubled the cider reduction and made it ahead of time, so it came from the fridge, but I used the specified amount. I cooked for 35 minutes and the tester came out clean. Mine sunk in the middle like others. The flavor was good on the edges but the center was a gooey mess. I would try it again and cook much longer or make muffins.
Question regarding the audiobook- are they the same recipes as the kitchen keepers book or are they new recipes?
From Smitten Kitchen Keepers, 42 of the recipes. But, it’s more conversational and I’ll dig in deeper. It’s called an Audio Original — it’s the “audiobook” but not a straight read (as reading recipes would be quite boring).
Made this last week. Cooked beautifully and was moist and delicious. I wanted a little more apple flavor, so tonight I tossed some thin apple slices with sugar and cinnamon (my son’s idea, to treat them like apple pie), buttered the bottom of a springform fairly heavily, added a thin layer of the apples, and poured the batter in. Flipped it over when cooked and it is delicious. I’ll have to tweak it a bit since it wasn’t pretty, but my husband said it might be the best thing I ever cooked.
Made this tonight w my two littles. It was very easy! First time I’ve ever made a cake using baking soda & vinegar; the bubbling & rise was great! It def has the flavor of an apple cider doughnut. Used an 8 inch round pan, worked perfectly.
I’ve been crazing the cider donuts I used to get after apple picking when I lived in New England, so when I saw this recipe, I got excited. The taste of an apple cider donut without having to deep-fry…or fly to New England? It sounded too good to be true. And unfortunately, like most things that sound that way, for me it turned out to be the case. I followed the instructions carefully but it came out with a stodgy, somewhat greasy texture and very faint flavor…nothing like apple cider donuts. Although I used a high-quality cloudy apple juice and high-quality, fresh spices, it tastes more of sweet vegetable oil than anything else (ugh) and it feels like a waste of time and good ingredients. Sorry, I wanted to love it!
A great cake! Flavorful with a nice tender texture and super easy and quick to prepare (our teenager made it with minimal assistance while I made dinner). We added the cider hot to the batter and that worked fine. Our batter foamed once we added the vinegar but we didn’t have any issues with overflow. Our glaze did absorb right into the cake (we iced it while warm).
We’ll definitely make this again!
I love this cake! I’ve made it 3 times in the past two weeks. The glaze is ingenious and the flavors are prefect for the fall. After experimenting with some modifications, here are the adjustments that I’ve discovered boosts the apple cider flavor even more.
1. you can strengthen the apple cider flavor by using a stronger reduction. I start with 1/2 gallon (8 cups) and boil it down by 75% to 2 cups. (I also cut back on most of the added sugar to just 1/4 C maple syrup or brown sugar). It takes about 2 hours in my stockpot.
2. to boost the spice flavor, I add whole spices (cinnamon sticks, cardamon, sliced fresh ginger) to the cider while boiling, and also add the ground spices (cinnamon & ground ginger) with the flour.
3. Written as-is, this is my go-to cake for vegan guests! But when we don’t need it vegan, I add 2 eggs to the wet ingredients and 1/4 C whole milk powder to the dry ingredients (no other adjustments needed). The milk & eggs make for a more tender crumb and a slightly sturdier cake. The non-vegan version of this cake rises pretty high. the 9″ square pan barely fits. I’ve taken to baking it in the 13 x 9 pan.
4. I usually add a dash of vanilla or apple brandy to the wet ingredients.
5. The rich brown color & spices in this cake makes it perfect for a whole wheat swap. I use 1/2 all purpose and 1/2 whole wheat pastry flour…I notice that it rises just as high and tastes just as tender as the version made with white flour.
Next time, I might try adding some very thinly sliced apples to the top to see how it bakes up…I bet it would look lovely with a thinner glaze….
I am going to cut the recipe in half as I only have 2 cups of cider on hand. Any suggestion/guidance as to how many cupcakes this would make and how long to bake? Or, what size pan to use in place of the 8″?
I always buy a gallon of apple cider every year, and I never can figure out how to use it up. This cake is does just that and is wonderful. The crumb is so light. It is sweet and goes so well with a cup of tea.
I made this as cupcakes and mini cupcakes. Used Baker’s Joy but they still stuck a bit so I’ll also flour pans next time. Reduced 5.25 cups of cider to 1.75 cups (3X reduction) My cider had 30 gms sugar per 8 oz so I reduced the sugar to 163 gms. Added the spices to the dry ingredients. I’d use a bit less cinnamon next time. The cake is delicious and very delicate- a bit too delicate for mini cupcakes. They are sweet and a dollop of cream cheese frosting would be good.
Gah this was amazing
I made this early Tuesday before going to the polls as an election worker (one of three bakes for our crew) – note i had reduced the cider over the weekend so it was ready and cold. I started to pour it into an 8×8″pan, but it was quickly apparent there was too much batter. I found a 9″ springform in my cabinet, and transferred the batter to that. It was very bubbly from the soda-vinegar reaction, and came closer to the top than I would usually do. It waited up to 10 min for the brownies to come out of the oven. The cake didn’t seem to rise any more during the baking, and even though the tester was clean it didn’t seem set in the middle, and it was a little underbaked when we finally cut it, but I only had rave reviews.
So, definitely larger pan but if it’s already bubbling it may not grow much more. And trust your instincts more than a tester :)
This one is really good. Both my wife and I like it. Very flavorful and moist. Will be making a double batch for thanksgiving this year.
I just made this and am waiting for it to cool… but the center has totally sunk! Why did this happen? I cooked it for 35 minutes.
Same! Why is this cake sinking in the middle? The first time I made it, no sinking. Moist and delicious. So now I make it again and it sinks. Did I stir it too long?
I made this and at 30 minutes the cake is still completely raw batter.
Anyone else? Just me?
I double checked the recipe…
Mine was still very liquid at 30 minutes. I kept checking every 5 minutes after that, and it was set with a cake tester coming out clean at 40 minutes.
Have you tried using KAB boiled cider to make this? I’m wondering how much of that to use, because 2 cups seems like an awful lot, since it’s a syrup.
The boiled cider from King Arthur is a much greater reduction than Deb suggests here–it reduced the cider to 1/8th its original volume. You could adjust be re-adding back enough of the water to have an equivalent reduction as the recipe requires.
I made this twice because I am just sure it should be great, but both times the bottom of the cake had an overpoweringly salty baking soda flavor. The top of the cake was fine (and delicious). I followed the recipe exactly and I used new baking soda the second time and it still happened. Could the proportions be off? Is this only happening to me?
i made this and was hoping for more cider flavor. it wasn’t very sweet and had more of a quickbread consistency, like pumpkin bread, etc.
I followed the recipe exactly as written, except made as regular sized cupcakes, to rave reviews! Easy, perfect fall recipe. I was going to share with the neighbors, but will just keep them all for us! Ha. The recipe yielded about 20 cupcakes, which I put in the oven all at once. They were ready after about 18 minutes. My only tip (which is probably obvious to everyone else) would be to keep an eye on the cider when it simmers. I thought I was being conservative on the flame, and it boiled over anyway.
I made this for a girl’s night and it was a huge hit. My husband makes his own Apple Jack, and the byproduct is perfect for simmering down for this cake. Thanks for another winner, Deb!
My cake sank horribly, also. I don’t know what I did wrong. Maybe add 1/2 tsp of baking powder?
Sad. Was so excited to try this recipe, and followed it to the letter (at sea level, in an 8” cake pan), also added the cider still hot. Cake sank in the middle and is just sticky/gloopy even after 38 minutes in the oven, and off-puttingly sweet. I am pretty forgiving of underbaked/overbaked cake experiments, and couldn’t even finish one slice.
Any ideas for what went wrong? I notice the photo of this cake interior in the blog is significantly lighter than mine ended up being.
Baked this for a tea party that included about 10 women. On a table laden with delightful homemade treats, including scones and cookies, this cake was the hit of the day. Everyone just adored it. Several went back for a second piece. The scent of the cider reducing is incredible! A day later, my kitchen still smells deliciously cozy and autumnal.
For those who had issues with sinking in the middle, I suspect you didn’t make it long enough. This cake is so moist, I would err on the side of leaving it in the oven a little longer if unsure, as it’s definitely not going to dry out, and I found the crispy edges to be the best part. I baked it for 35 min. in 9-inch round metal pan and it was perfect.
My experience was similar. I baked it between 35 and 40 minutes in an 8-inch square metal pan and it was perfect. It’s too bad the recipe didn’t work for so many others!
I just made this cake with no substitutions and it turned out extremely dense and gummy :( Where did I go wrong? I even baked for 15 additional minutes and the texture would not change. Did I not reduce the cider enough and there was too much liquid?
Made this. Loved it. Tasted exactly as promised – wouldn’t change a thing!
I made this over the weekend, and it was delicious! It behaved differently than Deb’s appears to in the photos, though.
My batter bubbled up significantly when mixing the wet into the dry. The batter filled my 9-inch cake pan to the brim before baking. The cake didn’t rise more than that when baking – the top baked basically completely flat – and it sunk quite a bit in the middle when cooling.
Wondering what I could do to fix this. I was thinking less baking soda, or perhaps banging on the counter to knock out some air before baking? I’d appreciate any advice!
This is truly the first SK recipe that was a fail for me .. TWICE! The first time the cake sunk and was so dense it was akin to a fudgy brownie. I thought surely I’d made some error, so I tried again, measuring everything extremely carefully, and got the same results. Still no idea what actually went wrong – problem with baking soda? Opening the oven to check on it? No idea.
Absolutely heavenly! I added a pinch of salt and 2 tsp. Irish whiskey to the glaze and begorrah!
This cake is a winner! Easy to whip up on a weeknight, and pretty much everyone had seconds. Perfect for apple season! The one difference that I noticed was that my glaze was dark brown, not white, but that didn’t bother me in the least.
My cake sank. Per the comments, I did not wait for the apple cider to cool. I have no idea why but I’m concerned it will be dense and gummy. What happened?? Never seen this before.
Hi Deb!
I am excited to make this cake today and my house is anxiously awaiting its arrival after dinner tonight (provided we can wait that long before slicing in)! I was wondering if you have tried replacing some of the AP flour with a bit of whole grain spelt? I love the addition of whole grains to your strawberry summer cake and like to add them when I can. I may attempt on my own and will report back!
Can the cider be reduced the day before? Will it need to be reheated?
You can use it cold and make it in advance.
Hey, DP- I bought my gallon of cider and Ima gonna try this! You have my utmost respect for many reasons but mainly, at the moment, because you spelled
“bury the lede” correctly.
I can’t figure out what I did wrong here, but my “cake” was absolutely a liquid, even after baking. The parchment paper was floating on the top when I checked on it. I weighed the flour (and tared the scale first!) but it’s like it just vanished. I was so excited for this cake and I want to try again but I can’t justify it with no idea what to fix.
LMAO well, I figured out what happened here!
The mason jar of confectioner’s sugar somehow snuck into the fridge and disguised itself among the mason jars of flour.
Deb, my apologies for ever doubting you. I tried to bake a cake with essentially no dry ingredients. Of course it boiled.
I figured it out before I started baking this evening, so hopefully the batch of the best cocoa brownies currently in the oven will come out much better.
Can I make this in advance for Thanksgiving and freeze? When would I apply the glaze? After thawing? Does the cake need to be warm to glaze it?
I’ve made this three times already and it is perfect every time. I didn’t bother to cool the reduced cider at all and it was no issue. The mixture bubbles a bit in the bowl but it’s fine in the oven. I’ve never had a better vegan cake. Might dress it up with an apple compote on the side for a dinner party dessert.
We Love this cake. The cake is currently in the oven for the fourth time. I cannot seem to get the glaze right. I measure everything on our scale. any tricks would be appreciated. Thank you.
made this was easy and tasty, want to make it and take to a friend, how do you travel with this cake? just wrap it all in tin foil once the frosting gets hard?
OK I read all the comments and I am making it. Ended up pouring in reduction hot *. Foamed up a little but had no problem fitting my 8-inch square pan, no danger of overflow. In oven now.
Aaaand something happened with my timer which never went off and I only knew it was probably done by the smell. Fortunately not burnt but I fear perhaps overdone; time will tell.
Looks great though – didn’t sink over overflow. Glaze is apple-y perfection; will put it on after the ten minute cooling and see what happens.
Discovered at last minute that I had no ‘neutral oil’ and used olive oil;crossing my fingers.
*which I may have under-reduced slightly, hard to measure 2 c of somethign hot while it’s simmering
Made this today – turned out pretty delicious! Definitely more dense than fluffy – like the texture of a sticky date pudding. I’m in Australia so used “pressed 100% apple juice” from the refrigerated aisle. My glaze was more brown than white and I reduced it a bit further to make it more syrupy. Not sure what an apple cider doughnut tastes like, but I could definitely taste the apple flavour!
This is my new favorite cake!! I made it for the first time for a church potluck and had to make up a reason to make it the next day just because I wanted more! And my third round is in the oven as we speak…
I ran out of apple cider on the second try, so I substituted half orange juice. It was still super good and had an almost Christmasy feel.
I have noticed that it doesn’t have the rise of other cakes, but I’d like to have MORE of it when I make it. Has anyone tried doubling it and putting it in a Bundt pan?
Thanks so much for this recipe! It truly is life-changing, especially as several of the people I regularly cook/bake for have gone vegan.
Did you have any issues with it not setting up given that there is no egg? I’ve had that issue with vegan baking in the past?
This was so good and so easy that I made it twice last weekend! The first cake was for my wife and me, and the second batch I made into cupcakes to share at work. I especially love that it’s naturally vegan, so I didn’t have to make any substitutions. This is absolutely a keeper. Bonus: My wife woke up to an apartment smelling “heavenly” as I was reducing the cider and spice mixture.
I made a couple of changes on purpose (only 1 tsp baking soda, dark brown sugar because it’s what I had) and one change entirely NOT on purpose (only used 1 1/2 cups of reduced cider in the batter).
Baked at 365 for 43 minutes (3550’ altitude).
It turned out well—no bubbling over or sunken middle and still very moist. Cooled about 25 minutes before removing from my 9” round. No cracking or lost pieces.
Agree with others that the glaze is the most flavorful part—I attempted to stir up the spices in the cider, but they mostly ended up in the glaze. If I make again, I’ll add spices to the batter in addition to the cider.
I baked this cake over the weekend, followed the instructions to the letter and it turned out perfectly, just like the picture, albeit a little darker as I increased the spices slightly. The batter was quite runny and bubbly. I tapped the cake tin down several times before it went in the oven to release some of the air. Deb, you are right, the cake was so incredibly moist, the texture was incredible and it stayed that way for 3 days. Thank you for the great recipe.
I was not prepared for how delicious this cake would be! I made it for a group of friends, and everyone’s mind was blown. I am planning to make it again ASAP.
For anyone who likes to add sourdough discard to their baked goods: I added 100 grams of discard, took out 50 grams of flour, and reduced the cider down a bit more so that I was adding 364 grams of the cider reduction to my batter. (I have a 100% hydration starter.)
My only very small issue is that I realized with dismay right after I put it into the oven that I had forgotten to add the vinegar. Perhaps this was a good thing as the acid from the starter plus the vinegar might be too much acidity? I can’t decide if I should add it or not the next time I make the cake. It was so incredible I’m reluctant to do anything differently. But I also like the idea of the extra pop of apple ciderness from the vinegar.
I am just so confused by the discrepancies in these comments. It seems people find it delicious, or that it was an epic fail. Should I bother?
Yes!! I have found it to be ridiculously easy and delicious and have made it 3 times. Because it’s so easy, even if it doesn’t turn out for you, why not try?!
I am trying it now!!
Made this and loved it!! I usually make cookies for my little brunch group, and the dessert is important because it is our appetizer, our after meal treat, and also we each get a portion to take home and enjoy later. This was a Covid-era necessity ;) and the necessity continues. Anyway, I felt inspired by your lovely fall recipe and switched my plan. Some days just call for cake and it turned out to be the perfect comfort food. Thank you for your recipe magic!
I have to eat dairy-free so this recipe was like striking gold. No alterations necessary.
This was a quick and easy treat. The aroma from the reduction is intoxicating as is the smell of the final product. I didn’t encounter any issues. The apple factor was a bit milder than expected, it felt like a spice cake with apple glaze at first. But, after letting it sit overnight I felt like the flavors melded better and enjoyed it even more. Such a lovely crumb. Will make again. :)
Joining the ranks of “I put the cider concentrate in hot and it bubbled like crazy” people – it filled my 8×8 square pan but didn’t overflow. The cake didn’t sink either, as other baking soda/vinegar cakes occasionally have. The cake is very delicious, moist, and flavorful. I topped it with the caramel and pecans from Sohla El Waylly’s new Pumpkin Pecan Sheet Cake on NYCooking, it is the caramel apple cake of my dreams! Though I’d make it in a shallower pan next time, as it’s pretty tall.
Welp, I finally made this after being filled with MAJOR doubts due to all the reviews of it sinking, etc. I followed the recipe to the T, used a 9-inch round pan, and baked for about 45 minutes. It’s delicious, I’m so happy I tried it. Now, what do we do when there’s no more apple cider in stores? I feel like once the season is over stores stop carrying.
Great flavour but not sure the apple flavour came through sufficiently to warrant the effort of boiling it down to a syrup. I think maybe just apple juice + spices would do. It tasted like a very good gingerbread cake. BUT, far *too* sweet for me
How do I get the sturdiness of the Spiced Applesauce Cake with the flavor of this cake?
This is an egg-free dairy-free cake so it’s generally just not going to be as sturdy.
I love apple cider (and your blog!)! I saw this recipe, on Bon Appetit, last month, but haven’t gotten around to it yet. Maybe I’ll make it for Turkey Day!
By the way, If you ever feel like schlepping out to Morris County, NJ, with your family, there’s a wonderful cider mill in Chester (Hacklebarney Farm Cider Mill, Bakery and Farm Store). Chester is full of cute shops, a tea shop with fabulous scones (and clotted cream!), a great Mexican restaurant (Fresco Mexican), and fall apple & pumpkin picking. There’s a State Park just beyond the cider mill, with lots of hiking trails, too.
Anyway, I wanted to ask you about finding barley flour, which you referenced (for baking) some time ago. I live in Bergen County (NJ), and I’ve had no luck finding a 1 or 2 lb bag locally, or online (at a reasonable price). Where do you get it in NYC? My son lives there, so he could pick it up for me, before we get together. Thanks!
This is lovely but it does not taste like an apple cider donut. It takes like a spice cake. Next time I’ll ditch the clove and allspice for sure, and maybe the ginger.
Wonderful aroma, flavor. My dairy free and vegan colleagues (and everyone) at my job raved and want the recipe. Thank you very much for sharing such a great fall cake.
I’m normally not a big fan of cake, but my partner IS, so I try to make cakes occasionally for him. And, um, I kept coming back for more servings of this one. :) I love that it tasted cozy and was not even a little bit dry. While making the cider reduction, my partner commented numerous times on how good it smelled–without knowing it, he was following your instruction to “bask in the otherworldly aroma.” Since our household is small, I halved everything and baked it in a 6″ cake pan. Worked great.
Does anyone know if “heat apple cider with cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and ginger over medium-high heat, simmering the mixture until it reduces to 2 cups”
means boil it over med high then turn down to low for simmer,
or
keep it at med high heat for 20 min?
You can keep it at whatever heat works for you (med or med-high), so the mixture is at a steady simmer. Just stir from time to time. Good luck!
ok last one! But this is the second time i made this and this time… I really taste the vinegar and not in a great way. Checked three times: one tbsp. I have no idea what happened. Hope the glaze balances it out.
Cue the “I substituted all the things it didn’t turn out like I thought it would…”
So I apparently lost my measuring spoons while moving. I ended up using table spoons to measure stuff. And my brother just got diagnosed with celiac, so I subbed KA gluten free 1-1 flour. It took forever to bake and came out of the oven uglier than sin. I fortified my coffee with Jameson and cut into it with much apprehension… dear reader, it was GOOD! That’s not the Jameson talking, either. Even with creative measuring and flour that is known to be difficult to work with, it was so tasty! Concentrating the cider really helps. I’ve been eating bits of it all day and would totally make it again (after I invest in some proper measuring spoons).
Rave reviews from the fam!
I successfully made this and had to comment because 1. it is very tasty and 2. there is such a range of results from others! I’m at 5200′ elevation and followed a previous commenter’s recommendation to decrease the baking soda to 1 tsp and slightly decrease the sugar. I cooked down the cider a day ahead of time so it was cold when I mixed everything. I did over run my round pan but made 3 extra cupcakes (probably could have made 4). And if you’re still reading: EAT IT WARMED UP!!! It takes on a pudding texture that is utterly delightful.
This cake is outstanding. So moist and flavorful! I made it without the glaze, let it cool, and froze it for three weeks. While it was defrosting, I sautéed some peeled apple slices in butter and brown sugar until soft, to serve with the cake.
When I was reducing the cider mixture, I had made a doubled amount, and I froze the unused cider portion. That means I can more quickly make another cake someday soon.
I should have included: I made it as written, with AP flour. I used an 8” square pan. I had no overflowing or sinking. I let it cool, covered, overnight, before I wrapped and froze it. I find that many cakes become moister and more flavorful if I let them sit overnight before freezing them, though I can imagine this one would be delicious if served while still warm.
So GOOD! I’ve made this twice in 3 days, both with amazing results. The only only change I made was adding lemon zest and the juice of half a lemon to the glaze. The first time I did this, the glaze was too liquidy so the second time I decreased the apple cider to two tablespoons with about one tablespoon of lemon juice and it was perfect.
I have been following this (excellent) website for well over a decade and I can’t remember a recipe where the results seemed to be so polarized. Nevertheless I was excited to try this because I’ve been eating more vegan lately and we always have a big gallon jug of apple cider from the orchard at Thanksgiving.
So to add me as a data point: I followed (almost all) the recipe precisely, using teaspoons/grams. As it happened my mom had a pot with 0.5L gradations marked inside so that made it easy to see the cider had reduced by half (I still poured it in a quart measure to check.) I used Heinz apple cider vinegar (after I read the label on a store brand and found it was just white distilled vinegar with “natural flavoring”) and there was bubbling but nothing crazy as others described. I had a nonstick 9” NordicWare round and it baked beautifully, pulling away from the sides and ready at about 33 min (internal temp was around 190°F I think). It didn’t over rise or fall in the middle.
I let it cool because I didn’t want it to absorb the glaze as some others have mentioned. But making the glaze is where I deviated because I was lazy: rather than use just 3T I dumped in the full remaining quarter cup and as a result my glaze was fully brown and not white like the picture. Tasted fine but I wouldn’t have minded the visual contrast as it was kinda brown on brown.
Overall, it was a total success: the whole thing was gone shortly after I served it, and my family loved the texture (moist but not gummy, with tasty crisp edges) and flavor. This makes me all the more curious what kind of reaction must have happened with the unlucky ones… under reduced so too watery? Different varietal of apple that behaves differently when cider’ed? We need a food scientist detective to get to the bottom of the puzzle.
There was no mystery in our house though; it was a winner. Thanks Deb!
I think it’s a matter of taste and do you like apple cider donuts?
Our cake turned out perfectly and I served it to a part of 5.
Two people loved it. Three (including me) found it bland and under-spiced, which seems weird given how many spices are in it. However – I also don’t like apple cider donuts because I have the same complaints: not enough apple flavor, not enough spices.
From a technical bake perspective, the cake is lovely. I like oil cakes, and Deb’s recipe worked well. I just am unlikely to make it again.
Turned out perfectly for us, and I plan to make it again before our next party because the house smelled absolutely wonderful after reducing the cider and the bake. Works as a harvest meal dessert and as a snack cake for coffee break. FWIW, I personally liked it better the next day. Thanks, yet again, Deb!
I have made this four times already, and everyone loves it. It’s super easy to make. I learned the hard way to start with just 3 tablespoons of the reduced cider when making the glaze so the glaze is a better consistency (and doesn’t, ahem, leak out of the container onto a certain person holding the cake on their lap for a car ride). This will be a fall family favorite every year. Thanks, Deb.
This is so delicious!!!! Only had a 10-inch cake pan so baked for about 25 minutes and it was perfect.
Hi Deb et al! Definitely planning on making this. Do you think it’d work in a Bundt tin?
It might need to be doubled for one. The cake is very tender so it’s got a higher tendency to stick, but aside from that worry, it should work.
Thank you so much!! We’re considering making this as our dessert for Christmas day, and I thought a Bundt might be festive – but I may not chance it in that case :)
Hi Deb
Loved your chicken soup podcast, never did get to your favorite noodles part!
I want to order the dark green Staub braised,when exactly will it be available? Love what you do!!
Hi Lisa — Thank you! Maybe even today. I know it’s in the warehouse, they just need to get it up on the site.
A friend made this for a gathering and we all loved it. However, the center collapsed for her too. I still loved the taste and wanted to give it a try for my family. I’ve now baked it twice – once with the recipe as written, and once with some modifications. I used a 10″ springform pan both times because my 9″ was too short for the quantity of batter. It didn’t sink for me either time.
As written, this baked up as a nice dense cake that is very moist, has good apple flavor, but is a bit sweet for my taste.
The second time, I was hoping to reduce the moisture and sweetness, and get a more open crumb. I added 1 egg, only used 1 1/2 cups of the reduced 2 cups cider, added 2 tbsp flour, mixed the spices in with the flour instead of the cider, and split the sugar to 1/2 cup white and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Altogether this resulted in a little more rise and a texture that feels closer to a cake doughnut.
I liked both cakes, and if baking for a vegan crowd, this recipe is excellent. If not vegan, adding an egg seemed to help the structure.
This is my new favorite vegan cake! It literally tastes like autumn. Making the cider reduction really packs the flavor in, especially into the glaze!
I have made this twice and both times people have lost their minds about how good it is. An absolute winner, crowd pleaser, and happy addition my fall/holiday baked good rotation from here on out. Thank you Deb!
This cake was absolutely delicious! Huge hit at a dinner party. Guests asked to take leftovers home. I decorated the outer edges with small sugar cookies with apple cider royal icing. Only missing piece of the directions was noting the cider should be cooled before mixing . This cake will go in our repeat list. Thank you!
I’ve made this recipe three times now and it’s been great each time. I had less than a quart of cider this week so I made a half recipe in a 7-inch round pan. Worked perfectly.
Ugh, so frustrating having spent time and money on this recipe to have it not even remotely turn out. I did everything as stated, except I used an 8” round pan, since it’s all I had. After 35 minutes in the oven, only about 1/4” in the from the edges was baked and the rest was completely liquid. Didn’t even try to finish it, it was obviously not going to turn out. I was trying to make this for an event this afternoon, so even more frustrating that now I don’t have anything.
As a fellow baker, I’m sorry for your disappointment. The recipe worked well for me.,Also just as a fellow baker, I’ll say that the full recipe was not likely to work in an 8” round pan. Too much batter in a too-small pan= not enough space to spread out and bake properly. I hope you can find a substitute dessert for your event today. Cheers.
I’m an experienced baker and this one threw me.I had to use 2 9″ pans because when I combined all the ingredients irhw batter bubbled up and increased in volume. It then fell in the oven. There’s definitely something wrong with the amount of flour, which I weighed out in grams . I’d be interested in some insight as to how to avoid this in future because it smells amazing.
Update! My”cake” resembles a delicious huge cookie- thicker around the edges but completely flat in the middle. I frosted it anyway and it’s delicious . Upon reflection, I think the issue is too much sugar. As we all know sugar contributes to browning and leavening and moisture. I reduced 1/2 gallon cider to 2 cups, thinking that the apple flavor would intensify, which it did. It also super concentrated the sugars in the cider, yielding a yummy very sweet syrup. I will try this again with properly reduced cider. I still don’t know why the volume was twice what was expected, but I think the extra sugar is the culprit to the density of the cake.
I have been waiting to make this cake for a special occasion since you first posted it and the time has come at the end of the week for a dinner party! So. Excited. I love the look of a stacked cake for a fancy affair, could I double this and stack it?
The cake baked up really nicely. Unlike other people, it was perfectly baked at 28 mins in an 8 inch square pan. Cake texture was tender and light. I used the hot cider reduction and put it in the oven while it was still foaming. I did not have any overflow or gumminess issues.
However, I did not like the taste of this cake. For some reason it was super super sweet. I love sweets so this is really unusual to me. I’m not sure how to reduce the sugar here.
8″ square pan was NOT the way to go. Followed the recipe with exact measurements with a scale and all and it has made a huge mess of my oven. I even thought to myself — wow, this batter is kinda high in the pan — but trusted SK. Lowered the heat and put a pan under it now. I’m just hoping the cake is salvageable with the glaze. Super bummed if I wasted a gallon of cider for this.
I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you. I’ve used an 8″ square pan for this– twice–and I’ve had no trouble with this recipe.
My husband, who loves sweets and “basic vanilla birthday cakes”, is raving about this. It’s plush, moist, the spice is so nice. The glaze dries to a skating-rink finish and juuuuust cracks when you take a fork to it. I don’t actually know what a cider donut tastes like, but this cake is nice.
I made this following the directions as printed and I had no problems whatsoever. It did take 40 minutes to bake but it didn’t overflow the pan and it didn’t fall apart when I removed it from the pan to a cooling rack. I decorated mine with dried apple slices on top. My family loved it. I have a second one in the oven right now as I had apple cider left over. This is a delicious cake.
Great recipe!! It baked verrrry well and was fun to make. my only helpful hint for other readers is to make sure all your spices aren’t at the bottom of the reduction when you’re pouring the amount you need into the batter…I wasn’t paying attention and I wish I stirred it up first! I have lotssss of spices in my glaze and I wish it was more in the cake!
This turned out great. Love how quick it is.
I would let it cool on a rack though because it gets soggy against the plate!
Do we pour the cider directly in from the pan or let it cool before adding to the dry?
You can use it still warm.
Has anyone found that this recipe makes more than 9″ pan? I had to get a smaller pan for additional batter. I know I measured accurately the ingredients, flour, scooped and level, reduced cider to 2 cups and only used 1 3/4 cup in cake batter. Thanks
What a disaster. Followed the recipe exactly and the cake would not cook through. Initially baked for 30 minutes, the toothpick came out clean, let it cool ten minutes, but when I flipped it out of the pan, the center was uncooked. Put it back in the pan and back in the oven for another seven minutes and got the same result. Ended up dumping it in the trash. I was so disappointed because it sounded amazing.
Crazy how polarized these comments are! I thought I’d weigh in. We made this cake last weekend with no changes to the recipe. It fit just fine in an 8×8 square pan. It was completely delicious! Big hit at our after church fellowship hour. Super easy to make. I’m so curious what is happening when people struggle, but I am really glad we went ahead with the recipe. Would absolutely make this again.
Made it again in an 8” square pan. Perfect results again!
Finally got around to making this and WOW!!! Absolutely exceeded my expectations. I used a 9″ round cake pan and took it out after 34 minutes as the toothpick seemed clean. It did sink in the center after cooling, but honestly, it’s so divinely delicious that I don’t care. Will bake a few minutes longer next time. Thanks for such a wonderful recipe, Deb!
Amazing cake. I need to try to make it!
This cake is so good that the first time I made it, my husband and I are the whole thing within about 16 hours! I’ve made it three more times since.
Great option for people who are dairy-free as well!