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The ideal slow-afternoon bake, this is a recipe to help you take your time and savor a cozy moment in the kitchen. As it bakes, this Apple Cider Donut Cake fills the entire house with the aroma of warm, spiced apples, wrapping you in that comforting autumn feeling long before you cut into the first slice.
I love crafting baking elements completely from scratch, taking the time to lovingly shape a recipe to my own taste. This was my very first time making homemade apple butter, and every single step was a pure joy. The result was a beautifully spiced, velvety apple butter that was not only a fantastic addition inside the cake batter, but proved to be an absolute dream when slathered directly over a fresh slice.
The ultimate bake for chilly days, this Apple Cider Donut Cake has a soft, tender crumb that delivers that nostalgic comfort you crave as the weather starts to turn. The buttery cinnamon-sugar crust brings a delightful crunch to contrast the pillowy interior. It truly ticks every single box for autumn baking.
See also my Caramel Apple Scrolls or my Spiced Pumpkin Cake
Serves: 10
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Prep: 1h 20
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Cooking: 2h 10
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Total: 3h 30

Ingredients

Apple Butter:
I used Love and Lemons Apple Butter recipe, with a few tweaks.

Apple Cider Syrup:
  • 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) unfiltered apple cider (simmered down to 1/2 cup / 125 ml total)
Cake:
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 150g brown sugar
  • 100ml olive oil
  • 3 tbsp cooled Apple Cider Syrup
  • 220g Apple Butter
  • 150g plain (all-purpose) flour
  • 4 tbsp almond meal
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp fine salt
Soak & Donut Crust:
  • Remaining Apple Cider Syrup (~4–5 tbsp)
  • 30g butter, melted
  • 100 g caster sugar
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

Method

  1. Make Apple Butter following the recipe, with tweaks below.
  2. Reduce all the water when cooking the apples. Add 1/2 cup apple cider to the cooked apples before blending.
  3. Add ginger with other spices
  4. Set aside until ready to use
Apple Cider Syrup:
  1. Pour 1 ½ cups apple cider into a small saucepan over medium heat.
  2. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer until reduced down to roughly ½ cup (125 ml) of concentrated syrup.
  3. Measure out 3 tablespoons for the batter and set the rest aside for soaking.
Cake:
  1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease a standard 8x4 or 9x5 inch loaf tin and line it with baking paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for easy lifting.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and brown sugar until pale and smooth.
  3. Whisk in the olive oil, apple cider syrup, and apple butter until fully combined.
  4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the plain flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt.
  5. Pour into the wet mixture and gently fold with a spatula until just combined.
  6. Pour the batter into your prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  7. While the cake is hot out of the oven, use a skewer to poke holes all over the top. Slowly spoon the remaining Apple Cider Syrup over the cake, allowing it to soak deep into the crumb. Let the cake cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
  8. Mix the caster sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish. Brush the top and sides of the warm loaf generously with the melted butter, then roll or coat all sides in the cinnamon-sugar mix until fully encrusted.