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This apple cider donut cake tastes exactly like the warm cinnamon sugar donuts I grab at the apple orchard every fall, except it bakes in one bundt pan instead of a fryer. The outside is coated in buttery cinnamon sugar and the inside is soft, tender, and full of real apple cider flavor. One bite and it is the first cool morning of fall.
I have made this cake for years and it is one of the most loved recipes I have ever shared, with millions of views and close to a thousand five-star reviews. Readers tell me the same thing every fall: the texture comes out like a real cider donut, not a plain slice of cake. That is exactly what I was going for.
What makes this one so easy is that it starts with a box of cake mix, so there is no measuring out a dozen dry ingredients. Real apple cider does the work on flavor, and a quick brush of butter before the cinnamon sugar is what gives it that donut coating. It is the fall cake I reach for when I want a big payoff with almost no fuss.
When I want a fall dessert with even less effort, I make my pumpkin dump cake with spice cake mix, which layers pumpkin pie under a crunchy spice cake crust.
TESTED FAVORITE
Why This Cake Really Does Taste Like a Cider Donut
I keep coming back to this version because it nails that orchard donut taste every single time. The apple cider and applesauce keep the crumb soft and moist with no oil in the batter at all, and brushing the cooled cake with butter before the cinnamon sugar is what makes the coating cling like a real donut. It is the cake my family asks for the second the mornings turn cool.
The Ingredients That Matter
- Boxed cake mix: I use a 15.25 ounce box of spice cake mix now. I started with yellow cake mix, but I moved to spice because it gives the cake a deeper, warmer fall flavor, and it is the version I make every time. Duncan Hines spice is my pick. Yellow cake mix still works if that is what you have, and white cake mix will do in a pinch.
- Apple cider: Use real apple cider, not apple juice and not apple cider vinegar. Cider has the deep, spiced apple flavor that makes this taste like an orchard donut. This is the ingredient that carries the whole cake.
- Applesauce: This is what keeps the cake soft and moist, and it is the reason there is no oil or butter in the batter. I use cinnamon applesauce, not chunky, for a little extra spice.
- Eggs: Room temperature eggs blend in smoothly and give you a more even, tender crumb. Cold eggs straight from the fridge can leave the batter lumpy.
- Cinnamon sugar topping: Melted butter brushed on first, then a cinnamon sugar coating, is what turns a plain bundt into a cider donut. The butter is what helps the sugar cling to the surface instead of soaking in.
How to Make Apple Cider Donut Cake
Step 1: Mix the Batter Beat the dry cake mix, apple cider, applesauce, and eggs in a large bowl until smooth. Add the cinnamon, brown sugar, and vanilla and mix just until combined. Stop as soon as the batter comes together so the cake stays tender.
Step 2: Prep the Pan Grease and flour a 10 or 12 cup bundt pan well. I use a flour-based baking spray so nothing sticks and the cake releases clean.
Step 3: Bake Pour the batter into the pan and bake on the center rack at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.
Step 4: Cool Let the cake cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes. It needs to be cool before the butter and cinnamon sugar go on.
Step 5: Make the Cinnamon Sugar Stir the cinnamon and sugar together in a small bowl. This ratio is personal, so use more sugar if you like it milder or more cinnamon if you like it bold. I lean toward two parts sugar to one part cinnamon.
Step 6: Brush and Coat Brush the cooled cake all over with melted butter and let it sit about a minute, so the surface is slightly wet but not soaked. Rub the cinnamon sugar over the whole cake until it is evenly coated.
“I made this again last night for a 2nd time. My family went nuts for it once again. It is super moist and flavorful. I made it with a spice cake mix. I highly recommend this recipe. You won’t be disappointed.“
Making It in Other Pans
You do not have to use a bundt pan. Baked in a mini-muffin pan, fill each cup just short of the top and bake at 350 degrees for about 14 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool about 15 minutes, loosen the edges with a knife, then brush with butter and dip in the cinnamon sugar. Made this way they come out a lot like my apple cider doughnut holes, just from cake mix.
A 13×9 pan or loaf pans work too. They bake up shallower than a bundt, so start checking for doneness earlier and pull them when a toothpick comes out clean.
Storing Leftovers
This cake is best the day you make it, but it holds up well made a day ahead. Cool it completely and cover it tightly so it stays moist. It keeps covered in the fridge for up to 5 days, and you can freeze it wrapped well for up to 3 months. This is one of the easy cake recipes I make on repeat once fall hits.
More Apple Recipes to Try
- Old fashioned apple crisp
- Easy apple dump cake
- Homemade apple fritters
- Baked apple hand pies
- Caramel Apple Dump Cake
Apple Cider Donut Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 15.25 ounce box Yellow cake mix or Spice Cake Mix I used Betty Crocker Yellow Super Moist – for a stronger Fall taste use Duncan Hines Spice Cake Mix.
- 1 cup apple cider NOT apple juice and NOT apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup apple sauce we used cinnamon apple sauce, not chunky
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ¼ tsp cinnamon more if you like it really cinnamony!
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
For the Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon depending on how much cinnamon you prefer
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the dry cake mix, apple cider, apple sauce, and eggs. Add in the cinnnamon (¼ tsp,) brown sugar and vanilla to the cake mix batter. (See "recipe options" in notes)1 15.25 ounce box Yellow cake mix or Spice Cake Mix, 1 cup apple cider, ½ cup apple sauce, 3 large eggs, ¼ tsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tsp vanilla
- Pour mix into a well greased & floured bundt pan (we used Baker's Joy. This has flour in it to make sure it doesn't stick.)
- Place bundt pan on center rack and bake for 40-45 minutes. Test with a toothpick by sticking into the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean it is ready. Remove from heat and allow to cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes.
- In a separate bowl. Mix cinnamon with sugar.2 tablespoons cinnamon, ¼ cup sugar
- Once the cake has cooled, brush the entire surface with melted butter. Rub cinnamon sugar mixture until evenly coated.¼ cup melted butter
Jenn’s Notes
- Do not overmix the batter. Stir just until it comes together so the cake stays soft, not gummy.
- Use a 10 or 12 cup bundt pan. A bigger pan makes the cake bake up flat instead of rising.
- Brush the cooled cake with butter and let it sit about a minute before adding the cinnamon sugar, so the coating clings instead of soaking in.
This was very easy to make. I followed the directions precisely and even bought the same Betty Crocker cake mix suggested to hopefully avoid any rising issues. The apple flavor was lovely, not very potent though so next time, I may add apples like others have suggested but all my guests really enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing!
Not sure what the folks did wrong that made their cakes anything less than AWESOME! Because there were several “disappointed” people, I compared your recipe to others with the same name. Other than spices, etc all your important ingredients are the same portions (example, cider to water ratio may differ but the same volume of liquid) Oven temps and rack levels do matter. So do metal and glass pans.
But, by far, your combination of ingredients out scores all the others. This recipe is a KEEPER and will have folks asking for another slice!
I made this once and it was REALLY cinnamony, but overall it was pretty tasty (good texture), so I came back for the recipe again to modify more to my liking, and noticed that cinnamon is listed twice — once as 2 T. (which is why it was so cinnamony) and again at 1/4 t.
Is the 2 T. of cinnamon a typo? Thanks.
I hate to admit it but my cake wasn’t good, it didn’t rise, it was very dense and not much apple flavor. I was so bummed!!!! Was going to take it to work but I’ll probably throw it out.
Also, even if she missed something or made a mistake, your tone does not need to be so rude and condescending. Starting with “So, you need to double check your recipes” is just snarky. Hope you don’t work in PR.
Thanks Tasha! I appreciate you having my back ❤️ People can be very rude sometimes.
Followed the recipe exactly. Did not rise and came out of the pan in crumbles. Will not be making again. 🙁
Was it an old box of cake mix? Sometimes if it is, it will not rise properly. You can try adding 1/2 tsp of baking powder if you make it again. I have made this cake tons of times and it always rises for me and does for others I have checked with as well. I am so sorry it didn’t work out for you.
Delcuios
I JUST MADE THIS CAKE- AND IT NEVER ROSE- IN THE MIDDLE IT WAS A BLOB OF GOO-BUT THE TOP WAS PERFECT-I FOLLOWED THE RECIPE PER YOUR INSTRUCTIONS- MY OVEN IS FAIRLY NEW- I CAN’T IMAGINE WHAT WENT WRONG-
I just pulled this out of the oven and mine also didn’t rise Properly, strange really
I have had this happen with other recipes. I have a new convection oven so I checked the temperature of my oven. According to the service technician, the oven temperature can vary plus or minus 25 degrees-and this is considered normal. He also told me that once the oven reaches the desired temperature to wait an additional 10 minutes before adding food to the oven. This allows the entire oven to reach the desired temperature. I starting using the lower rack to bake and this corrected the problem of not rising and being doughy in the middle.
Hi. So, you need to double check your recipes before you post them. In the ingredient list you called for sugar and melted butter. However in the instructions, you failed to mention either of those and when they should go in… also you have 1/8th of cup of cinnamon going in…. these things might seem obvious tbut to an inexperienced cook/ baker this could be fatal.
Hi Leann, sorry if you missed it, but if you look at both the post and the recipe card I do in fact instruct to mix the cinnamon and the sugar together and to brush the cake with the melted butter and then top with the cinnamon sugar mixture. The butter, cinnamon and sugar are all for the topping of the cake. I totally understand the nervous baker thing, I am a “follow the recipe to the letter” kinda girl. But, please look at the recipe card, it explains what to do with those ingredients.