Description

A rustic, tender cake that tastes like a doughnut, made with reduced apple cider and coated in cinnamon sugar. It requires minimal ingredients and offers a cozy, autumnal flavor profile.

Ingredients

Scale

2 cups apple cider (unfiltered, cloudy)
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter (melted)
½ cup granulated sugar (for batter)
1 large egg (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
½ cup granulated sugar (for coating)
1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter (melted, for dipping)
½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper.
Pour 2 cups of apple cider into a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to medium-low. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until reduced by half (about 1 cup). Let cool completely.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large bowl, whisk the cooled reduced cider, melted butter, egg, ½ cup sugar, and vanilla (if using) until uniform.
Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Stir gently until just combined; do not overmix. The batter will be thin.
In a shallow dish, mix ½ cup sugar and cinnamon. In a small bowl, melt 2 tablespoons butter for dipping.
Dip a spoon or scoop into melted butter, then into cinnamon sugar. Scoop batter, dip in butter, coat in cinnamon sugar, and place in the loaf pan. Repeat until batter is used.
Bake for 40-45 minutes until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Tent with foil if browning too quickly.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

Ensure the reduced cider is completely cool before adding to the batter to prevent cooking the egg. Use unfiltered apple cider for best flavor. The crust will soften if stored; reheat slices to restore crispness.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice
Calories: 180
Sugar: 22
Sodium: 150
Fat: 6
Saturated Fat: 3
Carbohydrates: 32
Fiber: 1
Protein: 2

Keywords: apple cider cake, doughnut cake, fall recipe, 3 ingredient cake, cinnamon sugar cake, autumn baking, easy dessert