Makinze is currently Food Editor for Delish, where she develops recipes, creates and hosts recipe videos and is our current baking queen.. Reigning from Oklahoma, she's also our go-to for all things regarding Midwestern cuisine. She's also our expert pie crimper.
With fall comes apple cider donut season, the best time of the year. This easy pound cake is everything we love about the donuts. Rich and dense with a cinnamon sugar coating that gets all over our fingers, this cake is warmly spiced and so much easier than frying up a dozen donuts. Boiling down the apple cider makes it more concentrated, which gives you more of that sweet apple flavor while using less liquid in the cake. That results in a moist, dense crumb, just like the classic donut.
Have you tried this yet? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
- Yields:
- 8 - 10 serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 15 mins
- Total Time:
- 2 hrs
Ingredients
Cake
Cooking spray
- 1 1/2 c.
apple cider
- 2 1/4 c.
(270 g.) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp.
baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp.
ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp.
ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp.
kosher salt
- 1/2 c.
(1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 c.
(105 g.) packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 c.
(100 g.) granulated sugar
- 1
large egg
- 1 tsp.
pure vanilla extract
- 1/3 c.
whole milk
Coating
- 1/4 c.
(50 g.) granulated sugar
- 2 tsp.
ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp.
unsalted butter, melted
Directions
Cake
- Step 1Preheat oven to 350° and grease a 9"-by-4" loaf pan with cooking spray. In a small pot over medium heat, bring apple cider to a boil. Continue to boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 3/4 cup, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool.
- Step 2In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
- Step 3In a large bowl, whisk butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Add egg and whisk until combined. Add reduced apple cider and vanilla and whisk until combined. Add half of dry ingredients and whisk until just a few dry streaks remain. Add milk and whisk until just combined, then add remaining dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and smooth top.
- Step 4Bake cake until a tester inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, 55 to 60 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack.
Coating
- Step 1On a large plate, mix granulated sugar and cinnamon.
- Step 2While cake is still warm, brush top and sides with butter. Place in cinnamon sugar and roll cake to coat. Let cool completely before slicing.