Cider-Glazed Apple Bundt Cake

A dense and moist pound cake with heavy flavors of a fall harvest, this cider-glazed apple Bundt cake is full of apples and warm spices. Reduced apple cider amps up the flavor and is used in 3 ways to keep the apple taste boosted throughout this treat.

I love making seasonal desserts, and along with pumpkin, apples just scream fall baking. This is a great tasting apple recipe for people that enjoy the fall but aren’t as keen on pumpkin flavored snacks.

This recipe uses my key lime pound cake as a base with a few modifications. The apple cider truly intensifies the taste and using it across the recipe helps to layer it and keep that flavor in the forefront.

Apples by themselves have a subtle flavor, so I love using fresh apple cider to make the flavor stand out even more. I use this same ingredient in my cinnamon apple cider muffins and apple cider snickerdoodles among others to boost the flavor.

Apple Cider – A true Fall ingredient, apple cider is used in the cake, a soaking solution, and in the glaze. Be sure to find regular apple cider and not cider with a bunch of spices added. Because you’ll be reducing 4 cups down to 1, you want regular cider so that the spices aren’t overpowering. Also avoid apple juice as it will be cloying sweet if you reduce it by that much.

Apples – Choose from the usual list of good baking apples here: Granny Smith apples, Fuji, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Braeburn, etc. I like to use a mix of sweet and tart, so I use Granny Smith and Pink Lady here, but feel free to experiment with your own choices.

Flour – The base of the cake, normal all-purpose flour works fine here. Alternatively, you could substitute some of the AP flour with whole-wheat flour for a different flavor.

Starch – Replacing a little of the flour with potato starch helps to keep the crumb tender with less gluten formation. If you don’t want to use it, you could try corn starch or tapioca starch instead or just swap it with more all-purpose flour.

Leaveners – The usual mix of baking soda and baking powder to help give the cake rise.

Spices – I use a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves to add flavor to the cake. You can also experiment with different amounts, or using allspice and ginger as well, just remember to use clove, allspice, and nutmeg sparingly as their flavors can become overpowering quickly.

Sugar – Another good Fall flavor is molasses, so here we use a mix of white sugar and dark brown sugar to add another layer of flavor to the cake. Light brown sugar is fine too instead of dark. Also use some confectioners' sugar (not pictured) for the glaze.

Oil – Just a ¼ cup of a neutral oil like vegetable or canola for added moisture.

Dairy – 3 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks keep the Bundt cake nice and moist, while the addition of buttermilk and sour cream add a nice tanginess and activate the baking soda.

Vanilla Extract – Another boost for the flavor. If you made your own homemade vanilla extract with bourbon, this would be a good place to use it.

Cider Reduction & Apples

Start by bringing 4 cups of apple cider to a boil in a 12-inch skillet and reduce until it’s down to 1 cup. After it comes to a boil, reduce heat slightly to medium-high and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Set aside a ½ cup and a separate 2 tablespoons cider reduction to cool.

With the remaining roughly 6 tablespoons cider reduction, stir in 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar until dissolved and transfer mixture to a microwave safe cup or bowl.

While the cider reduces, peel and chop the apples into roughly ½” chunks and set aside.

Make the Apple Cake

Pre-heat oven to 350°F/180°C and set oven rack in the middle position.

In a large bowl, whisk flour with the potato starch, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves. Whisk until fully combined and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in another mixing bowl if using a hand mixer, add butter and mix on medium speed until fluffy. Now add both sugars and cream together at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla extract, reduced ½ cup cider, oil and sour cream and mix on low until combined, about 1 minute.

The mixture will be very wet at this point, so mix slowly to avoid splashing. Add the 3 whole eggs and mix on low, then add the two egg yolks until fully combined.

Now add the flour mixture and the buttermilk, alternating back and forth, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Continue mixing on low as you do this until everything is just combined.

Finally, fold in the apple chunks with a rubber spatula. Prepare a nonstick Bundt pan with a flour baking spray, or butter and flour, knocking out the excess flour.

Pour the batter into the Bundt pan, using the rubber spatula to make sure it is filled evenly all the way around with a smooth top. Place the Bundt pan on a baking sheet and place it on the middle oven rack and bake for about 60-70 minutes. Begin checking around 55 minutes (mine was ready around 58 minutes in).

Soaking and Glazing

Set the Bundt pan on a wire rack and let it cool at least 5 minutes or so (to avoid a mess, add some parchment or wax paper under the cooling rack). Microwave the cider and sugar soaking solution for 20-30 seconds and stir. Using a basting or pastry brush, add some of the soaking solution to the bottom of the cake.

Now set the Bundt cake on a countertop and place the wire rack upside down on top of it. Flip the entire thing over so that the Bundt pan is inverted on the cooling rack and try to lift it up. The cake should release easily, if it doesn’t, reverse the process and tap it against the edge of a countertop and try again.

Now baste the cake with the soaking solution, going around the entire cake 5-6 times. Let the cake cool completely before glazing, for at least an hour.

When the baked cake has cooled, prepare the apple cider glaze. Sift ⅔ cup of confectioner’s sugar into a small bowl and add the 2 tablespoons of reserved apple cider. Use a spoon to mix until it forms a smooth icing. Now pour cider mixture over the top surface of cake, allowing it to drip down the sides of cake. Slice and serve.

Apple Bundt Cake Variations

Apples – I like a mixture of tart and sweet, but feel free to experiment with your preferred apples. In this recipe, I use 3 apples and chop into a ½” dice. If you prefer less apple chunks, you can use only 2 apples, cut into ¼” dice, or even grate the apples instead. Grating will give you the apple flavor without the chunks of apple in every bite.

Flours – As mentioned earlier, to give a different flavor to the cake, you can swap out some of the all-purpose flour for whole-wheat flour. The recipe calls for 2 ¾ cups AP flour, so use 1 ¾ cups AP flour and 1 cup whole-wheat flour if swapping out. If you skip the potato starch as well, use 2 cups AP to 1 cup whole-wheat. Keep in mind the whole-wheat flour has higher protein (gluten), so it will slightly change the texture in the finished cake.

Spices – Cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove is a great combination, but you can also experiment with ginger, black pepper, or allspice. I would recommend using allspice OR ground cloves, but not both. Also use allspice, nutmeg, and ground clove sparingly, as they can easily overpower every other flavor.

Maple Glaze – For a bit of a switch in flavor from the cider-glaze, substitute 2 tablespoons of room temperature maple syrup for the reduced cider in the glaze.

Recommended Equipment

You really don’t need any fancy equipment to make this glazed apple Bundt cake, other than the namesake Bundt pan if you don’t already have one. Here are just a few suggestions.

Peelers – A quality set of vegetable peelers come in handy all the time when cooking and baking. While you could technically do the job with a paring knife, peelers make quick and easy work of fruit and vegetable skins without taking too much off.

Bundt Pan – A decent quality Bundt cake pan isn’t very expensive at all, and they’re usually decently non-stick. Around the holidays you can usually find uniquely shaped ones with fun designs as well, or for sale also.

How to Store Bundt Cake

You can store the apple cider Bundt cake at room temperature for 2-3 days in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap. Like muffins, I would suggest adding a paper towel to the bottom of the container or bag just to absorb some of the moisture that will seep out.

Alternatively, you can store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days, letting it come to room temperature before serving, or a quick blast in the microwave. You can also freeze for 3-4 months. If you plan on freezing it after you make it, I suggest making the glaze after it’s been defrosted and ready to serve.