Easy Apple Cider Donut Cake (from a Mix)
This apple cider bundt cake is a cinch to make, thanks to a doctored-up cake mix. It’s the quintessential fall dessert, but without a lot of effort!
Our shortcut cake mix apple cider donut cake is an easy way to enjoy the flavors of your local orchard, complete with warm spices and a cinnamon sugar coating.
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One of our family’s favorite fall traditions is a visit to an apple orchard that’s located a couple hours from our home.
We love to wander the rows of trees, picking more apples than our family of five could possibly eat, and taking in the fall activities offered by the orchard.
Of course, no trip to the orchard is complete without stopping by the farm stand to purchase an apple cider donut!
The tender, sweet donuts are coated with sparkling cinnamon sugar, with plenty of apple spice flavor. What’s not to love about that?
So I decided to recreate the flavors and textures at home, but in cake form!
And since I love a good shortcut recipe, I opted to make my apple cider donut cake from a cake mix, because it’s a great way to save time without skimping on flavor or texture.
The next time you have a craving for those classic donuts, whip up this cake instead–it’s perfect for sharing!
Apple Cider Bundt Cake Using a Mix
Before we start, let’s get one thing out of the way–it is perfectly acceptable to use a box of cake mix to simplify your life!
I love baking from scratch, but the fact of the matter is, I don’t always have time to do it.
So if you’re too busy to even think about sifting and measuring a bunch of ingredients, cut yourself some slack and know that this cake tastes homemade, but without all of the extra effort.
Cake mix recipes are a great way to simplify things!
I chose to use a spice cake mix, because it already has a lot of great flavor. If you prefer, you can use a yellow cake mix, but you may want to add some extra spices to compensate.
Either way, this bundt cake is pretty enough to serve at the holidays, tasty enough to contribute to a fall bake sale, and easy enough to make whenever you want!
More Fall Favorite Cake Mix Recipes:
- Easy Pumpkin Bundt Cake from a Mix
- Cake Mix Pumpkin Cookies
- Pumpkin Bread from a Cake Mix
- Cake Mix Butter Pecan Cookies
- Pecan Upside Down Cake
How to Make…
It’s really easy to make this autumn-inspired cake.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Spice Cake Mix
- Vegetable Oil
- Applesauce
- Apple Cider
- Ground Cinnamon
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- All-Purpose Flour
- Sugar
- Butter
How to Make It:
Find the full printable recipe available below
Mix the batter. First, you’ll combine the cake mix, oil, applesauce, apple cider, groud cinnamon, eggs, vanilla extract, and flour in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. You can also use a large mixing bowl with a handheld electric mixer.
Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for another 2 minutes.
Bake. Pour the batter into a prepared bundt pan, then bake it for about 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes, then run a knife along the edges of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Invert the cake onto a wire rack and cool completely.
Coat the cake. Once the cake is cooled, you’ll brush it with melted butter, coating all of the surfaces.
Let it sit for a few minutes to cool/dry just a little, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the surface of the cake, using your fingers to press it in as necessary.
Then transfer the cake to a plate, serve, and enjoy!
Notes and Adaptations:
- If needed, you can omit the oil and use a total of 1/2 cup of applesauce, or you can omit the applesauce and use a total of 1/2 cup of oil. I used regular sweetened applesauce, but you could also use cinnamon applesauce.
- Make sure to use apple cider, NOT apple cider vinegar or plain apple juice.
- I like to place a sheet of parchment paper under the wire rack before coating the cake with butter, cinnamon, and sugar. This makes clean-up so much easier!
- Leftover cake can be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
- To dress it up, top each slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a caramel drizzle!
Recommended Equipment:
Apple Cider Donut Cake from a Mix
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounce spice cake mix
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
For the Topping:
- 1/4 cup butter (melted)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F and spray a bundt pan (I used a 12-cup pan) with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer), combine spice cake mix, oil, applesauce, apple cider, cinnamon, eggs, vanilla extract, and flour. Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue mixing on medium-high speed for about 2 minutes
- Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cake cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then run a knife along the edge of the cake to ensure it's separated from the pan. Invert the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- For easy clean-up, place a sheet of parchment paper under the wire rack before adding topping to the cake. Then brush the outside surface of the cake with melted butter, then let it sit for a couple of minutes.
- Prepare the topping by whisking together sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the melted butter, pressing it into the sides and top of the cake, covering the whole surface of the cake (I use my hands for this).
- Transfer the cake to a serving plate. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- If needed, you can omit the oil and use a total of 1/2 cup of applesauce, or you can omit the applesauce and use a total of 1/2 cup of oil. I used regular sweetened applesauce, but you could also use cinnamon applesauce.
- Make sure to use apple cider, NOT apple cider vinegar or plain apple juice.
- Leftover cake can be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
Nutrition
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