Description

A moist, spiced bundt cake made with reduced apple cider and chopped apples, topped with a rich brown butter glaze. This rustic dessert captures the essence of fall and is perfect for holiday brunches.

Ingredients

Scale

2 cups (480ml) pure apple cider
1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (100g) packed brown sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled and diced (1/4-inch pieces)
1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter (for glaze)
1 1/2 cups (180g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2–3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt

Instructions

Pour 2 cups of apple cider into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 20-25 minutes until reduced to about 1/2 cup of syrupy liquid. Let cool completely.
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 6-7 cup bundt pan generously with butter or non-stick spray and dust with flour, tapping out excess.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined. Add eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition. Add vanilla and cooled reduced apple cider; whisk until smooth.
Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Gently fold in diced apples.
Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Tent with foil if browning too quickly.
Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
While cake cools, melt 1/2 cup butter in a small skillet over medium heat until brown milk solids form and it smells nutty (3-5 minutes). Pour into a heatproof bowl and cool for 5 minutes.
Whisk cooled brown butter, confectioners’ sugar, heavy cream, and sea salt until smooth. Drizzle over the completely cool cake.

Notes

Do not use apple juice; it lacks the tartness of cider. Ensure the reduced cider is completely cool before adding to butter to prevent seizing. Brown butter can burn quickly, so watch it closely. The cake improves in flavor if made a day ahead and stored at room temperature.

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45-55 minutes
Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice (1/12th of c
Calories: 380
Sugar: 32
Sodium: 220
Fat: 18
Saturated Fat: 11
Carbohydrates: 52
Fiber: 1
Protein: 4

Keywords: fall baking, apple cider cake, bundt cake, holiday brunch, brown butter glaze, easy dessert, seasonal recipes