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4.92 from 24 ratings

Apple Cider Cake

Yield: 16 slices
Prep: 1 hour
Cook: 50 minutes
Decorating Time: 30 minutes
Total: 2 hours 20 minutes
This is the best apple cider cake! It's extra moist with lots of apple cider flavor, filled with apple cider caramel, topped with luscious cream cheese frosting and an apple cider caramel swirl.
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Ingredients

For the Apple Cider Reduction

  • 6 cups (1440 ml) apple cider

For the Apple Cider Cake

  • 2 1/4 cups (282 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 10 tbsp (140 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated white sugar
  • 1/2 cup (110 g) light brown sugar, packed
  • 3 eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 tbsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (122 g) sour cream, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) apple cider reduction from above, at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup (95 g) unsweetened apple butter, at room temperature

For the Apple Cider Caramel

  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) apple cider reduction from above, at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup (165 g) light brown sugar, packed
  • 9 tbsp (126 g) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/8 tsp salt

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, cold
  • 2 cups (260 g) powdered sugar

Instructions
 

For the Apple Cider Reduction

  •  Add 6 cups of apple cider to a large sauce pan. Bring it to a simmer over medium low heat then simmer for 40-50 minutes until reduced to 1 cup. (Start checking it has reached 1 cup at around 40 minutes and let it simmer for longer if needed.) Let the apple cider reduction cool completely before using in the cake batter.
    (Half will be used in the cake batter, and half will be used in the caramel sauce.)
    6 cups (1440 ml) apple cider

For the Apple Cider Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x9 inch metal baking pan and line it with parchment paper.
  • In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then set aside the flour mixture.
    2 1/4 cups (282 g) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled, 1 tbsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1/4 tsp allspice, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt
  • Add the granulated white sugar, brown sugar and butter to a large bowl. Cream together for 2 minutes on high speed with an electric mixer. (You can also use the bowl of a stand mixer fit with a paddle attachment.)
    10 tbsp (140 g) unsalted butter, softened, 1 cup (200 g) granulated white sugar, 1/2 cup (110 g) light brown sugar, packed
  • Then add in the eggs and vanilla and mix on medium speed until pale in color and smooth, about 1 minute.
    3 eggs, at room temperature, 1 tbsp vanilla
  • Add in the buttermilk, sour cream, 1/2 cup of apple cider reduction, and apple butter. Mix on medium speed until combined. The batter will look curdled at this point but don't worry. It will pull together once the dry ingredients are added.
    1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature, 1/2 cup (122 g) sour cream, at room temperature, 1/2 cup (120 ml) apple cider reduction from above, at room temperature, 1/3 cup (95 g) unsweetened apple butter, at room temperature
  • Add in the dry ingredients a little bit at a time, mixing on low speed just until all is combined and the batter is smooth. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. 
  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake for 48-52 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.
  • Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire cooling rack until completely cool.

For the Apple Cider Caramel Sauce

  • While the cake bakes, make the easy apple cider caramel sauce. Add the rest of the apple cider reduction, butter and brown sugar to a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    1/2 cup (120 ml) apple cider reduction from above, at room temperature, 3/4 cup (165 g) light brown sugar, packed, 9 tbsp (126 g) unsalted butter
  • Reduce to medium-low heat and mix in the cream. Let the mixture simmer for 3-4 minutes.
    1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
  • Remove from the heat, then mix in the vanilla and salt. Pour the hot caramel into a bowl and let it cool on the counter to room temperature.
    1 tsp vanilla, 1/8 tsp salt

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

  • While the cake cools, make the cream cheese frosting by adding the butter to a large bowl. Whip the butter on high speed with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy.
    1 cup (224 g) unsalted butter, softened
  • Then add in the cold cream cheese and mix on medium speed until combined and fluffy.
    8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, cold
  • Sift in the powdered sugar a little at a time and mix on low speed until all is combined, then on high speed for 1 minute until fluffy again.
    2 cups (260 g) powdered sugar

Assembling the Cake

  • When the cake is completely cooled, carefully pull up on the parchment paper to release the cake. Transfer it to a serving plate. Poke holes on the top of the cake using a wooden stick or the handle of a wooden spoon.
  • Transfer the cooled apple cider caramel sauce to a piping bag and cut a bit of the tip off. Pipe the caramel into the holes of the cake. (If the caramel is too thick, warm the caramel just a bit until it is easier to work with. I like to run the piping bag, before it's cut, under hot water to loosen the caramel.) 
  • Frost the top of the cake with a thick layer of cream cheese frosting. Drizzle extra caramel on top of the frosting and gently swirl it into the frosting with the back of a spoon. Then cut into 16 squares and serve! Drizzle extra apple cider caramel over each piece when serving for extra yumminess!
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: apple, apple cider, apple cider cake, apple dessert, cake, caramel, caramel apple, cream cheese frosting, fall recipes
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