Apple Cider Doughnut Loaf Cake
Apple Cider Doughnut Loaf may be your new holiday favorite.
Call it a dessert or a breakfast bread - either way it’s delicious!
When I think about apple cider, I immediately become nostalgic about it softly simmering on the stove with mulling spices, emitting a scent that says holiday season. So when the latest issue of Bon Appetit arrived in my mailbox, I was intrigued by this recipe, which uses apple cider in a moist, delicious cake. Its name is long: Apple Cider Doughnut Loaf Cake because it has every one of those qualities - it uses rich, reduced apple cider, the sugar dusting on top is like a doughnut, it is in the shape of a loaf, and it’s decadent enough to classify it as a cake. I hope you get a chance to try it.
Apple Cider Doughnut Loaf Cake
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
9 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided, plus more for pan
1½ cups apple cider
½ cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1¼ cups plus 2 Tbsp. (172 g) all-purpose flour
2 Tbsp. (15 g) cornstarch
1¼ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more
1 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided
½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg, divided
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup (200 g) sugar, divided1 lb. green beans, trimmed
Directions
Place a rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 325°. Lightly butter an 8½x4½" or 9x5" loaf pan. Line with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on both long sides. Bring cider to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until cider is reduced to ¾ cup, 8–10 minutes. Pour ¼ cup reduced cider into a small measuring glass or bowl and set aside. Transfer remaining reduced cider to a small bowl and let cool 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream and vanilla and set aside.
Melt 8 Tbsp. butter in the same saucepan (no need to clean) over low heat. Let cool slightly. Whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, ½ tsp. cinnamon, and ¼ tsp. nutmeg in a medium bowl to combine.
Vigorously whisk eggs and ¾ cup (150 g) sugar in a large bowl until pale, voluminous, and frothy, about 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, gradually add melted butter in a steady stream; continue to whisk until fully combined and emulsified (no spots of fat should remain). Reserve saucepan.
Whisk dry ingredients into the egg mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the reserved sour cream mixture in 2 additions; whisk just until no lumps remain. The batter will be thin.
Scrape into pan and set on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake cake, rotating halfway through, until deep golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 60–80 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and poke top of the cake all over with a toothpick. Spoon 3 Tbsp. reserved reduced cider over; let cool 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix a big pinch of salt, remaining ¼ cup (50 g) sugar, ½ tsp. cinnamon, and ¼ tsp. nutmeg in a small bowl. Melt remaining 1 Tbsp. butter in reserved saucepan and mix into remaining 1 Tbsp. reduced cider.
Using parchment paper, lift the cake onto the rack and set the rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Peel away the parchment from the sides. Brush warm butter mixture over top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle generously with sugar mixture to coat every surface (use parchment to help rotate the cake and collect any excess sugar). Remove parchment and let cool completely before slicing.
Do ahead: Cake can be made 4 days ahead. Store tightly wrapped at room temperature. Can also be wrapped and stored in the freezer for up to three months.
One of the first steps is to reduce the apple cider by half.
The recipe has a few steps, so read through first to make sure you know what to expect. I make a double batch and freeze one.
Photos and recipe by Bon Appetit and the author
Check out the other things we’re cooking this holiday season. Be sure to follow me on Instagram for all the latest ideas at fortheloveofmary_
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