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Perfect Cozy Brown Sugar Apple Cider Cake Recipe

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This moist, tender cake features deep caramel-like flavor from brown sugar and reduced apple cider, wrapped in warm fall spices. It’s a simple, soul-soothing dessert that tastes like autumn in every bite.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups (360 ml) apple cider (unfiltered, fresh)
  • 2 ½ cups (312 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cups (300 g) light brown sugar, packed
  • ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • ½ cup (120 ml) buttermilk
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • For the Glaze (Optional):
  • 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2–3 tablespoons reduced apple cider, cooled
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Reduce the apple cider: Pour 1 ½ cups apple cider into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about ½ cup (syrupy consistency). Set aside to cool completely.
  2. Preheat and prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
  3. Mix dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
  4. Combine wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each. Stir in buttermilk, vanilla extract, and cooled reduced apple cider. The mixture will be thin.
  5. Combine wet and dry: Add dry ingredients to wet mixture in two additions, folding gently with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix. Batter will be thick.
  6. Bake: Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
  7. Make the glaze: Whisk together sifted powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons reduced apple cider, and vanilla extract. Add more cider if needed to reach drizzling consistency.
  8. Glaze and serve: Once cake is completely cool, drizzle glaze over the top. Let set for 10 minutes before slicing. Optional: sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

Notes

Reduce apple cider by about two-thirds until syrupy. Room temperature ingredients are important. Do not overbake; check at 35 minutes. For gluten-free, use a good gluten-free baking blend with xanthan gum. For dairy-free, use melted coconut oil and almond milk with lemon juice. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: apple cider cake, brown sugar cake, fall dessert, apple cake, cozy cake, easy cake recipe, autumn baking

Find it online: https://dinadishes.com/perfect-cozy-brown-sugar-apple-cider-cake-recipe/