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Apple Cider Cake is a fluffy pound cake full of apple cider flavor and dusted with cinnamon sugar. This loaf cake reminds me of those apple cider doughnuts you get when you go apple picking!

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sliced pound cake on a cutting board


Perfect Apple Cider Cake

Apple picking is one of my favorite fall activities. It’s such a fun afternoon activity with the whole family. I always grab a gallon of apple cider while we’re apple picking – and chug it while eating an apple cider doughnut. That’s what this cake reminds me of!

This is my favorite pound cake recipe. It started out as a lemon pound cake that made two loaves. It turned itself into orange pound cake and then banana, and then I decided I didn’t want a huge pound cake just for me, so I turned it into a single pound cake loaf made with champagne.

Apple Cider Cake reminds me of a doughnut – it’s soft and sweet with a hint of apple cider and a crunchy cinnamon sugar topping!

sliced pound cake on a white counter

What makes this the best pound cake recipe?

For one, it makes one loaf, which is perfect when you don’t want a full cake.

This cake has a moist and tender crumb that just melts in your mouth, thanks to a few ingredients:

  • Melted butter – I love using melted butter in my cake recipes.
  • Sour cream – gives it a nice moist and tenderness
  • Eggs – 3 eggs for the one loaf, which add to the structure of the cake
  • Baking Powder – helps to leaven the cake and make it fluffy
  • Flour – I always use all-purpose flour. Be sure to measure it correctly!
  • Spices – you need some warm apple spices for this: Cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg.
  • Apple Cider – Use real apple cider, not apple juice
  • Granulated Sugar – How to sweeten the cake
  • Vanilla – Use pure vanilla extract for best results.

How to make Apple Cider Cake

  • Whisk flour, baking powder, salt , cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a medium bowl.
  • Stir melted butter, sugar, and sour cream in a large bowl.
  • Stir in eggs, one at a time, then stir in vanilla.
  • Add apple cider and dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Pour into a greased loaf pan.
  • Bake in a preheated oven for 34-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Make the glaze: Heat the sugar and apple cider in a small saucepan over medium heat until it boils. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat.
  • Stir together topping ingredients, sugar and cinnamon, in a small bowl.
  • Cool pound cake for 15 minutes in the pan. Use a knife to loosen around the edges, then carefully remove the cake and place it on a cooling rack set over a cookie sheet. Use a pastry brush to brush the apple cider glaze over the top of the cake. Immediately sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
loaf of cake with two slices in front

How do you make simple syrup with cider?

It’s really easy to make homemade simple syrup. All you have to do is:

  • Boil sugar and liquid (in this case, apple cider) until the sugar dissolves.
  • Let it cool.

Once the cake comes out of the oven you brush it all over top, ensuring that the cake will stay moist, even if it happens to get over baked!

Once the simple syrup gets brushed on I sprinkle the top of the cake with cinnamon sugar. This adds some crunch and flavor and more texture. It really will remind you of an apple cider doughnut!

overhead shot of sliced pound cake on a cutting board

FAQs

How do you keep cake moist?

We all hate the word moist, but when you’re talking about cake it’s an important distinction. This cake is not dry and it’s got extra flavor thanks to my secret ingredient: I give the cake extra apple cider flavor with a glaze.

Can you freeze apple cider cake?

Yes you can freeze this – it’s best fresh but freeze leftovers tightly covered for up to 2 months.

Can I make this in a bundt pan?

If you double the recipe it will fit in a large bundt pan, baking time will increase.

slices of pound cake on a table

Apple Cider Pound Cake

4.79 from 19 votes
This Apple Cider Pound Cake is fluffy, moist, and tastes like fall! The apple cider and spices add great flavor, and the cinnamon sugar gives a crunch. It’s like an apple cider doughnut in cake form!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Yield 10 servings
Serving Size 1 serving
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Ingredients
 

For the cake:

  • 1 ½ cups (186g) all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ⅛ teaspoon cloves
  • 7 tablespoons (99g) unsalted butter melted
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon (15g) sour cream (or plain Greek yogurt)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla
  • ½ cup (118ml) apple cider

For the glaze:

  • 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
  • ⅓ cup (79ml) apple cider

For the topping:

  • 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
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Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9×5″ loaf pan with parchment paper, then spray it with nonstick cooking spray (the kind with flour) or grease and flour it.
  • Whisk flour, baking powder, salt , cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  • Stir melted butter, sugar, and sour cream or Greek yogurt in a large bowl. Stir in eggs, one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Add apple cider and dry ingredients and stir just until moistened. Pour into prepared pan.
  • Bake for 34-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. (Mine took 39 minutes.)
  • While the cake is baking, make the glaze. Heat the sugar and apple cider in a small saucepan over medium heat until it boils. Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat.
  • Stir together topping ingredients, sugar and cinnamon, in a small bowl.
  • Cool pound cake for 15 minutes in the pan. Use a knife to loosen around the edges, then carefully remove the cake and place it on a cooling rack set over a cookie sheet. Use a pastry brush to brush the apple cider glaze over the top of the cake. Immediately sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Let cool before eating.
  • Store loosely covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month. I like to slice and freeze the slices in sandwich bags.

Recipe Video

Recipe Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 276kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 85mg | Sodium: 86mg | Potassium: 104mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 344IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Author Dorothy Kern

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Other perfect apple recipes:

This would go great for brunch with:

Enjoy this easy loaf cake – an Apple Cider Pound Cake Loaf that’s the perfect dessert for fall.



Dorothy Kern

Welcome to Crazy for Crust, where I share recipes that are sometimes crazy, often with a crust, and always served with a slice of life.

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4.79 from 19 votes (14 ratings without comment)

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78 Comments

  2. This pound cake was so dense it was more like a fruit cake. Not a fan of this recipe at all. Next time I’ll go back to the Bon Appetit recipe I tried earlier in the fall.

    Reply

  3. This cake is amazing and delicious. I had to make a couple of changes (using up local bought cider that was approaching its expiration date), but it was still knock-your-socks off. I used gluten free flour and had to sub mayo for sour cream (what I had on hand). I also subbed boiled cider for the apple cider in the glaze only and simply warmed it with sugar. OMG. Baked 45 min. (gluten free frequently takes a longer bake time).

    Reply