This apple cider donut loaf cake is the cider-mill donut you wait for all year, baked into one easy loaf. Soft, tender crumb, real apple cider in the batter, and a buttery cinnamon-sugar coating on every side. No mixer, no boiling down cider, and no donut pan required.
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Our family loves fall, and we love apple cider anything. This loaf started right after I made my baked apple cider donuts with apple butter glaze and could not stop thinking about a sliceable version. My first 2 test loaves came out dry and flat-tasting, so I raised the buttermilk and butter and swapped plain cinnamon for 2 teaspoons of apple pie spice. That version is the winner below.
If you can whisk, you can make this. One bowl of dry ingredients, one bowl of wet, stir together, bake. The cinnamon-sugar crust goes on after baking, which is what keeps it crackly instead of soggy.
Craving more cider bakes? My apple cider whoopie pies and apple cider syrup use the same jug.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- One bowl of dry, one bowl of wet. Whisk them separately, stir them together, done. No mixer to haul out, and cleanup is 2 bowls and a loaf pan.
- No boiling down cider. Most apple cider cake recipes make you reduce cider on the stove for 20 minutes first. This one skips it: full-strength cider plus 2 teaspoons of apple pie spice carry the flavor on their own.
- That donut-shop crust. After baking, the loaf gets brushed with melted butter and rolled in cinnamon sugar, so every slice has the crackly coating of a cider-mill donut. It’s the same trick that makes my cinnamon crunch banana bread disappear.
- It covers all of fall. We’re an apple-cider-everything family from September on, and this one loaf handles after-school snack, lunchbox slice, and dessert without a second recipe.
Ingredients
- Apple cider: the juice, not the vinegar. My Giant carries it in the produce section year-round, so this loaf doesn’t have to wait for October. I have not tested it with shelf-stable apple juice.
- Apple pie spice: cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice in one jar; 2 teaspoons is what makes it taste like the donut.
- Buttermilk: the tang and the tenderness; this is the dry-loaf fix from my testing.
- Melted butter: flavor and moisture, plus more for the cinnamon-sugar coating.
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt: halve it if using table salt.
Find the full ingredient measurements and instructions in the recipe card below.
Apple cider loaf variations and substitutions
- Caramel: drizzle easy homemade salted caramel sauce or store-bought over slices before serving.
- Streusel topping: swap the cinnamon sugar for a simple streusel (flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and melted butter) layered on before baking.
- Maple glaze: whisk powdered sugar, maple syrup, milk, and a pinch of salt, and drizzle over the cooled loaf.
- Apple chunks: fold 1 1/4 cups of diced apples into the batter for extra texture.
I haven’t tried these variations myself, but if you do, let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
How to make apple cider donut loaf cake step by step
Before you start, preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line your loaf pan with greased parchment, leaving overhang on the sides.
Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, apple pie spice, and salt to a large bowl. Whisk until evenly combined with no streaks of spice, and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar and eggs for about 35 seconds, until pale and smooth. Add the apple cider, melted butter, buttermilk, and vanilla, and whisk until smooth; the mixture will turn a shade lighter.
Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients.
Gently whisk just until no dry streaks remain.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs and no wet batter. Rest in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift out and cool completely on a wire rack.
Set the rack over a rimmed baking sheet and whisk the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Brush the warm melted butter over the top and sides of the loaf, then immediately press on the cinnamon sugar, using the parchment to coat the sides and catch the extra. Let it set before slicing.
The easiest apple cider cake for fall
Most apple cider cake recipes start by reducing cider on the stove for 20 minutes to concentrate the flavor. This one skips that step on purpose: full-strength cider plus apple pie spice get you there without babysitting a saucepan.
If you’re building a fall dessert table, this loaf next to my honeycrisp apple pie covers both the cake people and the pie people.
Is this apple cider donut bread?
Yes, same loaf, different name. Some bakers call this style apple cider donut bread, and if that’s what you searched for, you’re in the right place: same batter, same buttery cinnamon-sugar coating, baked in a loaf pan instead of a donut pan. Whatever you call it, the crackly coating is the first thing to disappear.
Tips for the best cider loaf
- Weigh your flour. A scale is the most accurate way to measure. No scale? Spoon the flour into the cup and level it off; scooping packs in extra flour and dries out the loaf.
- Room temperature eggs and buttermilk. Cold ingredients don’t blend evenly, and the batter turns lumpy instead of smooth. Set them out about 30 minutes ahead.
- Stop mixing early. Once the flour goes in, whisk just until the streaks disappear. Over-mixing wakes up the gluten and makes the loaf tough instead of tender.
- Trust the toothpick, not the clock. Ovens vary. Start checking at 45 minutes; you want a few moist crumbs on the toothpick and zero wet batter.
- Coat while the butter is warm. The cinnamon sugar only sticks to warm melted butter, so brush and coat in one go instead of doing all the brushing first.
Common questions about apple cider loaf cake
How to store this loaf
- Room temperature: airtight container or wrapped in plastic, up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator: airtight, up to 1 week.
- Freezer: wrap tightly in plastic, then foil, and freeze up to 3 months. I slice it first and layer the slices with parchment in a freezer bag, so we can grab one at a time.
- Thawing: overnight in the fridge, a few hours on the counter, or 20-30 seconds in the microwave straight from frozen.
Recipe
Apple Cider Donut Loaf Cake
Equipment
- 1 8×4 loaf pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons apple pie spice
- 1 teaspoon diamond crystal kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon if using table salt)
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1/2 cup apple cider, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (113 grams or 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Sugar Cinnamon topping
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (177ºC), Spray an 8½x4½" or 9×5" loaf pan with nonstick spray. Place a piece of parchment paper that’s cut to the width of the pan, lengthwise in the pan, allowing overhang. Spray the parchment paper with nonstick spray and set aside.
- Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and apple pie spice in a large bowl. Set aside.
- Whisk granulated sugar and eggs together in a medium bowl. Mix together well for about 35 seconds.
- Add apple cider, melted butter, buttermilk and vanilla extract. Mix well.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently whisk until the dry ingredients are moistened.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and even out with spatula.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Baking times vary so keep an eye on yours. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with zero raw batter. Remove the pan from oven.
- Cool cake in the pan and set it on a wire rack for 15 minutes before removing from the pan. Carefully remove loaf from pan. Let cool completely on wire rack.
Sugar Cinnamon topping
- While the cake is resting, make the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Whisk together sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
- Lift the wire cooling rack with the cake on it and set the rack inside the rimmed baking sheet.
- Brush warm melted butter over top and sides of cake.
- Immediately coat the cake with cinnamon sugar mixture to cover every surface (use parchment to help coat the cake and collect any excess sugar).
- Remove parchment and let cool completely before slicing.
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Notes
- Room temperature storage: The bread can be stored in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to 2 days.
- Refrigerator storage: For longer storage, place the bread in an airtight container or wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freezer storage: To freeze the bread, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil and place it in a resealable freezer bag. The bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. I like to slice it and lay the slices in large freezer bread, separate layers with parchment paper, and freeze. This makes it easy to grab a slice at a time.
- Thawing: To thaw the frozen bread, remove it from the freezer and let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight. You can also thaw it at room temperature for a few hours. Or you can microwave the frozen slices 20-30 seconds in the microwave.
