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This Apple Cider Donut Loaf is where fall baking begins! Besides, why settle for one apple cider donut when you can bake a whole loaf? It’s made with concentrated apple cider, apple butter, and warm spices, so every bite tastes like a crisp fall day. After baking, the soft, moist loaf is brushed with melted butter, covered in cinnamon sugar, and drizzled with a thick apple cider glaze. Yum!
For more cozy apple recipes, make my apple cobbler with biscuit topping and caramel apple crumb cake!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to make! No mixer required. No frying. No yeast. No standing over a pot of hot oil. Just mix, bake, coat, and try your best not to slice into it before that glaze sets. 😂
- It actually tastes like apple cider. Reducing the apple cider is what makes this loaf SO good. It concentrates all that sweet, tangy apple flavor without adding too much liquid to the batter. Then we’re adding fresh cider and apple butter because if we’re making an apple cider loaf, I want to actually taste the apple!
- You get two toppings in one bite. It has the crunchy cinnamon sugar coating that you’d get in an old fashioned apple cider donut or apple cider bundt cake plus a creamy cider glaze. Yes, we’re doing both! It’s cozy, warmly spiced, and perfect with a cup of coffee on a crisp fall morning.
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
(See the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and measurements.)
- Apple cider: Part of the cider is reduced to concentrate its flavor, while a small amount of fresh cider gives the loaf and glaze a brighter apple taste. Use fresh apple cider, for the best flavor but apple juice also works in a pinch.
- Apple butter: Adds moisture, warm spices, and deeper apple flavor. Use a thick apple butter rather than thin applesauce. I used my slow cooker apple butter recipe and it works perfectly.
- Vegetable oil: Keeps the crumb soft and moist while letting the apple cider flavor.
- All-purpose flour: Measure it with a kitchen scale if possible. Adding too much flour can make the loaf dry or heavy.
- Cinnamon and nutmeg: Bring that familiar apple cider donut flavor without overpowering the apples.
How to Make Apple Cider Donut Loaf
These step-by-step instructions are here to guide you through the process. Scroll down to the recipe card for the full printable recipe.
Prep: Reduce the apple cider. Boil 1½ cups of apple cider in a small saucepan until only ½ cup remains. This takes about 25–30 minutes. Measure the reduction to make sure you have ½ cup (too much liquid can make the center gummy).
Make the cake batter. Whisk the warm cider reduction with the apple butter, fresh cider, sugar, and vegetable oil. Let it cool for 5 minutes before adding the eggs and vanilla. Whisk in the dry ingredients just until the batter is smooth.
Bake the loaf. Pour the batter into a parchment-lined 8½-by-4½-inch loaf pan. Bake at 350°F for 55–60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted through the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Can I Skip Reducing the Apple Cider?
Nope! Reducing the cider removes excess water while concentrating its apple flavor. Using 1½ cups of unreduced cider would add far too much liquid to the batter, while using only ½ cup of regular cider wouldn’t give the loaf the same bold flavor.
It takes a little extra time, but the cider reduction is what keeps this from becoming cinnamon bread. We came here for APPLE.
Add the cinnamon sugar coating. Cool the loaf in the pan for 20 minutes, then lift it out using the parchment paper. Brush the top and sides with melted butter and generously sprinkle on the cinnamon sugar.
Glaze and serve. Whisk the powdered sugar, apple cider, and heavy cream until smooth. Drizzle it over the cooled loaf, let it set, then slice that baby up!
Britney’s Expert Tips
- Measure the reduced cider. Don’t rely only on the time. Stove temperatures and saucepan sizes vary, so cook the apple cider until it’s exactly a 1/2 cup.
- Let the cider mixture cool before adding the eggs. It can be warm, but it shouldn’t be piping hot. Five minutes should do it.
- Use the correct loaf pan. This recipe is written for an 8½-by-4½-inch pan. A 9-by-5-inch pan will produce a shorter loaf and may bake a little faster.
- Use a long wooden skewer to test the center. A toothpick may not reach the deepest part of the loaf. You want a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter.
- Let the loaf cool before glazing it. If it’s still hot, the glaze will melt right off. And after waiting nearly an hour for it to bake, we are NOT losing our delicious glaze to the countertop!
Storing
Store the loaf tightly wrapped or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
For longer storage, refrigerate it for up to 5 days. Because refrigeration can firm up the crumb, let a slice sit at room temperature for 15–20 minutes before serving.
Apple Cider Donut Loaf FAQs
Apple juice will technically work, but it has a lighter, sweeter flavor. Fresh apple cider gives the loaf a deeper, slightly tangy apple flavor and is my first choice.
I don’t recommend it for the best result. Applesauce contains more water and has a much milder flavor. Thick apple butter helps create a richer apple flavor without making the batter too loose.
For the cleanest results, freeze the loaf without the glaze. Wrap the cooled loaf (or individual slices) in plastic wrap, followed by aluminum foil, and place into an airtight container. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw it at room temperature, then add the glaze before serving. If you’ve already glazed it, you can still freeze it; the topping just may not look quite as neat once thawed.
More Desserts with Apple Cider
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Apple Cider Donut Loaf
Ingredients
Apple Cider Reduction
- 1 1/2 cups (360 g) Apple Cider
Apple Cider Donut Loaf Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (136 g) Apple Butter
- 1/4 cup (60 g) Apple Cider
- 1 cup (200 g) Sugar
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (140 g) Vegetable Oil
- 2 large (100 g) Eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 2 1/4 cups (281 g) All Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp (8 g) Baking Powder
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- 2 tbsp (28 g) Salted Butter, (melted)
- 1/4 cup (50 g) Sugar
- 2 tsp Cinnamon
Vanilla Glaze
- 1 cup (120 g) Powdered Sugar
- 1 tbsp (15 g) Apple Cider
- 2 tbsp (30 g) Heavy Cream
Instructions
- Pour 1 1/2 cups Apple Cider into a small saucepan over medium high heat. Bring to a boil and boil until there's only 1/2 cup (120g) left – this will take about 25-30 minutes. Once reduced, pour into a large mixing bowl. Add 1/2 cup Apple Butter, additional 1/4 cup Apple Cider (not reduced), 1 cup Sugar , and 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil. Whisk together for about 1 minute, until the sugar begins to dissolve. Let it cool for about 5 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Add 2 large Eggs and 1 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract and continue to whisk together until smooth, about 30 seconds. Then add the dry ingredients, 2 1/4 cups All Purpose Flour , 2 tsp Baking Powder, 2 tsp Cinnamon, 1/2 tsp Nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt . Mix until combined and smooth, about 30-40 seconds.
- Line a 8.5×4.5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper so that there's about 2 inches of overhang on each side. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 55-60 minutes, until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out with just a few crumbs.
- Let the loaf cool for about 20 minutes in the pan, then remove and brush the tops and sides of the loaf with 2 tbsp Salted Butter (melted). Combine 1/4 cup Sugar and 2 tsp Cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly with the loaf with the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup Powdered Sugar, 1 tbsp Apple Cider, and 2 tbsp Heavy Cream until smooth. Drizzle on top of the loaf and serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is what I’ve waited all summer for — and now that fall is ALMOST here, this will be on a steady rotation! The flavors are perfect and the time needed to reduce the cider is not a big deal and TOTALLY worth it for the end result!😋
Thank you so much Donna!