A moist and very apple-y cake! Good for this time of year for sure.

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1 1/2 cups apple cider
• 1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted, or vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste

Cider Glaze:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/8 cup water
• 1/8 – 1/4 cup hard cider (I just used more of the apple puree you’ll cook up)

Cinnamon Sugar Coating: (I had a free container of cinnamon sugar I wanted out of the cabinet so just used that)

• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine the chopped apples and the cider in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium and simmer 10-12 minutes, or until fork tender.

Cool for a few minutes, then blend in a blender or food processor until pureed. I used an immersion blender which was handy.

Scoop out 1 cup of the puree, stir the milk in, and set aside. Drizzle the remaining puree over ice cream, put it in yogurt, or slurp it later.

Preheat oven to 350 and heavily grease a bundt pan.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each.

Add the oil and beat to combine.

Add the flour mixture in 3 additions alternating with the apple puree mixture in 2 additions.  Add the vanilla and beat until just evenly mixed.

Pour the batter into the greased bundt and bake 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes.

While the cake cools, make the glaze by melting the butter, sugar, and water over medium high heat. Boil 1-2 minutes, then remove from the heat and add the hard cider (or extra puree) and stir together. Make the cinnamon sugar coating by stirring the ingredients together in a small dish.

Put a pan under your wire rack, then pour or brush the glaze evenly over the cake. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar coating onto the glaze, pressing into the sides as needed. Slice, and enjoy!

Apple Cider Donut Cake

From Lee and Jay.

Cake:

• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
• 1 1/2 cups apple cider
• 1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted, or vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla bean paste

Cider Glaze:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/8 cup water
• 1/8 – 1/4 cup hard cider (I just used more of the apple puree you’ll cook up)

Cinnamon Sugar Coating: (I had a free container of cinnamon sugar I wanted out of the cabinet so just used that)

• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Combine the chopped apples and the cider in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to medium and simmer 10-12 minutes, or until fork tender. Cool for a few minutes, then blend in a blender or food processor until pureed. I used an immersion blender which was handy. Scoop out 1 cup of the puree, stir the milk in, and set aside. Drizzle the remaining puree over ice cream, put it in yogurt, or slurp it later.

Preheat oven to 350 and heavily grease a bundt pan.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon and set aside.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each. Add the oil and beat to combine. Add the flour mixture in 3 additions alternating with the apple puree mixture in 2 additions.  Add the vanilla and beat until just evenly mixed.

Pour the batter into the greased bundt and bake 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool in the pan 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack for at least 30 minutes.

While the cake cools, make the glaze by melting the butter, sugar, and water over medium high heat. Boil 1-2 minutes, then remove from the heat and add the hard cider (or extra puree) and stir together. Make the cinnamon sugar coating by stirring the ingredients together in a small dish.

Put a pan under your wire rack, then pour or brush the glaze evenly over the cake. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar coating onto the glaze, pressing into the sides as needed. Slice, and enjoy!