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Apple Cider Cake

Apple cider cake with two tender 9-inch layers and cream cheese frosting for a spiced, moist crumb. Reduced apple cider adds warm cinnamon-nutmeg flavor, finished with a caramel drizzle for a glossy top.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 460
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For cider cake
  • 2.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp allspice
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1 lb unsalted butter softened
  • 1.5 cup brown sugar packed
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup apple cider reduced to 1/2 cup, then cooled
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
For cream cheese frosting
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 0.25 cup butter
  • 3 cup powdered sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tbsp cider use the reduced cider
Caramel drizzle for finishing
  • 1 caramel drizzle

Equipment

  • 2 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and bake the cake layers
  1. Reduce the apple cider to 1/2 cup and cool completely before using.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease two 9-inch pans.
  3. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt.
  4. Beat the unsalted butter and brown sugar until very fluffy.
  5. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth, then beat in the reduced apple cider.
  6. Alternate adding the flour mixture and the sour cream, mixing just until combined, then divide the batter between the two pans.
  7. Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes, until the centers spring back when lightly touched.
  8. Cool the cakes completely before frosting.
Make frosting, stack, and finish
  1. Beat the cream cheese frosting ingredients until fluffy.
  2. Frost and stack the cooled layers, spreading frosting between them and over the outside.
  3. Drizzle caramel over the top and down the sides for a flowing finish.

Notes

Pro tip: reduce the apple cider until it measures 1/2 cup, then cool it so the batter stays silky and doesn’t loosen. Store assembled cake covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; freeze unfrosted layers up to 2 months (thaw in the fridge overnight) and frost after thawing. For a lighter swap, use light cream cheese and reduce powdered sugar by 1/4 cup if needed to keep the frosting thick.