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Apple Cider Donut Snack Cake

Apple cider donut snack cake delivers a tender cinnamon-spiced crumb with a buttery, cinnamon-sugar shower. Made in a greased 8x8 pan and baked until a toothpick comes out clean, it’s finished while warm for a classic donut-cake feel.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 310
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp allspice
  • 0.25 tsp salt
Wet ingredients
  • 0.5 cup apple cider Reduce to 1/4 cup.
  • 0.33 cup unsalted butter Melted for batter.
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
Cinnamon sugar coating
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter Melted.
  • 0.25 cup sugar For coating.
  • 2 tsp cinnamon For coating.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Reduce the apple cider
  1. Reduce apple cider to 1/4 cup over medium heat, then cool until no longer hot.
Bake the cake
  1. Preheat oven to 350F, then grease an 8x8 square baking pan.
  2. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt until evenly combined.
  3. Whisk melted unsalted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, reduced apple cider, and sour cream together until smooth.
  4. Fold in the flour mixture until just combined, then pour the batter into the prepared pan.
  5. Bake 25-30 minutes at 350F, until a toothpick comes out clean.
Coat, cool, and serve
  1. While warm, brush the top generously with melted unsalted butter so it soaks in.
  2. Mix sugar and cinnamon, then shower the cinnamon-sugar coating over the buttered cake.
  3. Cut into squares and serve.

Notes

Pro tip: let the reduced apple cider cool before mixing into the batter so the eggs don’t scramble. Store covered in the fridge up to 4 days; rewarm individual squares briefly in the oven if you want the top crumbly again. Freezing is yes—wrap cooled squares and freeze up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge. For a dairy-light swap, use plain low-fat yogurt in place of sour cream.