My family and I could drink gallons of spiced apple cider once fall hits. I also love baking with it, so I’m real excited to share this apple cider cake recipe with y’all! I already did an apple cider pound cake, but this time I went for a full-on layer cake. I was torn between buttercream and cream cheese for the frosting (both have my heart), but I landed on a decadent brown butter maple frosting. Wouldn’t have it any other way!
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How To Make Apple Cider Cake
Bake the Layers
Step 1: Mix the butter, white sugar, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla on medium-high until light and fluffy. Then, add the eggs one at a time. In a separate bowl, whisk the dry ingredients. Reduce the mixer speed and slowly add the dry ingredients, followed by the apple cider and milk, mixing just until a silky batter forms. Divide the batter evenly between three pans, and bake until done.
Mix the Frosting and Frost Your Cake Up!
Step 2: Melt the butter in a light-colored pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it foams, browns, and develops a nutty aroma. Once browned, remove from heat, transfer to a heat-proof bowl, and refrigerate until solid.
Step 3: Once the butter is solid, beat it with the cream cheese until combined. Slowly mix in the confectioner’s sugar and salt on low, then increase to medium-high until smooth. Add the maple extract and mix until fluffy. Frost the cooled cake layers and serve!
PRO TIP: Enjoy this apple cider layer cake the same day you make it, boos. That frosting hits different when it’s fresh, especially with a scoop of vanilla or apple pie ice cream on the side.
Spiced Cider Apple Cake Recipe
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Ingredients
For the Cake
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 3/4 cup apple cider room temperature
- 1/2 cup milk room temperature
For the Frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 16 oz cream cheese somewhat softened but still a bit stiff
- 4 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp maple extract
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare three 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper on the bottom and prepare the sides with a non stick baking spray.
- Add the butter, both sugars, oil, and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl on medium high speed and mix together about 4-5 minutes until light, fluffy and well combined.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until mostly combined after each. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to be sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
- While cake continues to mix, add flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and allspice to a bowl and whisk together to combine.
- Slow mixer down to lowest speed and slowly add dry ingredients to batter.
- Next pour in apple cider and milk and mix on low speed until silky batter is just combined.
- Once ready, carefully divide batter into three cake pans making sure they are even. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes then flip to remove from pan onto cooling racks. Allow cake layers to come to room temperature.
For the Frosting
- In a medium sized light colored pan, melt butter over medium heat and occasionally stir.
- Allow butter to brown until tiny brown specks appear and a nutty aroma develops (this is after about 6 or 7 minutes following a foaming period). Once butter has browned, remove from heat, and immediately pour into a heat-proof bowl. Refrigerate until solid.
- Once butter is solid, add butter and cream cheese to bowl of your mixer and mix on medium speed until combined.
- Next turn the mixer down to low and slowly add confectioner’s sugar and salt in small portions until all is added then turn the speed to medium high to combine.
- Lastly add maple extract and mix until nice and fluffy.
- Frost completely cooled cake layers and serve.
Notes
- Room Temp: If you’re eating it within a day, just keep it covered on the counter in a cake stand or airtight container. Keep it outta the sun and you’re good.
- Fridge: Wrap it up tight or toss it in an airtight container and stick it in the fridge. It will keep for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze slices on a baking sheet first, then wrap them in plastic wrap and foil. When you want to enjoy a slice, thaw overnight in the fridge and let it come to room temp before serving.
Nutrition
Recipe Tips
- Go room temp. Let your eggs, butter, milk, and apple cider sit out before mixing. It helps the batter come together smoothly.
- Concentrate the apple cider if you wanna boost the flavor. Simmer it down on the stovetop until it reduces a bit.
- Don’t overmix once you add the dry ingredients. A light hand keeps the crumb tender!
- Flex those frosting skillz, boos! Dab a little frosting on your cake stand before stacking the first layer so your spiced apple cider cake doesn’t slide all over the place while you work.
Want to Save This Recipe, Boo?
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later!
Recipe Help
Stick it in the fridge. If it’s still too soft, mix in a little more powdered sugar.
Use a toothpick. If it comes out with a few moist crumbs, you’re good to go boos.
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I wish I could give this recipe 10 stars. It’s one of the best cake recipes I’ve ever tried, and I make a LOTTTT of cakes! So tender and most and fluffy and perfectly spiced. I ate half of one of the layers myself with no frosting because I just couldn’t stop myself
Good god this is good cake! Definitely making again! Thanks for the recipe!
5 stars!!! (it wouldn’t let me rate ♀️)
This is an exquisite cake that my boyfriend begs for year-round.
In addition to all of the above, I fill with some bourbon caramel apples and use a little to garnish the tops.
Would you recommend making the frosting the night before and then frosting the cake the next day? Would that be a bad idea?
I think it would be better if you made the cake layers the day before since the frosting takes the least bit of time and you can make it the day of.
Did anyone reduce the apple cider first? I read that if you don’t reduce it, you don’t get that apple cider taste.
Hi Jacqueline, this cake has a lovely apple cider taste but that is an awesome job if you want to make it more concentrated and intense. I have done this for cakes and it is a wonderful idea but you have to double the amount and reduce to half and then add to the batter.
This cake changed my life. I’m not kidding. Halved the recipe and made a three layer 6in cake. Almost swapped the icing for SMBC because I hate American BC. I am so thankful I didn’t. This may become my go-to cake recipe. It has been two months and O haven’t stopped thinking about it. The cake is a fluffy spice cake that doesn’t have too much spice to it. The frosting is just to die for. Cannot recommend enough.
Hooray I’m so so glad!!!
Sounds delish
Would this recipe work in Bundt pans?
I haven’t tried it in a bundt pan yet but I’m sure it will work. You will just need to adjust the baking time to much longer. If you give it a try, let me know how it turns out and how long you baked it for so I can share with my readers.
Cake doesn’t have enough spice even though I added a bit of cloves as well. No apple flavor coming through either. Brown butter is overwhelming in the frosting. Would be good with half browned butter and half regular.
Made the recipe exactly as written and it turned out amazing! I actually put my batter into two 9″ pans instead of three 8″, and it was still great. Everyone that tried it said that it tasted exactly like “fall”. Wonderful job!
Can you use buttermilk in place of the milk
I wouldn’t due to the acidity which could change the recipe.