Apple Cider Donut Bread

Take all the cozy flavors of an apple cider donut and make them in an easy apple cider donut bread! This fall spiced loaf is made with apple cider and finished off with a buttery, cinnamon sugar coating!

Apple Cider Donut Bread

There are few things tastier than a hot apple cider donut. But this apple cider donut bread is just as tasty and takes wayyyyy less effort. Have you ever made homemade donuts? If so, you know they kind of make a big mess to produce, like, 9 donuts?! So if you’re craving an apple cider donut, but feeling a lil’ lazy, this fall quick bread is for you. You can whip up this apple cider donut bread in an hour with minimal mess and effort.

What is an apple cider donut bread?

This apple cider donut quick bread is an uber tender and moist apple cake made with apple sauce, apple cider, and the perfect blend of cozy fall spices. Top it off with a healthy sprinkle of cinnamon sugar before it goes in the oven and you’ll get a perfect crackly top and that signature finger-licking sugary finish of a classic apple cider donut. This bread is the perfect way to use up some leftover apple cider from the orchard or to satisfy a craving for an apple cider donuts!

Ingredients for apple cider donut bread

This apple cider cake is way easier to make than apple cider donuts but you will need a handful of ingredients you might not have in your cupboard already. The best part about fall baking is all those perfectly spiced sweets. But all the spices and seasonal ingredients can end up being pretty darn expensive. That’s why I love stocking up on all my baking essentials at ALDI. Head to your local ALDI, shop on Instacart, or pick up groceries curbside (my personal fav), for all the spices, seasonal fruits, and purees you’ll need to make all the tasty treats this fall season at prices you’ll love!

• Apple: Rather than using milk (like most quick breads do) to thin out the batter, you’ll apple cider! This will give your cakea subtle apple flavor and sweetness!
• Spices: Specifically cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg! Feel free to adjust or tweak the spices in the bread to your liking. I’ve tried this before with some cardamom to make this beautifully chai spiced.
• Sugar: You’ll beed both light brown and granulated sugar to make this gorgeous loaf! Brown sugar will keep your loaf perfectly soft (and complements all the rich fall flavors!), while granulated sugar will you a nice crackled, cinnamon-sugar exterior!
• All-Purpose Flour: All-purpose flour will give your bread a delicate and soft crumb that tastes exactly like an apple cider donut.
• Baking Soda + Baking Powder: A combination of baking soda and baking powder will give you the perfect soft, cakey donut texture.
• Butter: Butter is the key to a moist and tender apple cider donut bread. If you’re in a pinch you can swap it out for vegetable oil or crisco, but just keep in mind that your cake will be slightly denser!
• Salt: All sweet treats need a little salt to cut all the sweetness and deepen the flavor
• Eggs: 2 eggs will give your apple cider bread just enough structure to hold up to all that cinnamon sugar apple flavor. Make sure your eggs are at room temperature!
• Apple Sauce: In addition to apple cider, you’ll also use apple cider! This provides more apple flavor and keeps your bread super moist!

What is the difference between apple cider and apple juice?

Anyone who tries to tell you that apple cider and apple juice are the same is wrong. And apple cider is far superior to apple juice. You can quote me on that. While there are a lot of rumors floating around about the difference between apple cider and apple juice, it comes down to the way they’re processed. Both are made from apples (duh), however apple cider is generally not filtered to remove sediment and it is not pasteurized. This is why you generally find your apple cider at a local apple picking farm or seasonally in the refrigerated section of the grocery store. On the other hand, apple juice, which is filtered and pasteurized stays fresh for ages and the clear, light colored juice can be found on a shelf year round.

Happy fall baking!

XXX

• Author: Sofi | Broma Bakery
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 16 servings
• Category: dessert
• Method: oven
• Cuisine: american

Apple Cider Donut Bread

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Take all the cozy flavors of an apple cider donut and make them in an easy apple cider donut bread! This fall spiced loaf is made with apple cider and finished off with a buttery, cinnamon sugar coating!

• Author: Sofi | Broma Bakery
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 40 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 16 servings
• Category: dessert
• Method: oven
• Cuisine: american

Units: USM

Equipment

stand mixer

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1-pound loaf pan

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parchment paper sheets

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sauce pan

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rubber spatula

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Ingredients

• 1 cup apple cider*
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

for the cinnamon sugar topping

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a standard size 1-lb loaf pan with parchment paper on all sides. Set aside.
2. Place the apple cider in a sauce pan over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently with a silicone spatula until thickened and reduced to 1/2 cup of liquid. Set aside to cool.
3. Place the softened butter and brown sugar in a stand mixer fit with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
4. Scrape down the bowl and add the vanilla extract and eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition.
5. In a separate bowl combine the applesauce and apple cider, mixing to combine. Set aside.
6. In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.
7. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the apple cider mixture to the butter mixture in 3 additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. The batter will be thick. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it into an even layer.
8. Mix together the sugar and cinnamon for the topping (I like to do this in the bowl I mixed the dry ingredients in). Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture all over the top of the loaf.
9. Bake at 350°F for 35 to 40 minutes or until it springs back to the touch and a knife inserted into the middle comes out mostly clean. Allow to cool before slicing and serving!

Notes

1. The recipe calls for reducing the apple cider down to a 1/2 cup on the stove, but if you don’t have the time for that you can just use a 1/2 up of apple cider–the apple flavor just won’t be quite as intense!