Spiced Apple Cider Cake

Take in the aromas of the season with this spiced apple cider cake. It’s perfect to pair with a warm drink or serve after dinner for a sweet treat.

Have you heard about snack cakes? They’re all the rage. Small, many times unfrosted and perfectly portable. And now we have one for fall.

This Spiced Apple Cider Cake is loaded with double the apple flavor: applesauce and apple cider. Both pair to make this simple cake perfect for breakfast, dessert, or an afternoon snack.

a piece of spiced apple cider cake on a plate

Why you’ll love this cake:

  • 100% homemade.
  • It’s light and moist.
  • No frosting needed…or top with your favorite vanilla frosting for a special treat.
  • Makes a small 8×8 cake.

Key Ingredients:

  • All-purpose flour
  • Baking soda & salt
  • Granulated sugar: If you’d like you could replace half of the sugar with brown sugar or dark brown sugar for a deeper flavor.
  • Cinnamon and nutmeg: I love saigon cinnamon and buy large bottles of it at Costco. And if you can buy a nutmeg whole and use freshly grated nutmeg it really kicks the flavor up.
  • Applesauce: I keep unsweetened applesauce on hand so use that, but either will work.
  • Unsalted butter: Salted butter will work too.
  • Apple cider: This is NOT apple cider vinegar. This is apple cider drink, made from apples picked early in the season and left unfiltered and raw. If you can’t find apple cider you can use apple juice. Whatever you do, do not use vinegar!
  • Egg
  • Vanilla extract

How to Make Spiced Apple Cider Cake

Spray an 8×8″ baking pan with cooking spray or grease it with butter. You can also use a 9″ square baking pan or even a 9″ round baking pan. Watch the baking time closely if you change the pan size.

  • In a small bowl, combine together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large separate bowl, mix together sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg until well combined.
  • Reserve 2 tablespoons of the cinnamon-sugar mixture in a small dish for sprinkling the top before baking. Set those two tablespoons aside.
  • Add the applesauce, melted butter, apple cider, egg and vanilla extract to the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
  • Stir to combine.
  • Slowly add the flour mixture to the applesauce mixture and whisk to combine. Do not overmix.
  • Carefully pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
  • Sprinkle the reserved cinnamon-sugar mix over the top of the batter.
  • Place the pan into the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
a square spice cake

Frosting Ideas

Looking for a frosting to add to this spice cake? Try one of these:

Storage Instructions

This cake is safe to store at room temperature for up to 4 days. It also freezes well for up to 6 weeks.

a stack of three pieces of spice cake
a stack of three pieces of spice cake

Spiced Apple Cider Cake

4.59 from 17 votes
Take in the aromas of the season with this spiced apple cider cake. It's perfect to pair with a warm drink or serve after dinner for a sweet treat.
Servings 9
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes

Ingredients
 

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly grease an 8×8 inch baking pan with butter or cooking spray.
  • In a small bowl, combine together the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
  • In a large separate bowl, mix together sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg until well combined.
  • Reserve 2 tablespoons of the cinnamon-sugar mixture in a small dish for sprinkling the top before baking. Set those two tablespoons aside.
  • Add the applesauce, melted butter, apple cider, egg and vanilla extract to the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
  • Stir to combine.
  • Slowly add the flour mixture to the applesauce mixture and whisk to combine. Do not overmix.
  • Carefully pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
  • Sprinkle the reserved cinnamon-sugar mix over the top of the batter.
  • Place the pan into the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  • Remove from the oven and let the pan rest for 10 minutes on a cooling rack.
  • Then remove from the pan and place the cake directly on the rack to finish cooling. Serve alone or with your favorite vanilla frosting or whipped cream. Enjoy!

Notes

The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 9 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**

Nutrition

Calories: 247kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 261mg | Potassium: 61mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 349IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 13mg | Iron: 1mg
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Calories 247
Keyword apple cake, buttermilk spice cake, easy snack cake

Apple Cake Recipes

If you love apples, try one of these other popular apple cake recipes:

About Julie Clark

We are Julie, Maddie, and Kinslee – a mother and daughter team sharing with you the best cakes to satisfy any need or sweet craving that you may have. Welcome to our family’s kitchen!

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4.59 from 17 votes (16 ratings without comment)
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5 stars
I have been looking for a good recipe that uses apple cider & applesauce. I made it this weekend for a dinner with our Sunday School class. It is soooo moist & delicious! I used chunky applesauce to add some apples to it. I got rave reviews! Thanks for sharing this recipe. It won’t be the last time I use it!