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Apple Cider Cake

Apple cider cake with warm cinnamon-spice layers and a tangy cream cheese frosting. Reduced cider keeps the crumb moist, and a caramel drizzle finishes the stacked cake with a glossy cascade.
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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: 520
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
  • 0.5 cup apple cider, reduced to 1/2 cup
  • 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
Caramel drizzle for finishing
  • 1 caramel drizzle

Equipment

  • 2 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and bake the cider cake layers
  1. Reduce apple cider to 1/2 cup, then cool completely so it won’t melt the batter. This should be visibly thicker and syrupy before cooling.
  2. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease two 9-inch pans. Make sure the pans are well coated so the layers release cleanly.
  3. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt in a bowl until evenly speckled. Stop when the dry mix looks uniform in color.
  4. Beat softened butter and packed brown sugar until very fluffy. The mixture should look lighter and aerated.
  5. Add eggs one at a time and then mix in vanilla, followed by the reduced cider. The batter should come together smoothly and look glossy.
  6. Alternate mixing in the flour mixture and sour cream, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Mix just until no dry streaks remain.
  7. Divide the batter evenly between the two greased pans. The tops should look level.
  8. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350F until the centers spring back and a toothpick comes out mostly clean. The edges should be golden.
  9. Cool the cake layers completely before frosting. The layers should feel firm to the touch, not warm.
Frost and finish
  1. Beat the cream cheese frosting ingredients until fluffy: cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and cider. Stop when the frosting is thick, smooth, and holds peaks.
  2. Frost the first layer, stack the second layer on top, and frost the outside of the cake. Use a spatula to create even coverage.
  3. Drizzle caramel over the stacked cake so it cascades down the sides. Aim for a ribbon-like flow with a few heavier drips for visual contrast.

Notes

Pro tip: reduce the cider until it’s truly syrupy, then cool fully for the best spice-and-cider flavor without thinning the batter. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; for best texture, bring slices to room temperature for 20 minutes. Freezing is yes—freeze unfrosted layers wrapped well for up to 2 months, then thaw and frost. Dietary swap: use a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose baking flour blend to make a gluten-free version (check that the blend includes a binder).