This Eggless Apple Cider Donut Cake is moist, dense, buttery, and full of apple flavor. It’s super easy to make with kitchen staples. It’s perfect for dessert, brunch, or with your afternoon coffee. The recipe includes step-by-step photos and lots of tips.
Oriana’s Thoughts On The Recipe
This Eggless Apple Cider Donut Cake was inspired by this Eggless Apple Cider Doughnuts recipe, which has become one of your favorite fall desserts.
It’s moist, dense, buttery, and full of apple flavor. Plus, it couldn’t be easier; this Bundt cake requires just two bowls: one for wet and one for dry. The ingredients are all kitchen staples, like flour, spices, vanilla, etc.
This apple cider doughnut cake is perfect for dessert, brunch, or with your afternoon coffee.
Add a generous drizzle of brown butter glaze. It’s a big cake, for sure, so invite a bunch of friends and family over to help gobble it up.
Let’s get baking!
Ingredients You’ll Need, Substitutions & Notes
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
For the Apple Cider Cake:
- Apple cider: Apple cider is an unfiltered, unsweetened, non-alcoholic beverage made from apples. It’s mostly available in the US and Canada. Do not use apple juice or applesauce in place of cider, as it does not have the same complex flavors and consistency that cider has. You can use store-bought or homemade apple cider. See the instructions in this post for making apple cider at home.
- Flour: Standard all-purpose flour works best here; skip the cake flour, bread flour, and wheat flour. Make sure to measure accurately; a kitchen scale is the best way to measure your ingredients.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Make sure they’re not expired or too old. To avoid a chemical aftertaste, make sure your baking powder is labeled aluminum-free. I usually use the Clabber Girl brand, and though the ingredients state aluminum, I’ve never noticed an aluminum aftertaste.
- Salt: I prefer kosher or sea salt. If you only have table salt handy, I recommend reducing the amount to half.
- Spices: For extra warm flavors. I used ground cinnamon and apple pie spice.
- Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter, but if you only have salted butter handy, you can use it. In this case, skip the salt called in the recipe.
- Oil: Vegetable or canola oil – Or any light-tasting oil of your preference.
- Sugar: For this recipe, you will need regular white granulated sugar or caster sugar, and brown sugar.
- Milk: For baking, I like to use whole milk. However, you can use any milk you have handy.
- Yogurt: You can substitute plain yogurt for plain sour cream. I recommend using the full-fat versions.
- Vanilla extract: For optimal flavor, reach for pure vanilla instead of imitation. Even better, try homemade vanilla extract! If you are looking for non-alcoholic vanilla flavoring, I recommend Simply Organic Vanilla Flavoring.
For the Brown Sugar Glaze
- Brown sugar: Light or dark brown sugar will work for this glaze.
- Butter: I prefer to use unsalted butter, but if you only have salted butter handy, you can use it. In this case, skip the salt called in the recipe.
- Heavy cream: Make sure it has at least 35% of fat content.
- Confectioners’ sugar: Regular confectioners’ sugar, also known as powdered sugar.
- Salt: I prefer kosher or sea salt. If you only have table salt handy, I recommend reducing the amount to half.
Process Overview: Step-by-Step Photos
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions (scroll down).
Step 1 – Reduce the Apple Cider
Bring apple cider to a boil in a small pot over medium-high heat. Boil until reduced to half and syrupy. Let it cool while you prepare the batter.
Step 2 – Make the Egg-Free Cake Batter
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and apple pie spice in a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together melted butter, oil, sugars, milk, reduced apple cider, yogurt, and vanilla until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients; mix until evenly combined with no lumps.
Step 3 – Pour the Batter Into the Prepared Pan
Step 4 – Bake
Bake for 40 – 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then remove it from the pan. Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire cooling rack before glazing or slicing.
Step 5 – Make the Glaze
Combine the brown sugar, butter, and heavy cream in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Allow to boil for 1 minute without stirring, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in the sifted confectioners’ sugar.
Allow the glaze to cool and slightly thicken. Drizzle glaze over the cake right before serving. NOTE: If your glaze thickens up too much before serving the cake, warm it in the microwave for 10 -15 seconds and stir until smooth.
PRO TIP: Instead of grazing your cake with brown sugar glaze, you can brush the whole cake with melted butter and then sprinkle it with cinnamon sugar.
Recipe Tips
Make sure you use Apple cider, NOT apple juice.
Have all the ingredients at room temperature. This helps the ingredients mix better and avoid overmixing the batter. Overmixed batter will result in a dense cake.
Measure the ingredients correctly. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
Don’t overmix the batter. Instead, mix just until you’ve evenly distributed the ingredients throughout the batter.
Bake the cake as soon as the batter is ready.
Don’t open the oven door until the cake has set. Leave the oven closed until the minimum time is stated in the recipe.
Preheat the oven for at least 20 minutes before you get started to give it plenty of time to reach the ideal recipe temperature.
Every oven is different, so baking times always have to be taken with a grain of salt. Oven thermostats can be wildly off, and that will all affect baking time, so keep an eye on yours. The cake(s) are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Easy Homemade Apple Cider
Stove: Place 1 peeled orange (quartered), 10 medium apples (quartered), 3 cinnamon sticks, 2 teaspoons ground cloves, and 2 teaspoons ground allspice into a large pot. Add enough water to cover the fruit, about 8 cups. Bring everything to a simmer. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2 hours. Mash the fruit with a large spoon or potato masher. Cook for an additional hour. Then, strain the mixture using a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth. Once you’ve strained all the cider, you can add a sweetener of your choice to taste or just leave it sugar-free. If you decide to add sugar, adjust the sugar to your taste. I usually use 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar for a spicier cider. If you prefer your apple cider on the sweeter side (like the kind you buy at the store), use 1/2 cup (100g) of granulated sugar.
Slow Cooker: Place 1 peeled orange (quartered), 10 medium apples (quartered), 3 cinnamon sticks, 2 teaspoons ground cloves, and 2 teaspoons ground allspice into the slow cooker. Add enough water to cover the fruit, about 8 cups. Cook on LOW for 6 – 8 hours (or overnight). Mash the fruits and cook for an additional hour. Then, strain the mixture using a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth. Once you’ve strained all the cider, you can add a sweetener of your choice to taste or just leave it sugar-free. If you decide to add sugar, adjust the sugar to your taste. I usually use 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar for a spicier cider. If you prefer your apple cider on the sweeter side (like the kind you buy at the store), use 1/2 cup (100g) of granulated sugar.
Best Apples to Use in Homemade Apple Cider
I recommend using a variety of apples – some sweet, some tart – for the best flavor. Sweet apples: Fuji, Jazz, Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Gala, and Cortland. Tart Apples: Granny Smith, Braeburn, and Jonathan.
Substitutions & Additions
Apple Pie Spice Blend: If you don’t have apple pie spice, substitute for 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon + ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg + ¼ teaspoon allspice + ¼ teaspoon ground ginger.
Food Allergy Swaps
Gluten-Free: Use a gluten-free, all-purpose flour blend. Look for a gluten-free flour blend specifically formulated for baking, as it will have the right combination of flours and starches to mimic the texture of wheat flour. My favorite is Better Batter Original Blend. I also like Doves Farm Freee Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour, but this blend does not contain xanthan gum, so you need to add 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum per cup (140 g) of gluten-free flour blend.
Dairy-Free: To make this recipe dairy-free, you can easily swap out the dairy ingredients for non-dairy alternatives. Instead of milk, use non-dairy milk like soy or oat milk. And use vegan butter and yogurt. There are many brands available in stores. I usually use Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks or Miyoko’s Creamery Organic Vegan Butter. Check out my favorite dairy-free substitutes here.
Storing & Freezing Instructions
Store: Leftover cake can be stored (well-wrapped) at room temperature for 3-4 days. It can also be stored in the refrigerator for a smidge longer.
Freeze: This cake can be frozen for up to 1 month. To freeze, make sure the cake cools completely and wrap it in several plastic wrap layers to ensure it is tightly sealed. An extra layer of aluminum foil wouldn’t be a bad idea, either. It’s a small step that offers extra protection against freezer burn!
Defrost the cake at room temperature before serving and frosting. Keep in mind that the cake will lose a bit of its fluffiness if refrigerated or frozen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Apple cider is an unfiltered, unsweetened, non-alcoholic beverage made from apples. It’s mostly available in the US and Canada. Do not use apple juice or apple sauce in place of cider, as it does not have the same complex flavors and consistency that cider has. You can use store-bought or homemade apple cider.
Yes, you can. Place 1 peeled orange (quartered), 10 medium apples (quartered), 3 cinnamon sticks, 2 teaspoons ground cloves, and 2 t teaspoons ground allspice into a large pot. Add enough water to cover the fruit, about 8 cups. Bring everything to a simmer. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 2 hours. Mash the fruit with a large spoon or potato masher. Cook for an additional hour. Then, strain the mixture using a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth. Once you’ve strained all the cider, you can add a sweetener of your choice to taste or just leave it sugar-free. If you decide to add sugar, adjust the sugar to your taste. I usually use 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar for a spicier cider. If you prefer your apple cider on the sweeter side (like the kind you buy at the store), use 1/2 cup (100g) of granulated sugar.
I don’t recommend it. The leaveners are activated once the wet and dry ingredients are mixed together, so it’s best to bake the batter right away.
Absolutely! You can make the apple cider reduction days in advance, probably up to 5 days before. Cover and store in the refrigerator.
I do not recommend that, as it does not have the same complex flavors and consistency that cider has. If you whisk, you can make your own apple cider at home. See the instructions above for homemade apple cider.
To make 2 teaspoons of apple pie spice, mix 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon + ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg + ¼ teaspoon allspice + ¼ teaspoon ground ginger.
More Egg-Free Fall Dessert Recipes You’ll Love!
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- Eggless Pumpkin Cake
- Browse more recipes…
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Recipe Card 📖
Eggless Apple Cider Donut Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup (360 ml) apple cider
- 3 cups (420 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon (2 g) kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons apple pie spice
- 3 tablespoon (45 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) vegetable or canola oil
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (150 g) brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) milk
- 1/3 cup (80 g) plain regular yogurt
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
Brown Sugar Glaze
- 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (60 g) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- 1/2 cup (60 g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon (1 g) salt
Important
Don’t forget to check out the step-by-step photos above in the post—they’ll guide you through the process and make everything super clear!
Instructions
Preheat The Oven And Prepare The Pan:
- Preheat oven to 325º F (165º C). Generously spray a 10-cup Bundt pan with nonstick spray, then dust well with flour, and set aside.
Reduce The Apple Cider:
- Bring 1 1/2 cup apple cider to a boil in a small pot over medium-high heat. Boil until reduced to 3/4 cup and syrupy, about 5 – 8 minutes. Let it cool while you prepare the batter.
Make The Batter:
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and apple pie spice in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl whisk together, melted butter, oil, sugars, milk, reduced apple cider, yogurt, and vanilla until combined.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients; mix until evenly combined with no lumps.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake:
- Bake for 40 – 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then remove from the pan. Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire rack before icing or slicing.
Make The Glaze:
- Combine the brown sugar, butter, heavy cream and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Allow to boil for 1 minute without stirring, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and whisk in the sifted confectioners’ sugar.
- Allow glaze to cool and slightly thicken. Drizzle glaze over the cake right before serving. NOTE: If your glaze thickens up too much before serving the cake, warm in the microwave for 10 -15 seconds and stir until smooth.
- Gluten-Free: Use a gluten-free, all-purpose flour blend. Look for a gluten-free flour blend specifically formulated for baking, as it will have the right combination of flours and starches to mimic the texture of wheat flour. My favorite is Better Batter Original Blend. I also like Doves Farm Freee Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour, but this blend does not contain xanthan gum, so you need to add 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum per cup (140 g) of gluten-free flour blend.
- Dairy-Free: To make this recipe dairy-free, you can easily swap out the dairy ingredients for non-dairy alternatives. Instead of milk, use non-dairy milk like soy or oat milk. And use vegan butter and yogurt. There are many brands available in stores. I usually use Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks or Miyoko’s Creamery Organic Vegan Butter. Check out my favorite dairy-free substitutes here.
- Measure the ingredients correctly. I highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Instead, mix just until you’ve evenly distributed the ingredients throughout the batter.
- Bake the cake as soon as the batter is ready.
- Don’t open the oven door until the cake has set. Leave the oven closed until the minimum time is stated in the recipe.
- Preheat the oven for at least 20 minutes before you get started to give it plenty of time to reach the ideal recipe temperature.
- Every oven is different, so baking times always have to be taken with a grain of salt. Oven thermostats can be wildly off, and that will all affect baking time, so keep an eye on yours. The cake(s) are done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Eggless Baking Frequently Asked Questions
You’ve asked, and I’ve answered! Read on for a handful of answers to the most frequently asked questions about eggless baking.
This recipe was originally published in November 2021. The recipe remains the same, but more notes, tips, photos, and information have been added to the post in September 2022 to make it as helpful as possible!
This cake became an instant classic for our family the first time I baked it! Don’t skip the glaze. Delicious!
Hello Barbara! Thank you for your wonderful comment! I’m so happy to hear this cake has become a family favorite—what a compliment! And I couldn’t agree more; the glaze really takes it to the next level. 😊 Wishing you and your family a joyous holiday season!
I made this recipe for the second weekend in a row for our two year old who had a severe egg allergy. I’m not sure I’ve ever received more compliments on a baked good recipe. Everybody walked away wanting the recipe sent to them. We altered it by putting the batter in mini Bundt cake pans (choo choo train pan and small Bundt shape too). I baked them for 30 minutes and they were just right. This recipe is not a complicated one but feels really special. Thank you once again, Oriana, for an incredible
Hello Julie! Wow, thank you so much for sharing! I’m beyond thrilled that the recipe was such a hit, especially with your little one. I love the idea of using mini Bundt pans—how cute! I’m so glad it turned out perfectly and that it felt special, even though it’s a simple recipe. Thank you for the kind words and for spreading the love! It truly makes my day to hear that the recipe is being enjoyed by so many. 😊
A little late with this post but better late than never! I made this for Christmas and wow, wow, wow!! So good and so moist! It felt like I was cheating. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe with us
jane
Hello Jane! Never too late for kind comments! 😄 I’m thrilled to hear the Christmas treat was a hit – the wow factor is always a good sign! If you ever want more recipes or have questions, feel free to reach out. Cheers to moist and amazing desserts! 🎉🍰✨
Absolutely fantastic! I made this for a Friendsgiving and I followed the directions as stated but used plain Greek yogurt as that’s all I had on hand. Moist, flavorful, and I’ve already been asked for the recipe and my kids have asked for me to make it again! Thank you!
Hello Nicole – It’s great to hear that it was a hit! Thanks a lot for the review and good feedback.
Can this recipe be halved? I do not have a regular oven. I have a small Ninja oven. It fits an 8 x 8 pan. It sounds very delicious. i am very allergic to eggs, so when I found your website, I was very excited.
Hello Lurinda! I honestly haven’t tried that yet to advise, but I think it could work fine. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes. xo
Hi! I have a couple questions – 1. the recipe calls for 2tsp apple pie spice, but your substitute suggestion only adds up to a 1/2tsp – is that an error? And 2. do you think adding some actual apple chunks to the batter would turn out?
Thank you!
Hello Ani! Yes, that was an error; thanks for letting me know. Please use 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon + ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg + ¼ teaspoon allspice + ¼ teaspoon ground ginger. Regarding adding apples, yes, you can add chopped apples, but keep in mind that the cake might be denser since the apple will release some more moisture. Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it =)
Lovely, bakeable recipe. What is not amazing is the measurement given in gms alongside cup. Thank you 😊
Hello Ruchika! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. I like to provide measurements in US cups and grams with the hope to help as many people as I can. Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know!
This is absolutely fantastic! The flavor, texture, smell… An amazing cake!
It did take me a little over an hour to get it fully baked but it may be that my oven runs a bit on the colder side.
I also decorated it with some cinnamon buttercream and the whole thing worked together great.
I will be making this many many times more!
Hello Irena! It sounds like you nailed it! Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know.
Made this cake for a Thanksgiving celebration and it was a huge hit. Perfect blend of spices, apple flavor was spot on and the glaze was perfect. It was almost like eating a caramel apple in cake form.
Hello Jennifer! It sounds like you nailed it! Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know. Happy Holidays! xo
How do you think gluten free flour would work for this recipe?
Never mind, I should have read your notes better. Trying this for Thanksgiving, cannot wait!!
Hello Jane! Thanks for your interest in my recipe. Please come back and let me know how you like it =)
Omg this cake is so delicious and it was very easy to make! Will definitely make again!!
Hello Candace – It sounds like you nailed it! Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know.
I made the apple cider donut recipe today but made it into cupcakes with melted butter on top sprinkled with cinnamon sugar after it cooled. It was a very big hit. Thank you so much my grandson is 1 very happy little guy!!
Hello Pam! So glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know! Happy Holidays 🙂
I made this today for my husband’s birthday and everyone really enjoyed it. The glaze makes the cake! The cake was dense and moist and very flavorful but the glaze just put it over the top. So good! I’ve made a lot of recipes on this site, my daughter is allergic to eggs, everything we’ve tried has been a hit. Thank you!
Hello Abigail! It sounds like you nailed it! Thanks so much for trying my recipe and taking the time to come back and let me know. I hope my recipes inspire you to continue baking. Please make sure to reach out if you have any questions or special requests. I am happy to help!
Hello dear.
This recipe sounds divine.
One question.
Can I use Store bought Apple Cider vinegar instead of making my own. In that case then will I still have to reduce the quantity while cooking the Apple cider vinegar.
Thx
Hello Kaveeta! Ohhh no…apple cider is not the same as apple cider vinegar. Apple cider is an unfiltered, unsweetened, non-alcoholic beverage made from apples. Hope that clarifies your question.