Every October, my little farmers market turns into a cider-scented carnival. Wooden crates spill over with speckled apples—grassy green, blush pink, and that siren-red lipstick shade—and right beside them sits the stand that has ruined my self-control for years: a steaming cup of cider and a cellophane bag of tiny, chubby apple cider doughnuts. They are soft, cakey, and rolled in cinnamon sugar, and I usually eat all but one, saving it for a pre-bedtime snack under a blanket while the autumn wind sneaks through a cracked window. I am not a pastry chef; I am just a home cook playing in the kitchen. But one year I decided to stop buying the doughnuts and turn that flavor into a full-on Bundt cake. The result was so good that my friends now ask for it every fall. Honestly, the proof is in the pudding—or in this case, the cake.

The trick is simple but important: I cook a tart Granny Smith apple in fresh apple cider, then reduce the mixture so the apple flavor is concentrated instead of watery. That is the move that makes the cake live up to its name. A lot of cider doughnuts, even the farmers market ones I love, are a little shy on actual cider flavor. This cake does not have that problem. It is buttery, tender, and coated in the cinnamon-sugar mix that makes your fingers sticky in the best way.

Why This Cake Tastes Like a Doughnut

I use both nutmeg and mace. Mace is the cobwebby exterior of nutmeg, and it is a must here because it gives that unmistakable apple cider doughnut flavor. I keep cinnamon out of the cake batter and save it for the coating. Cinnamon is lovely, but in the batter it can steamroll the apple and nutmeg. By the time the cake is baked, cooled a little, and patted with cinnamon sugar, the balance is spot on. No sweat, right?

At a Glance

What You Need

For the cake:

• 9 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided

• 2 small Granny Smith apples, about 6 ounces each, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped (about 2 cups)

• 1 1/2 cups fresh apple cider

• 1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature, plus more as needed

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; if using table salt, use half as much by volume or the same weight

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/4 teaspoon ground mace

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

• 3 large eggs, at room temperature

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the cinnamon sugar coating:

• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/8 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; if using table salt, use half as much by volume

How I Make It

1. Heat the oven and pan. I put a rack in the middle and preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). I grease a large 10- to 12-cup Bundt pan with 1 tablespoon of the room-temperature butter, making sure to get into every groove. A pastry brush helps, but fingers work fine.

2. Cook the apples. In a saucepan, I combine the chopped Granny Smith apples and the apple cider. I simmer them until the apples are soft and the cider has reduced and concentrated. Then I mash the mixture into a rough purée and let it cool. This step is the heart of the recipe. It is not fancy, but it is the difference between a so-so spice cake and a true cider cake.

3. Mix the dry team. In a bowl, I whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, nutmeg, and mace. I set that aside.

4. Cream the butter and sugars. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, I beat the remaining 8 tablespoons butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Then I add the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl as I go. I mix in the vegetable oil and vanilla.

5. Bring it together. I add the dry ingredients in a few additions, alternating with the milk and the cooled apple-cider mixture. I start and end with the dry ingredients and mix only until everything is just combined. If the batter feels stiff, I add a splash more milk. Overmixing is the enemy here, so I keep it gentle.

6. Bake. I scrape the batter into the prepared Bundt pan, smooth the top, and bake for about 1 hour, until a skewer inserted near the center comes out clean and the cake pulls away slightly from the sides. My oven runs a little hot, so I start checking at 50 minutes. Every oven is different—trust the skewer, not the clock.

7. Cool and unmold. I let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10 minutes. Then I use my fingers to gently pull the cake away from the sides. I place the wire rack on top, flip the whole thing over with oven mitts, and let it sit for a moment before lifting off the pan. After that, I let the cake cool for about 1 hour.

8. Coat it. I whisk the coating sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together. While the cake is still slightly warm, I pat the cinnamon sugar all over the outside. The buttery crust gives the sugar plenty to cling to. I go the whole hog and coat the whole thing—top, sides, and center. It looks like a giant doughnut, and I mean that as the highest compliment.

My 2026 Notes and Serving Ideas

• Make it ahead: This cake keeps well. I wrap it tightly at room temperature for up to 3 days, though the cinnamon sugar is best on day one. If I need to make it ahead, I bake and cool it, then coat it the same day I serve it.

• Storage: I keep it under a cake dome or in a sealed container. A slice warmed for 15 seconds in the microwave is dangerously good with coffee.

• Serving: A spoonful of lightly whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream is lovely, but honestly, I usually just eat it with my hands like a doughnut. No shame.

• Apple notes: Granny Smith is my go-to because the tartness cuts through the butter and sugar. If you only have sweeter apples, the cake will still work, but the apple flavor will be softer.

• Spice notes: Please do not skip the mace. It is the secret handshake of cider doughnut flavor. The cinnamon belongs in the coating, where it can shine without bullying the apple.

This recipe was retested and lightly updated to keep it reliable, and in 2026 it is still my favorite way to bring the farmers market home. It takes a little patience—cooking the apples, cooling the cake, waiting for that cinnamon sugar moment—but it is a piece of cake compared with standing in line for a bag of doughnuts. And when the first chilly wind rattles my window, I cut a thick slice, tuck my feet under a blanket, and remember why fall is my favorite season. If you try it, spill the beans—I want to know whether you saved the last slice for a pre-bedtime snack, too.

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