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Best Easy Brown Butter Apple Cider Snickerdoodle Cake

brown butter apple cider snickerdoodle cake - featured image
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A moist, tender cake with deep brown butter flavor, tangy apple cider, and a signature snickerdoodle crackle topping. This one-bowl wonder is perfect for fall gatherings and tastes even better on day two.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
  • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar (for topping)
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (for topping)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with butter or cooking spray. Optionally line the bottom with parchment paper.
  2. Brown the butter: Place 1 cup butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Melt completely, then continue cooking, swirling occasionally, until it foams, subsides, and golden brown specks form (about 5-7 minutes). Remove from heat immediately and pour into a heatproof bowl. Let cool for 10 minutes.
  3. Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
  4. Mix wet ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together sugar and cooled brown butter until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each. Stir in vanilla and apple cider. The mixture may look curdled; keep whisking until smooth.
  5. Combine: Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined (a few lumps are fine). Batter will be thin.
  6. Prepare topping: In a small bowl, mix ¼ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Sprinkle half evenly over the bottom of the greased pan.
  7. Pour batter into pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture over the top.
  8. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. If top browns too quickly after 25 minutes, tent loosely with foil.
  9. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around edges, invert onto rack, and cool completely. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Brown butter is key—watch carefully to avoid burning. Room temperature eggs prevent lumpy batter. Don’t overmix; a few lumps are fine. Let cake cool 15 minutes in pan before inverting. For best flavor, serve slightly warm or on day two.

Nutrition

Keywords: brown butter, apple cider, snickerdoodle, cake, fall dessert, one bowl, easy baking

Find it online: https://bitesienna.com/best-easy-brown-butter-apple-cider-snickerdoodle-cake/