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Best Easy Brown Sugar Apple Cider Cake Recipe

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This brown sugar apple cider cake is a budget-friendly, family-favorite dessert that comes together in about an hour. The secret is browning the butter first, which adds a nutty, caramelly depth that makes the whole kitchen smell like autumn.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cups packed brown sugar
  • ½ cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup apple cider
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2–3 tablespoons apple cider
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of cinnamon (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan with butter or non-stick spray, then line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.
  2. Brown the butter. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the ½ cup butter. Stir it occasionally with a spatula. After a few minutes, it’ll start to foam and turn golden. Watch it carefully—when you see brown specks forming at the bottom and it smells nutty, take it off the heat immediately. This usually takes about 5-7 minutes. Pour it into a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking. Let it cool for 10 minutes.
  3. Mix the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.
  4. Combine the wet ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk the brown sugar and browned butter together until smooth. It’ll look a bit grainy, that’s okay. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking well after each. Stir in the vanilla and apple cider. The mixture might look a little separated at first—don’t panic. Keep whisking and it’ll come together.
  5. Combine wet and dry. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. A few lumps are fine—overmixing makes the cake tough. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure all the flour is incorporated.
  6. Pour and bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. The top should be golden brown and the edges will pull away from the pan slightly.
  7. Cool the cake. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and invert it onto a cooling rack. Peel off the parchment paper. Let it cool completely—about 45 minutes—before glazing. If you glaze it while it’s warm, the glaze will just soak in and disappear.
  8. Make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons apple cider, vanilla, and cinnamon if using. Add more cider a teaspoon at a time until it’s thick but pourable. Drizzle over the cooled cake using a spoon or a piping bag with the tip snipped off.

Notes

Don’t rush the browning step. Keep your eyes on the butter and take it off the heat as soon as you see brown specks. Room temperature eggs matter—if in a hurry, put eggs in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes. Measure flour correctly by spooning it into the cup and leveling it off. Let the cake cool completely before glazing. The cake freezes beautifully—wrap unglazed cake tightly in plastic wrap and foil, freeze for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: brown sugar apple cider cake, easy apple cake, brown butter cake, fall dessert, apple cider cake recipe

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