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Apple Cider Cake

Apple cider cake made with spiced layers and a tangy cream cheese frosting, finished with a caramel drizzle. The cake bakes until golden and stays tender from sour cream and reduced apple cider.
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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: 480
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 cup 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

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Make the cider cake layers
  1. Reduce apple cider to 1/2 cup, then cool it completely so it won’t melt the batter. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease two 9-inch pans.
  2. Whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt until evenly combined.
  3. Beat the softened unsalted butter and packed brown sugar until very fluffy, then beat in the eggs and vanilla until smooth.
  4. Add the reduced apple cider and mix just until incorporated for a fragrant, spiced batter.
  5. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and sour cream to the batter, starting and ending with the flour mixture.
  6. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared 9-inch pans and smooth the tops.
  7. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350F, until the centers are set and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  8. Cool the cakes completely in the pans before frosting so the layers stack cleanly.
Frost and finish
  1. Beat the cream cheese frosting ingredients until fluffy, starting with cream cheese and butter, then mixing in powdered sugar, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons cider.
  2. Frost and stack the cooled cake layers using a thick, even layer between them.
  3. Drizzle caramel down the sides and over the top so it cascades over the frosting.

Notes

Pro tip: cool the reduced cider and the baked layers completely before frosting—warm cider or warm cake can cause frosting to loosen. Store the assembled cake in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; freeze undecorated layers up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lighter option, use low-fat cream cheese while keeping the same measurements for proper frosting texture.