I grew up in western Massachusetts, home to some of the most beautiful apple orchards in the world. My favorite thing about apple picking is the donuts. I can take or leave the crowded, angry bee-filled fields of the apple orchard as long as I can enjoy an apple cider donut fresh from the fryer.
I apologize in advance, but where I live now in Connecticut, they just don’t do it right. The apple cider donuts I tried here are artificially flavored to taste like green apple candy and are usually baked rather than fried. Let’s face it: When I crave a donut, I want it fried!
My children feel the same way. They were treated to the amazing apple cider donuts of my youth. During a recent trip to the apple orchard, when I asked my middle son what the donut tasted like, he replied without hesitation, “It tastes like a paper bag.” And I believe him – I’ve seen him eat far worse than a paper bag!
Easy Recipes / Molly Adams
As the first cool fall mornings roll in, I crave the taste of a classic apple cider donut. So when Martha Stewart’s Apple Cider Donut Cake When I came across my desk I knew I had to try it. After all, it had to be better than the paper bag donuts!
Martha’s cake is baked in a bundt pan and seasoned with applesauce and apple cider. Once the cake is baked and cooled, brush it with melted butter and then sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar to create something that resembles a giant donut.
Easy Recipes / Molly Adams
How I made Martha Stewart’s Apple Cider Donut Cake
At first glance I was a little unsure how this would turn out. To be honest, bundt cakes scare me a little. Will it come out of the pan or will I cry over my Nordic Ware? The dry ingredients also included a full cup of whole wheat flour. Although as a 40-year-old mother of three, I know I should prioritize more whole grains, I prefer the taste and texture of all-purpose or cake flour in my baked goods.
Other than that, the recipe looked super easy and I had all the ingredients on hand so I decided to give it a try.
The first thing to note: when I made this cake I was racing against time and you have to know that it only took me 10 minutes to prepare the dough. I was able to easily throw it together and pop it in the oven ONE SCHOOL DAY for my kids. I usually barely manage to get to the bus stop on time, so you know this recipe is easy!
I broke the rules a little and made it a one bowl cake recipe and it turned out really well. I started by combining the wet ingredients in a large bowl (eggs, sugar, olive oil, vanilla, apple juice, and applesauce), then placed a fine-mesh sieve on top and sifted in the dry ingredients. The only other change I made was to add a pinch of ground nutmeg to the dry ingredients, which I think is necessary in any old fashioned donut.
To ease my Bundt pan anxiety, I tried a new method of making the pan. First I brushed the whole thing with melted butter, then I dusted the entire mold with Wondra flour. The flour’s fine texture allowed it to get into every nook and cranny without clumping, and to my delight, the cake came apart without a single crumb missing from the intricate design.
The taste of this cake was really delicious. It tasted like a well-seasoned apple cider donut, but was hearty and filling thanks to the addition of whole wheat flour. While the base of the cake wasn’t very sweet, after adding the cinnamon-sugar coating it was perfectly balanced. All three of my kids loved it, and I admit that I ate a piece of it for breakfast and later in the day as a small dessert for lunch.
Easy Recipes / Molly Adams
