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Welcoming the weekend with fresh baked Mini Apple Cider Cakes. Made with boiled down spiced cider, apple butter, and cinnamon. Then baked and tossed with brown butter and spiced cinnamon sugar. There’s really nothing not to love about these cute (and sweet) autumn spiced cakes. The true secret? Boiling the apple cider down to really concentrate its flavor. These mini cakes are best enjoyed warm…preferably with a sweet mug of hot chocolate or your favorite latte. The perfect way to celebrate the autumn apple season!
Who else is so happy the weekend is here? I think we can all agree that we need a good autumn weekend full of pumpkin carving, Halloween movie marathons, and baking up all the best autumn sweets. It’s October, and in my mind, there’s really nothing better than an autumn weekend spent baking with seasonal ingredients. I’m very cheesy like that when it comes to this time of year, you guys know it’s my favorite.
And yup, I’m already excited to bake these up again this afternoon for Instagram. The kitchen is about to smell amazing.
In all seriousness, can you tell it’s been a long week or what? My words are far and few, but long weeks just make for even better weekends. And thankfully we have sweet autumn desserts to bake up and pumpkins to be carving (or you are going apple picking?).
I took a quick break from the autumn cider recipes to focus on chocolate, then pumpkin, and then maple, but the apple cider sweets are returning today with these favorite little mini cakes.
The quick story.
First off, aren’t these kind of cute?! I LOVE them.
The inspiration behind these is pretty simple. I’ve got a lot of pumpkin recipes coming up this October and November. So I was really just looking for a sweet recipe to share with you guys that didn’t involve any kind of pumpkin. We all love our pumpkin recipes, but I’m a believer that there can be too much pumpkin for one autumn season.
I racked my brain for a while. I waffled on a few ideas, one of them being a butterscotch dessert (would that be of interest to you guys? Please, let me know!), and then somehow, last minute, I landed on these. I was really wanting to create something cider based and something easy. I’ve done classic apple cider doughnuts, but I haven’t done apple cider cakes. I continued to brainstorm and was actually about to start testing another recipe. But then the idea for these mini cakes came to mind.
Yes, I could make mini apple cider bundt cakes and attempt to make them look like mini pumpkins by creating chocolate “vines” around the tops. They could be cute and delish, but was it just boring? I didn’t know…but I decided to give them a try. And while I may have been unsure about them at first, I am so happy I ended up making these. Not only are they cute and sweet, but the best part about these little mini cakes? They taste even better than they look. Think of your favorite apple cider doughnut. Got that thought? Ok, now lose the fried taste, and add a bit more apple flavor, plus autumn spices. That is the flavor of these cakes.
They’re basically a baked, old school style, apple cider doughnut. But in cake form…and with chocolate on top (if you like…which you know we do). SO GOOD.
These cider cakes are easy…here are the steps.
Honestly, these cakes could not be easier to make. If you can make a basic cupcake or muffin, you can certainly make these. There is nothing fancy about them.
The key to these cakes? It’s all in the cider. I recommend finding the best spiced cider with no added sugars. If you can, pick up some fresh apple cider from your local farmers market. Or even better, pick some up if you plan to go apple picking any time soon. Nothing quite beats a really good apple cider. It’s always so flavorful this time of year.
To help intensify the apple cider flavor throughout these cakes, I decided to boil down the cider on the stove until reduced. Boiling the cider will concentrate the flavors and make the cider that much more flavorful. It’s an extra step, but one that I think is worth it.
Once you’ve boiled the cider, the rest is quick. Just mix the cider with apple butter, butter, eggs, vanilla, plus dark brown sugar. Then add in all the dry ingredients. And done. That’s the batter.
Next, divide the batter between bundt cake pans, and bake. Since I really wanted these cakes to look somewhat like mini pumpkins, I chose to use a mini bundt pan. You can easily bake these up in a standard cupcake pan too. Both will work great!
As soon as the cakes come out of the oven, turn them out, then dip each through browned butter and spiced cinnamon sugar. Yes, browned butter AND spiced cinnamon sugar. Delicious.
Finish these up…and make em’ cute!
To decorate the cakes, I made mini pumpkins simply by using some cinnamon sticks and a little melted chocolate. They certainly aren’t perfect, but I kind of love that about them.
Each little cake is unique and so cute, plus we love the combination of sweet cinnamon sugar with chocolate.
So delicious.
And with that, here’s my recommendation for the coming weekend. Plan your ideal Saturday, but carve out some time to spend in the kitchen. Then test these cakes for the upcoming holidays. You’ll be so happy you did!
Yes, the holidays.
I know it’s hard to believe, but Halloween, and even Thanksgiving, are both right around the corner. These cakes are perfect for either occasion, or both. You can make them spooky for Halloween or cute for Thanksgiving. Either way, I would double the recipe. These go fast.
Oh, and lastly, I have to say these are DELICIOUS dipped in hot chocolate. Just a thought, but it’s a good one. Enjoy!
Looking for other sweet apple recipes? Here are a few ideas:
Cinnamon Spiced Apple Fritters with Vanilla Coffee Glaze
Brown Butter Apple Blondies with Cinnamon Maple Glaze
Salted Maple Apple Tarte Tatin with Cinnamon Pumpkin Seeds
Sweet and Salty Chocolate Drizzled Cider Caramel Apples
Lastly, if you make these Mini Apple Cider Cakes be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Mini Apple Cider Cakes
Servings: 15 cakes
Calories Per Serving: 258 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups apple cider
- 4 tablespoon salted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup apple butter
- 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
- 6 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamon
- 6 ounces melted chocolate (optional)
- cinnamon sticks, for decorating (optional)
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 15-16 mini bundt pan or cupcake pan molds with butter.2. Bring the apple cider to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer 10-15 minutes or until reduced to about 3/4 cup. Remove from the heat. Let cool 5.3. In a large mixing bowl, stir together 3/4 cup boiled cider, melted butter, eggs, apple butter, vanilla, and brown sugar until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt, mix until just combined.4. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans, filling 2/3 the way full. Transfer to the oven and bake 12-13 minutes, until the tops are just set. Remove and let cool 5 minutes, then invert the cakes onto a cooling rack. 5. To make the coating. Add the butter to a skillet set over medium heat. Allow the butter to brown until it smells toasted and is a deep golden color, about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat. Combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon and cardamon in a shallow bowl.6. Brush each warm cake with browned butter, then roll (generously) through the cinnamon sugar. If desired, decorate with melted chocolate and cinnamon sticks. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Storing: store in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature.
To Bring Eggs to Room Temperature: place the eggs in a bowl and fill with warm water. Let sit 5 minutes.
To Make Gluten Free: Use an equal amount of your favorite gluten free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour. I recommend Cup4Cup gluten free flour.
Mini Bundt Pans: this is the exact mini bundt cake pan that I have.
Cupcake Pans: this is the exact 12-cup muffin pan that I have.
Mini Pumpkin and Leaves Cake Pans: this is the exact mini pumpkin and leaves cake pan I use and love.
Mini Pumpkin Cake Pan: this is the exact mini pumpkin cake pan I use...and also love.
Just made them! The texture is dense and they are a little chewy. Is that supposed to be the consistency or did I mess something up? They taste great, I was just expecting a more crumbly cake.
Hey Rachel,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, so sorry you did not enjoy the texture. These are not meant to be crumbly but more of an old fashioned donate cake texture. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
These are so good! I made them into tiny muffins (aka donut holes in my mind). They almost taste like apple cider cakes you would get at a pumpkin patch. These will be a Fall staple for me.
Thank you Meaghan! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Ok I made these yesterday Oh heavens they are so good Way better than a donut you get at the cider mill. So happy I made apple butter with the apples I got at the mill. I put i
them in freezer bags and put them in the freezer. They are do pretty as well. I delivered some to my daughter and best friend today. Makes a great fall gift.
Love that!! I am really glad these turned out so well for you, Marie! xTieghan
This recipe turned out perfectly using gluten free flour (I used the ATK GF flour blend). So so so yummy and no changes to the recipe necessary other than swapping the flour, which is rare for a gluten to gf recipe. Thanks!!
Thank you so much Karen! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
These came out like rubber. Great flavor but something is very off.
Hey Jessica,
So sorry you had issues with the recipe. Did you adjust the recipe at all? What kinds of pans did you use? I would be better able to help you if I had a little more information! xTieghan
?these are so adorable! I plan to make these soon. What do you use to pipe your melted chocolate?
Hi Lauren! I usually just use the corner of a plastic bag and I cut a small hole at the top! I have a video on my insta for this if you want to check it out! xTieghan
Hi Tieghan, Where can I get some cardamom? I have looked everywhere locally and no dice. I hear there is a cardamom shortage on line. These look great.
Hey Karen,
You should be able to find it at your local grocery store, you can always ask them to order it for you. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Can applesauce work in place of the apple butter?
Hey Jenna,
Yes that would work! I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Wow!!! Made these w/ King Arthur’s gluten free flour and they were SO SO good. Used the homemade apple butter recipe that’s linked (super easy). Was sure to not over mix since there were a few comments about them being a little dense, but mine were perfect!!
I am really glad these turned out perfectly for you, Lacy!! Thank you so much! xTieghan
So unbelievably good! Super apple-y with the double helping of Cider and butter. I had just gotten both from a nearby orchard and have been craving nothing but Apple desserts. These did not disappoint. I used a donut pan because I did not have any other “mini” pans and donuts felt right. Filled the pan (not 2/3rds) and cooked 8min at 350 and was perfect. Now my only problem is stopping myself from eating all of them right now ?♀️
Haha that is not a bad problem to have! I am really glad these turned out so well for you, Lyndsey!! xTieghan
Super easy, just like you said! I find these to be a healthy cake, so I made them for my toddler nephew, and he loved them! Unfortunately, mine turned out a bit dry, and I promise I folded the batter JUST until the dry ingredients were incorporated. Any idea as to why it turned out dry or maybe something I could do/add to prevent that next time? I was thinking about adding a bit more of the boiled apple cider.
Hey Tanya,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try! I would maybe try to bake them for a little less time next time around. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
Could you make these in a doughnut pan as a cake donut?
Hey Alana,
Sure, that would work well for you. I would just adjust your baking times accordingly. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Hello…
I made these in Nordic ware Acorn Pan..
So delicious…
Worth every minute of prep.
They really didn’t look like an acorn once rolled in the buttery sugary concoction…but so delicious it didn’t natter.
A chocolate drizzle would definitely have fixed that!
Amazing!! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you, Janice! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
These are so perfect! Little pockets of apple-y sugary goodness! Thanks for re-introducing apple butter to my life. 🙂
Yes!! I am really glad this recipe turned out so well for you, Monica! xTieghan
I made the apple cider cakes, I should of used apple butter or made it, ( I had the apples, just not the butter) so I chopped one into real small pieces, it’s All so delicious. It was a bit heavy , so I thinking those fresh apple was the weight of it. But should I have added more flour? If I’m using fresh apple?
It’s so so good
Hey Sonja,
Thanks for trying the recipe! I haven’t tried this recipe using fresh apples in place of the apple butter, I am assuming there is where the consistency went off. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I made these and the Apple Butter. Super Tasty but mine were not as pretty as yours!
Ill keep working on my finishing touches. Love you it!
I am sure they looked amazing! And I am really glad you enjoyed these, Marla! Thank you! xTieghan