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Cozy Apple Cider Cake with Easy Brown Butter Glaze

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A moist, tender apple cider cake with a nutty brown butter glaze, born from a potluck panic and perfected through six test batches. This quick and easy fall dessert uses reduced apple cider for intense flavor and comes together in under 15 minutes of prep.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups (355 ml) apple cider
  • 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar, packed
  • ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • For the Brown Butter Glaze:
  • ¼ cup (57 g) unsalted butter
  • 1 ½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2–3 tablespoons (30–45 ml) apple cider
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
  2. Reduce the apple cider: Pour 1 ½ cups apple cider into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced to about ½ cup (120 ml), about 15-20 minutes. Stir occasionally and watch to prevent boiling over. Remove from heat and let cool.
  3. Mix dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger.
  4. Combine wet ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together granulated sugar and brown sugar. Add eggs and whisk until smooth and slightly pale, about 1 minute. Whisk in melted butter, vanilla extract, and reduced apple cider until smooth.
  5. Combine wet and dry: Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined (about 15-20 strokes). Do not overmix; a few lumps are fine.
  6. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Tap pan gently on counter to release air bubbles.
  7. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Start checking at 28 minutes.
  8. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges, invert onto rack, peel off parchment, and let cool completely (20-30 minutes).
  9. Make the brown butter glaze: In a small light-colored skillet or saucepan, melt ¼ cup butter over medium heat. Continue cooking, swirling occasionally, until butter turns golden brown and smells nutty (about 4-5 minutes). Remove from heat immediately and pour into a heat-safe bowl.
  10. Add sifted powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt to the browned butter. Add 2 tablespoons apple cider and whisk until smooth. Add more cider if needed for desired consistency.
  11. Once cake is completely cool, drizzle glaze over top. Let set for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Notes

Watch the cider reduction carefully to prevent burning. Room temperature eggs are important to prevent butter from seizing. Do not overmix the batter. Brown butter can burn quickly, so remove from heat as soon as it turns golden and smells nutty. Let cake cool completely before glazing for best presentation. Cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen (unglazed) for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: apple cider cake, brown butter glaze, fall dessert, easy cake recipe, apple cake, potluck dessert, cozy cake

Find it online: https://gleamgulp.com/cozy-apple-cider-cake-with-easy-brown-butter-glaze/