Bourbon Apple Cider Cake

As apple cider simmers on the stove, its fresh, bright smell turns deeper and more concentrated. That’s the beginning of what makes this Bourbon Apple Cider Cake taste like more than a plain spice cake with glaze on top. The finished Bundt is tender, fragrant with cinnamon, and finished with a bourbon glaze that gives each slice a warm, lightly sweet edge.

I like this cake when I want a proper centerpiece without complicated decorating. The batter comes together with familiar pantry ingredients, but the cider gets a little attention first: it’s simmered down, cooled, then whisked with sour cream. That smooth mixture adds moisture and apple flavor without making the cake heavy. Give the Bundt time to cool before glazing, and you’ll get a neat drizzle that sets across the top instead of disappearing into the crumb.

Why This Cake Needs Concentrated Cider, Not More Liquid

A full cup of cider would add plenty of apple flavor, but it would also bring extra liquid into a batter that already gets moisture from sour cream and eggs. Simmering the cider until half its volume remains concentrates its flavor while keeping the wet-to-dry balance in check. That matters in a Bundt cake, where the batter needs to bake evenly through a deep ring instead of staying damp in the middle.

The reduced cider also gives the cake a more rounded apple note than adding extra cinnamon or sugar would. You can smell that difference as it cooks: the cider becomes more fragrant as it reduces, but don’t let it boil away until syrupy or scorched. Once it’s cooled, the sour cream blends in and makes a smooth, tangy base for the batter. The result is a cake that tastes distinctly of apple without turning dense or sticky.

What the Cider, Sour Cream, and Flour Bring to the Batter

• Apple cider — Choose cider with a clear, fresh apple aroma; it’s the main source of the cake’s fruit character. If you’re out, unsweetened apple juice can stand in at the same volume before reducing, though the flavor will be a little lighter and sweeter. Reduce the replacement the same way.
• Sour cream — It brings tang and moisture, and room-temperature sour cream whisks more smoothly into the cooled cider. Plain, full-fat Greek yogurt is the closest easy swap in the same amount; expect a slightly tangier cake with a little less richness.
• All-purpose flour — This gives the Bundt enough structure to hold its shape while staying tender. Spoon flour into the measuring cup and level it rather than packing it down; too much flour can leave the crumb dry. For a gluten-free version, use a cup-for-cup baking blend that includes xanthan gum, following the blend’s measure-for-measure guidance.
• Bourbon — Its vanilla and oak notes give the glaze more depth than a plain sugar glaze. A standard bourbon is plenty; there’s no need to use an expensive bottle. The glaze’s liquid is added gradually, so the bourbon flavor stays present without making the topping runny.

Build the Batter in Stages for an Even Bundt Crumb

Prepare the Pan and Reduce the Cider

Heat the oven to 350°F and coat every curve of a 12-cup Bundt pan thoroughly with baking spray that contains flour. Simmer the cider in a small saucepan over medium heat for 8 to 12 minutes, until it has reduced from 1 cup to 1/2 cup. Set it aside until completely cool before whisking in the sour cream until smooth.

Whisk the Dry Ingredients and Cream the Butter

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and kosher salt together in a medium bowl so the leaveners and spices are distributed through the flour. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes. The mixture should look light and fluffy rather than greasy or dense. Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, mixing well after each, then beat in the vanilla.

Alternate the Flour and Cider Mixtures

With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the cider mixture in two additions. Start and finish with the flour mixture, which helps the batter come together evenly. Stop mixing as soon as the last streaks of flour disappear; continuing to beat at this point can make the cake tougher. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan so it bakes at a consistent rate.

Bake, Cool, and Release the Cake

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, checking near the center with a tester. It’s ready when the tester comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert it onto a wire rack. Give it time to cool completely before adding the glaze; the cake is more likely to release cleanly after that short rest than if you turn it out immediately.

Whisk a Thick, Pourable Bourbon Glaze

Whisk the confectioners’ sugar and bourbon with 1 tablespoon of whole milk. Add up to 1 more tablespoon gradually, whisking between additions, until the glaze is thick but still pours from the whisk. If it turns thin and watery, it will run off the ridges instead of leaving a defined drizzle. Spoon or drizzle it over the cooled cake, then let it set for 15 minutes before serving.

Three Small Changes That Give This Bundt a Different Character

Questions That Come Up When Baking This Cider Bundt

Bourbon Apple Cider Cake

Bourbon apple cider cake is a tender Bundt cake made with reduced apple cider, cinnamon, and nutmeg, then finished with a pourable bourbon glaze. The cider and sour cream keep the crumb moist, while the glaze adds a sweet, spirited finish.

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Cooling and setting time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs

Servings: 12 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 460

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

For the cake

• 1 baking spray with flour, for the pan
• 1 cup apple cider
• 0.75 cup sour cream at room temperature
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 0.5 tsp baking soda
• 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 0.25 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 1.75 cups granulated sugar
• 4 eggs large, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

For the bourbon glaze

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tbsp bourbon
• 1 tbsp whole milk up to 2 tablespoons

Equipment

• 1 12-cup Bundt pan
• 1 electric mixer

Method

 

Make the cake

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Thoroughly coat a 12-cup Bundt pan with baking spray.
3. Simmer the apple cider in a small saucepan over medium heat for 8 to 12 minutes, until reduced to 1/2 cup, then cool completely.
4. Whisk the sour cream into the cooled cider until smooth.
5. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a medium bowl.
6. Beat the butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until light and fluffy.
7. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.
8. Beat in the vanilla.
9. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the cider mixture in 2 additions; begin and end with the flour mixture, and mix just until combined.
10. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
11. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until a tester inserted near the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
12. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes.
13. Invert the cake onto a wire rack.
14. Cool completely.

Make the bourbon glaze

1. Whisk the confectioners' sugar and bourbon with 1 tablespoon milk.
2. Add up to 1 more tablespoon milk gradually until the glaze is thick but pourable.
3. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake.
4. Let it set for 15 minutes before serving.

Notes

For a clean release, coat every crevice of the Bundt pan thoroughly with baking spray. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; freeze yes, preferably before glazing. For a gluten-free variation, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend.