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Apple Cider Donut Snack Cake

Apple cider donut snack cake with a tender cinnamon-spiced crumb and a cinnamon-sugar topping. Reduced apple cider adds real flavor, then the warm cake gets brushed with butter and showered with cinnamon sugar.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 16 servings
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Calories: 320
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 1.5 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.25 tsp allspice
  • 0.25 tsp salt
Cake batter
  • 0.25 cup apple cider reduced from 1/2 cup to 1/4 cup over medium heat
  • 0.33 cup unsalted butter melted
  • 0.75 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
Cinnamon sugar coating
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted, for brushing
  • 0.25 cup sugar for coating
  • 2 tsp cinnamon for coating

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 8x8 square baking pan

Method
 

Reduce the apple cider
  1. Bring apple cider to a simmer over medium heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, then cool completely.
Prep the oven and pan
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F and grease an 8x8 square baking pan.
Mix the dry ingredients
  1. Whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt.
Mix the wet ingredients
  1. Whisk melted unsalted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, reduced cider, and sour cream until smooth.
Combine batter
  1. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients just until combined, then pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake
  1. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350F until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Butter and coat
  1. While warm, brush the top generously with melted unsalted butter.
  2. Mix cinnamon and sugar together, then shower evenly over the buttered cake.
Slice and serve
  1. Cut into squares and serve.

Notes

For the cleanest crumb, fold the flour in only until no dry streaks remain, then bake promptly. Store covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 5 days; freeze cooled squares for up to 2 months. If you want a lighter option, swap sour cream with plain low-fat Greek yogurt for a similar tang and moisture.