Apple Cider Donut Cake is modern mashup of what happens when a classic Jewish New Year dessert meets a beloved fall-favorite donut.

Apple Cider Donut Cake

You’ve heard of apples and honey for a sweet New Year, but have you heard of an Apple Cider Donut Cake? This modern mashup is what happens when a classic Jewish New Year dessert meets a beloved fall-favorite donut.   It’s the perfect centerpiece for your Rosh Hashanah celebration, where instead of dipping apples in honey…. we bake them into a spiced Apple Cider Donut Cake!

Making an Apple Cider Donut Cake

Here’s the entire scoop on making the awesomely appley Apple Cider Donut Cake that’s the perfect moist, flavorful cake/donut for Rosh Hashanah.

Apple Cider Donut Cake has the cinnamoney sugar topping that you’d find on your favorite apple cider donut!

Where the original recipe comes from

This is one of my “I found it for you so you didn’t have to look recipes”.  It originates on Serious Eats, and showed up in an email I received from the site.  I knew immediately that this recipe was going to be a keeper!  While there are several steps, and a few ingredients I had to think about, the end result is totally worth the effort.

Serious Eats Apple Cider Donut Cake from María del Mar Cuadra.

Getting all the ingredients together for the Apple Cider Donut Cake

I placed an Instacart order for all the items I didn’t already have at home.  One of the ingredients that caused me pause was “mace”.  I looked up what mace is and found something interesting:

From The Spice House:

“Mace, nutmeg’s sister spice, holds a unique place in the culinary world. It originates from the nutmeg tree, which is distinguished as the only plant to yield two distinct spices. This is in contrast to plants like dill, which provide both a spice and an herb but not two spices. Nutmegs are the actual seeds of the tree, while what is mace’s flavor is the aril – a delicate, lace-like coating that envelops the seed.”

An unexpected plot twist…

If you’ve read my recent posts and/or follow me on Instagram, you’d know that I was recently in Israel and visited my absolute favorite spice store owned by my friend Chaim, Derech Rambam.  While in the store I came across a new spice that I hadn’t seen before – Mashia:

Mashia from Derech Rambam!

When I asked Chaim’s brother what mashia was, as I had never heard of it before, he answered that it was the outside of the nutmeg plant.  

Cool.

I bought some of the ground version and some of the whole version, hoping to figure out how to use it when I got back to Chicago.

This is whole Mashia from Derech Rambam

This description sounded awfully familiar when I started doing research for the Apple Cider Donut Cake recipe.

After doing some Google searching here is what I came up with…

“Nutmeg shell  In some cases, mashia (also spelled meshiya) refers to the ground shell of the nutmeg seed, which has its own aromatic and nutty characteristics. 

• Flavor profile: The flavor is described as very aromatic and nutty, with hints of muscat.
• Historical context: Medieval medicine books by the Rambam mention the nutmeg shell as a strength-enhancing ingredient when combined with ginger and honey. “

OMG!!! WHAT THE WHAT??????

It turns out that I had bought a little bag of super fresh mace in Machaneh Yehuda without even knowing it!  

What a plot twist!!

Here’s an Apple Cider Donut Cake slice. Look closely and you can see the spices in the slice!!! I also added some extra simmered apple slices to serve.

Here’s the recipe for Apple Cider Donut Cake

This is the recipe adapted from Serious Eats.   The changes I made include making it gluten free and dairy free, the rest is pretty much the same.  I also added a recipe for sauteed apples to top the cake with, and you could also add additional chopped apples to the recipe to make it even more appley.

Apple Cider Donut Cake

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• Author: Sharon Matten - Kosher Everyday
• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cooling Time: 60 minutes
• Cook Time: 60 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
• Yield: 1 large Bundt Cake 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Gluten Free
• Diet: Kosher

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Description

You’ve heard of apples and honey for a sweet New Year, but have you heard of an Apple Cider Donut Cake? This modern mashup is what happens when a classic Jewish New Year dessert meets a beloved fall-favorite donut.   It’s the perfect centerpiece for your Rosh Hashanah celebration, where instead of dipping apples in honey…. we bake them into a spiced Apple Cider Donut Cake!

This recipe originates on Serious Eat and can be found here.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

For the Cake

• 9 tablespoons (4 1/2 ounces; 135 g) plant based margarine at room temperature, divided
• 2 small Granny Smith apples (about 6 ounces / 170 g each), peeled, cored, and roughly chopped (about 2 cups)
• 1 1/2 cups (355 ml) fresh apple cider
• 1/2 cup oat milk, at room temperature, plus more as needed
• 2 1/2 cups gluten-free flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon (3 g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume or the same weight
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground mace
• 3/4 cup sugar (5 1/4 ounces; 149 g)
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces; 99 g)
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon (4 ml) pure vanilla extract

For the sauteed apples

• 1 large green apple, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 1/2 cups fresh apple cider

For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating

• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar (2 2/3 ounces; 75 g)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt; for table salt, use half as much by volume

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Instructions

For the Cake

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
2. Grease a large (10- to 12-cup capacity) Bundt pan with 1 tablespoon plant-based butter.
3. In a medium saucepan, bring chopped apple and cider to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until most of the cider has been absorbed and apples are easily smashed with a fork, 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Remove pan from heat, cool 5 minutes, then process  in food processor until puréed, 60 to 90 seconds, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
5. Measure out 1 cup apple mixture (if you have less than 1 cup apple mixture, add additional milk to reach 1 cup). Stir apple mixture into milk, set aside.
6. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and mace; set aside.
7. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat remaining 8 tablespoons plant based butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
8. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition, about 20 seconds.
9. Add oil and beat until incorporated, about 45 seconds.
10. Decrease mixer speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with apple mixture, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Increase speed to medium and beat mixture just until combined, about 20 seconds.
11. Add vanilla and beat once more, just to combine, about 10 seconds.
12. Scrape batter into prepared pan, smooth surface with a spatula. Bake in preheated oven until a cake tester inserted in cake comes out with just a few crumbs, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer cake to wire cooling rack set inside baking sheet and cool in pan 15 minutes, then invert directly onto wire cooling rack (see notes).

For the Sauteed Apples

1. Combine the apples and cider in a large skillet.  Sauté for around 10-15 minutes on low heat until the cider is mostly absorbed and the apples are caramelized.
2. Store in an airtight container and serve hot or cold.

For the Cinnamon Sugar Coating

1. Combine sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a small bowl. While cake is still hot, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, using fingers to rub it onto sides.
2. Cool cake completely, about 1 hour, then serve topped with sauteed apples.

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Equipment

[25pcs] 10″ Gold Cakeboard Round,Disposable Cake Circle Base Boards

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Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY 14 Cup Food Processor, Silver

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Cuisinart DFP-14BCNY 14-Cup Food Processor, Brushed Stainless Steel – Silver

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KitchenAid KITCH K45SSOB Mixer 4.5, 250watts, Onyx Black

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Nordic Ware Star of David Bundt Pan

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The Spice House Mace

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Notes

(From Simply Recipes): To unmold the cake from the Bundt pan after cooling, use your fingers to gently pull the cake away from the side of the pan. Next, place the wire cooling rack on top, then quickly flip the whole thing over, using oven mitts to protect your hands. Once it’s flipped, let the cake sit a moment or two. Then remove the Bundt pan carefully.

You can add a diced apple tossed in a tablespoon of gluten-free flour, teaspoon of granulated sugar and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon into the cake for a more applely cake.

If you are unable to find mace, substitute nutmeg.

Nutrition

• Serving Size:
• Calories: 280
• Sugar: 30.1 g
• Sodium: 297.8 mg
• Fat: 6.3 g
• Saturated Fat: 4.2 g
• Carbohydrates: 52.2 g
• Fiber: 1.6 g
• Protein: 4.5 g
• Cholesterol: 46.5 mg

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LOOKING FOR EVEN MORE ROSH HASHANAH RECIPES!!!

CHECK OUT THE KOSHER EVERYDAY AMAZON INFLUENCER STOREFRONT!

I’m excited to announce the launch of my brand, spankin’ new, Amazon Influencer storefront.  The purpose of this store is to share with you all of my favorite tools, ingredients and accessories that I use on Kosher Everyday.  If there’s something you’d like to see please let me know and I’ll make sure to add it.  I’m updating the storefront all the time. I’ve put together a complete Gluten Free Challah Storefront with everything you need to make fabulous Gluten Free Challah!Additionally there is a brand new Rosh Hashanah Storefront with fun and beautiful items to help enhance your holiday!

 

Apple Challah Board Fruit Tray!!!

Dried Fruit Gift Basket – the tray turns into a Challah basket!

I’d love to hear what you think!

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