This Cider Bundt Cake is part of a series of apple cake experiments that will be on Bready or Not over the next while. They are all just a bit different.
The thing that really sets this cake apart is the Apple Cider Caramel Glaze. Oh boy, this glaze. It’s truly thick, luscious caramel. The cake by itself is fairly standard–this glaze elevates it to star status.
Even better, you’ll likely have some glaze leftover. Store it covered in the fridge and use it in the coming days. Warm up a portion to make it pliable, then use it for dipping apples or cookies, or to top ice cream… or just eat it straight or add even more to the cake slices. Just don’t you dare let it go to waste.
Bready or Not Original: Apple Bundt Cake with Apple Cider Caramel Glaze
This tender, apple-loaded cake is topped with an Apple Cider Caramel Glaze that will make everything better–this cake, your day, the whole dang planet. There will be a little bit of caramel leftover, too, perfect for dipping apple slices, cookies, or for topping ice cream.
Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Author: Beth Cato
Equipment
large bundt pan
nonstick spray with flour
cooling rack
medium saucepan
Ingredients
Cake
3/4cupunsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks) softened
1cupwhite sugar
1cupbrown sugar packed
1Tablespoonvanilla extract
3large eggs room temperature
3cupsall-purpose flour
2teaspoonsbaking powder
1 1/2teaspoonscinnamon
1/2teaspoonbaking soda
1/2teaspoonsalt
1/2teaspooncardamom
1/2cupbuttermilk or soured milk (see note)
3medium baking apples peeled and grated or finely diced
Apple Cider Caramel Glaze
1cupnonalcoholic apple cider
1cupbrown sugar packed
1/2cupunsalted butter softened
1/4cuphalf & half
Instructions
Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Apply nonstick spray with flour to a large bundt pan.
In a large bowl, beat together butter, both sugars, and vanilla extract, until fluffy. Scrape down bottom of bowl. Add eggs, beating well after each addition.
In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and cardamom. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, pausing to add the buttermilk at several points. Scrape the bottom of the bowl, then fold in the apple pieces.
Scoop batter into the prepared pan. Even it out. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool in pan for 20 minutes, then invert onto a rack to completely cool before making the glaze.
In a medium saucepan, bring the cider to a low boil and keep it there for about 4 minutes, watching it closely to bring down heat if necessary to ensure it doesn’t boil over. Add the brown sugar, butter, and half & half, then bring to a boil for another 2 to 4 minutes, until it has thickened. Remove from heat to set and cool for about 15 to 20 minutes. While the caramel is still warm (if it’s not warm, heat it again gently to make it pliable), drizzle it over cake. (If you have any caramel leftover, let it cool and then refrigerate it for other delicious uses!)
Let cake set in fridge. Keep covered under a dome or individually slice and wrap for storage, keeping it in the fridge. It'll keep for at least 5 days.
OM NOM NOM!
Notes
To make soured milk as a buttermilk subtitute, put about 3 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar in a liquid measuring cap. Add milk or half & half to reach the 1/2 cup line. Let set at room temperature about 10 minutes; it should start to curdle. Use in recipe.
If you have a major sweet tooth (like me), these indulgent Brown Sugar Pie Bars may blow your mind with their deliciousness. Seriously, these things are unique and they are amazing.
The base is similar to shortbread, nice and simple. The topping is like the filling for Pecan Pie without the pecans–or corn syrup, which is usually the sweetness and glue for such pies.
There’s no need to boil the filling or doing anything fussy. During the baking process, the top will essentially boil and caramelize. That creates a kind of crust that adds to the textural delight of every layer of these bars.
Modified from Better Homes & Gardens Christmas Cookies 2021.
This recipe makes simple bars that are potently sweet and addictively delicious! Modified from Better Homes & Gardens Christmas Cookies 2021
Author: Beth Cato
Equipment
13×9 pan
aluminum foil
nonstick cooking spray
food processor
Ingredients
Crust
1/2cupunsalted butter1 stick
1 1/2cupsall-purpose flour
3tablespoonswhite sugar
1/2teaspoonfine sea salt
Filling
3large eggsroom temperature
3 1/3cupslight brown sugarpacked
1/2teaspoonground cinnamon
1/2teaspoonfine sea salt
1/2cupunsalted buttermelted (1 stick)
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
1/2teaspoonalmond extract
Instructions
Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Line a 13×9 pan with aluminum foil. Apply a coating of nonstick cooking spray. Dice up the butter into chunks.
In a food processor, pulse together the flour, sugar, and salt. Drop in the butter and pulse until the mix looks crumbly. It will not be cohesive. Pour everything into the prepared pan. Use the heel of a hand to press it into an even layer across the bottom.
Bake the crust for 15 to 18 minutes, until it is lightly brown. While that is cooking, make the filling.
In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Mix in the brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, melted butter, and both extracts. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is combined. Pour the filling over the hot crust.
Bake for 35 to 38 minutes, until the middle has only a slight jiggle. The filling may form large bubbles near the end of baking but they do not need to be popped. Let the pan cool to room temperature.
Use the foil to lift the contents onto a cutting board. To make neat bars, use a knife to slice off the very edges, reserving these especially-candied portions for later enjoyment. Slice the rest into small squares. The bars can be stored in a sealed container at room temperature.
These Spiced Apple Scones make for a delicious breakfast. They are great fresh, but they can also be frozen for a convenient meal on the go later in the week.
These are not super sweet. There is enough sugar inside to elevate them above what Americans regard as a biscuit; the glaze not only adds some sweetness, but a texture for contrast. If you want these plainer, just omit the glaze!
If you don’t have pie spice, just use cinnamon with perhaps a sprinkle of nutmeg.
Greatly modified from Bake from Scratch Magazine September/October 2023.
Brighten your morning with these delicious fruit-filled scones! Make a batch over the weekend, and freeze them to pull out throughout the week. Greatly modified from Bake from Scratch Magazine September/October 2023.
Servings: 8scones
Author: Beth Cato
Equipment
baking sheet with parchment or scone pan
knife or bench knife
Ingredients
Scones
2cupsall-purpose flourplus more for surface
1/4cupwhite sugar
2 1/2teaspoonsbaking powder
1 1/4teaspoonspie spice
1teaspoonkosher salt
1/2teaspoonbaking soda
6Tablespoonsunsalted butter cut into cubes and cold
1teaspoonvanilla extract
1cuphalf & half or milk, plus more for tops if desired
1medium baking apple (about 120 grams) peeled and diced
Glaze
1cupconfectioners' sugar plus more if needed
sprinklepie spice
1Tablespoonhalf & half plus more if needed
1/2teaspoonclear vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat oven at 375-degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or pull out a scone pan.
In a big bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, pie spice, salt, and baking soda. Cut in the butter, mashing it until it resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in the vanilla and half & half, stirring until just combined. Fold in the diced apple.
If using a baking sheet to bake, flour a work space. Flour hands and fold and pat the dough into a thick disc. Use a knife or bench knife to slice it into 8 wedges. Move wedges, spaced out, onto baking pan. Alternatively, press dough into scone pan to evenly fill each hole. Whichever method is used, chill scones for about 15 minutes.
If softer scones are desired, measure out a tablespoon of milk and brush that atop the scones. If crisper tops are wanted, leave the scones be.
Bake scones until tops are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for about 20 minutes.
Make the glaze. Whisk together confectioners’ sugar, a sprinkle of pie spice, half & half, and clear vanilla until they achieve a thick but oozy texture. Drizzle over scones.
Enjoy scones right away, or store at room temperature in a sealed container for up to 2 days. They can also be frozen and thawed for later enjoyment.
A few months ago, I shared a time-consuming yeast-based recipe for making St. Louis Butter Cake. I continue to explore different takes on this Missouri classic, and this time around, the Gooey Butter Bars use convenient cake mix! (If you’re more interested in cookies than cake, I can also point you towards a Bready or Not guest post from Dan Koboldt back in 2018 where he shared Gooey Butter Cake Cookies that also use cake mix.)
To maximize the cheapness and convenience of this recipe, I used entirely Aldi ingredients. Their cake mix is as good as the name brands.
When it comes down to taste, I far prefer the yeast version. It is sweet and delicate with nuance–but it also takes a long time to make. This version is easy, but the sweetness could come across as cloyingly strong. So, keep that in mind in regards to your audience’s tastes.
Modified from Centennial Kitchen Fall Baking 2021 Magazine.
Bready or Not: Gooey Butter Bars [Cake Mix Variation]
This fast-to-make take on St. Louis Butter Cake uses cake mix and cream cheese. The result is a super-sweet and chewy sugar bomb that will delight kids and adults. Modified from Centennial Kitchen Fall Baking 2021 Magazine.
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cake, cake mix, cheese, cream cheese
Author: Beth Cato
Equipment
15x10x1 pan
aluminum foil
nonstick spray
Ingredients
Cake base
15.25-ounceyellow cake mix or white cake mix
1/2cupunsalted butter softened
1large egg
Top layer
8ouncescream cheese softened
2large eggs
4cupsconfectioners’ sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 15x10x1 inch pan (also called a jelly roll pan) with foil; apply nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, stir together cake mix, butter, and egg, until they are crumbly. Pat the entire dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. It will be very thin and fiddly to work with.
In the same bowl, beat together the cream cheese and eggs until they are fairly smooth; a few clumps are okay. Gradually mix in the confectioners’ sugar to make a cohesive mix. Spread on top of the crust.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the middle is set and golden brown. Cool at room temperature, and chill in fridge to completely set.
A reminder that this is called ‘Gooey Butter Cake.’ Cut pieces finger-sized. Some in the middle may be particularly gooey. If not serving immediately, move pieces to a lidded container and use waxed paper between the stacked layers. They will stay firmer and less-gooey if they are kept chilled.
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