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Kid-Approved Apple Cider Cake with Easy Brown Butter Glaze

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A moist, tender apple cider cake with a nutty brown butter glaze that’s simple enough for a weeknight but special enough for company. Made with pantry staples and ready in under an hour, this kid-approved recipe is the perfect fall dessert.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup apple cider (unfiltered preferred)
  • 1 medium apple, peeled and grated (Granny Smith or Honeycrisp)
  • ½ cup unsalted butter (for glaze)
  • 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 3–4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for glaze)
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on long sides.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat softened butter with granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  4. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla extract. Mixture may look slightly curdled.
  5. Gradually add flour mixture in three additions, alternating with apple cider, starting and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
  6. Gently fold in grated apple with a spatula until evenly distributed. Batter will be thick and slightly lumpy.
  7. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Tent with foil after 30 minutes if browning too quickly.
  8. Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
  9. For glaze: Melt ½ cup butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Swirl pan occasionally until butter foams, turns golden, and develops brown specks (5-7 minutes). Remove from heat immediately when it smells nutty.
  10. Let brown butter cool for 5 minutes, then whisk in sifted powdered sugar, milk or cream, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth. Adjust consistency with more milk or sugar as needed.
  11. Pour glaze over cooled cake, letting it drip down sides. Let set for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Room temperature ingredients are key for best texture. Don’t overmix the batter once flour is added. Watch brown butter carefully as it can burn quickly. Let cake cool completely before glazing. Day-old cake has even deeper flavor. For gluten-free, use 1:1 gluten-free baking blend. For dairy-free, use plant-based butter and oat milk.

Nutrition

Keywords: apple cider cake, brown butter glaze, fall dessert, easy cake recipe, kid-friendly dessert, apple cake, homemade cake

Find it online: https://lolaspoon.com/kid-approved-apple-cider-cake-with-easy-brown-butter-glaze/