Apple Cider-Pumpkin Bundt Cake Recipe
Ok, what is happening for Halloween this year? I am asking a serious question. My kids are not little anymore, so I don’t need to make a decision about whether or not they will be trick-or-treating. I need to know if YOUR kids are trick-or-treating so I can buy candy and be prepared.
I do think different communities have different restrictions right now, so I am sure the responses would be varied. Although I have to say, I’m not sure allowing my kids to go door to door to accept candy from perfect strangers during a pandemic would be high on my list of Halloween activities this year LOL.
But I will be making something fall and festive for dinner, like the spaghetti squash casserole I just posted or my favorite Chipotle Turkey Chili from Kitchen Matters. Both are vegan-adaptable, by the way!
And Halloween calls for a fall dessert FOR SURE! I often make stuffed baked apples (in Kitchen Matters) or pumpkin swirl bars, but this apple cider pumpkin bundt cake that I taught in my classes (remember those?) last year was one of my most popular desserts ever! And here it is for you lovelies to make all fall (and winter) long. Would be great for Thanksgiving too, if you’re not into pies.
I love the combo of apple cider and pumpkin spices – so good! And I am also partial to oil as opposed to butter in a cake. Stays moister for longer!
You can adapt this cake to be gluten-free or vegan by following the notes on the bottom of the recipe. Although I have not made this gluten-free AND vegan. My guess is that it would work just fine. If you like not-too-sweet desserts like me, don’t bother with the glaze. It is delightful as is. If you need a little finish, you can dust with a bit of powdered sugar.
The powdered sugar-apple cider glaze is so easy, but a cream cheese glaze is delicious, too. I had to add this drizzle shot. What’s life without a little food porn?
This cake is a winner for sure. I can’t wait to hear from you guys when you make it. Leave me a comment here or tag me on Instagram @pamelasalzman #pamelasalzman. I love, love, love seeing all of your creations!
You can shop the tools I used for this recipe by clicking on the images below:
- Unsalted butter or unrefined coconut oil to grease the pan
- 1 ½ cups einkorn flour or all-purpose flour + additional to flour the pan
- 1 ½ cups whole wheat einkorn flour or whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 ¼ cups maple sugar or unbleached organic cane sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves (use ¼ teaspoon if you like it less “spicy”)
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 ½ teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup unsweetened apple cider or apple juice
- ¾ cup pumpkin puree (I used Thrive Market canned organic pumpkin)
- ¾ cup unrefined, cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- To finish: a dusting of powdered sugar or glaze (see bottom of the recipe for glaze ideas)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour the bundt pan. Make sure you get the butter in all the nooks and crannies. Tap the excess flour out of the pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients until well combined. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 45-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the thickest part comes out clean.
- Cool for 10-15 minutes before removing from pan. Loosen the sides with a thin knife and then invert onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar or glaze.
Whisk together 8 ounces room temperature cream cheese (diary or non-dairy) + 6-8 Tablespoons unsweetened apple cider or juice until completely smooth.
Apple Cider Powdered Sugar Glaze:
Whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar (sifted), 1 Tablespoon melted unsalted butter or melted coconut butter, a pinch of salt and 1-2 Tablespoons apple cider or juice until completely smooth.
To make this vegan you need to swap out the eggs. I tried aquafaba and it turned out great - it didn't rise as high, but it was still great. 9 Tbs canned chickpea liquid whipped with ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar until it looks like clouds of meringue. Fold into batter after the wet and dry mixes have been combined. Bake for the same amount of time.
To make this gluten-free, swap in 3 cups of your favorite GF flour blend, such as King Arthur, Jovial or Bob's Red Mill. If the product does not contain xanthan gum, I would add 1 teaspoon.
26 Comments
Can’t wait to try! However, I do not own a bundt cake pan. Would this work ok in regular cake pans? And do you know the size for conversion or how many pans would be needed? Thanks!
This cake is wonderful! I haven’t used anything other than a bundt pan for this cake, but you can try using a 9-inch springform cake pan or a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. The cake will cook a lot faster in a 13 x 9 because it will be thinner, so I would check it early if you use this size.
I made this over the weekend with a few modifications. I used regular white pastry flour (gasp!) and I adhered to the normal, tried and true technique for baking cakes: I mixed the sugar with the eggs and vanilla first.This helps aerate the cake and make it lighter and fluffier. Then I added the pumpkin and the apple cider. Once the wet ingredients were combined, I added the dry ingredients a bit at a time into the wet. This is essential. Always dry into wet, never wet into dry! And last, I folded the olive in a 1/4c at a time, using a spatula. The first time I made the cake (as well as other cake recipes i have found here tbh) it was like a rock. So I really do think the technique and order in which ingredients are added matters. The flavors were lovely, though could have been a tiny touch sweeter for my family’s taste. Next time I would add a little something to make it more interesting. Toasted pepitas, or a maple flavored frosting? It was a very good cake as is, but not *exceptional*.
Hmmm….it didn’t turn out as well expected? You did seem to know all the tricks for changing the recipe to make it “the right way.” The only advice I have is next time try making it the way it’s written. Otherwise, you’re probably used to using much more sugar than I do. Feel free to increase the quantity. I’m sure you can figure that out.
Looks delicious! Can gluten free flour be substituted?
Thanks
Yes, you can use your favorite gluten-free flour blend + a little xanthan gum.
Can you leave out the sugar & use sweetened apple juice or cider?
I personally don’t find this cake to be too sweet, especially without the glaze. Sugar does help add moisture to baked goods, so I’m not sure how it would turn out without the sugar. I also don’t see what the difference would be to omit the sugar and add it in the form of a sweetened drink. You will technically still be consuming some amount of sugar.
Do you think Spelt flour will work here?
Totally! Spelt flour would work well in this recipe. Enjoy!
I made this cake, but had to use all whole wheat flour as I didn’t have other options handy and was too impatient to wait for my next shopping trip. I increased the pumpkin and apple juice. I admit I eyeballed it, but maybe about 1/4 c more of both pumpkin and apple cider. Turned out great! I love the cream cheese apple cider glaze, but I forgot to drizzle and poured it over the cake, again, it worked out fine. This glaze is not your cream cheese frosting sweet, but I found it added a nice complement to the cake. Next time I make it I am going to try adding some diced apple. It will be on my regular fall rotation!
Your instinct was correct to add more moisture if using all whole wheat flour – glad it worked out! I design my desserts to be NOT super sweet, so it sounds like you enjoy them that way, too!
This was a winner at a lunch today. I added 2 apples (peeled, cored, 1/2in chop), made the cream cheese frosting but needed a cup of powdered sugar along with the unsweetened apple juice to make it yummy for my family.
I was wondering how it would be with apples. I’ll try that next time I make it!
Let me know how it turns out!
I bet the apples made it even more delicious!
Can i substitute canola oil for the olive oil? TY
Yes
SO good! Made this with 2 cups of Bob’s GF flour and 1 cup of almond flour and reduced to 1 egg. We ate 1/2 of it immediately.
Ooooooh! So good to know!!! Did you add any xanthan gum?
Made the cake this week using KA GF flour – turned out great. I probably baked it a bit too long, as it wasn’t as moist as it should have been. Before I could dust it with confectioner sugar, my husband had cut into it. Thanks for another winner!
Good feedback! Since it was a different flour, write down how long you cooked it and guesstimate when to check it next time. 🙂
This looks great! Can you use whole wheat flour instead of pastry flour?
I was going to ask the same question. Or similar question of could I use all purpose flour for all 3 cups? That is all I have in my pantry
Yes!
Hi Pamela! Can’t wait to try this recipe? What size bundt pan do you use, 6 cup or 12 cup? Is there a particular brand that you recommend? Thank you!