Spiced Apple Donut Loaf

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Sliced Apple Cider Loaf Cake on a Cutting Board
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Spiced Apple Cider Donut Loaf

This baked apple cider loaf captures the essence of fall — sweet, spiced, and comforting, like an apple cider donut! It’s vegan, made with local cider, and finished with a classic cinnamon sugar topping. Treat your taste buds to that fresh-from-the-orchard flavor!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup apple cider
  • ¾ cup vegan butter
  • ½ cup apple butter
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar 
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or vanilla extract
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated, plus more to taste

For the topping

  • 2 Tablespoons vegan butter, melted, plus more as needed
  • ¼ cup turbinado sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated

Instructions

Pour the apple cider into a small saucepan and bring to a boil* over medium heat. Boil for about 10 minutes or until the liquid is reduced to ½ cup. If you over-reduce, just add more cider.

Pour the reduced cider into a small bowl and set aside to cool slightly. In the same saucepan melt the butter, then set it aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray a 9×5 loaf pan, add a sheet of parchment paper to the pan with extra paper hanging over the sides in a “sling,” and spray the parchment with non-stick spray.

When the butter is cooled, add it to a large bowl with the apple butter, vinegar, vanilla, reduced apple cider, and the brown sugar, and whisk until smooth.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the cider-butter mixture and use a hand mixer to combine well for about 30 seconds; do not overmix.

Pour the batter into your pan and bake for about 45 to 55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

When the cake is done, let the pan cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan using the parchment paper sling and let it cool for another 30 minutes.

While cooling, prepare the cinnamon-sugar topping. In one dish, combine the sugar with the cinnamon and nutmeg. In a separate dish, melt the butter. When ready to serve, brush the top of the loaf with the melted butter and sprinkle with the sugar mixture.

* Boiling down the cider thickens it and concentrates the flavor. You can skip this step and just use a ½ cup of cider, too.