Next, preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease your bundt pan with some cooking spray or butter. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and ginger. Stir them together until fully combined. In another bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, vanilla extract, and that beautifully reduced apple cider. Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, folding gently until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few lumps are perfectly fine.
Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan, and bake it for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The cake should rise beautifully and turn a lovely golden brown. Once it’s done, allow it to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack. While it cools, this is the perfect time to mix the additional cinnamon and granulated sugar for dusting the cake later. The anticipation is half the fun!
Now, here comes the best part — once the cake is cooled enough, I love to gently roll it in the cinnamon-sugar mixture until it’s fully coated. The combination of warm cake with the sweet topping is simply heavenly. Serve it fresh, or let it sit for a bit as the flavors develop even more. It’s hard to resist taking a bite right away, though!
Pro Tips for Best Results
One thing I learned while perfecting this recipe is that using freshly pressed apple cider makes a huge difference in flavor. If you have access to a local orchard, grab some fresh cider, and I promise you’ll taste the difference in every bite. Also, I found that using room temperature eggs helps the batter come together better, creating a lovely texture.
Another tip is to be wary of overmixing the batter. I tested this three ways, and every time I overmixed, the cake came out denser and less fluffy. Mixing until ingredients are just combined is the way to go for that heavenly, light cake texture!
Finally, if you’re like me and enjoy a little extra spice, don’t hesitate to add more cinnamon or nutmeg to your dusting mixture. Those warm spices enhance the flavor even more, and your kitchen will smell divine. Trust me, it’s worth it to experiment a little!
Common Mistakes to Avoid
One common mistake I encountered is forgetting to properly grease the bundt pan. The first time I baked this lovely cake, I ended up with half of it stuck to the pan — what a heartbreak! Make sure you sufficiently grease it (even if it’s a non-stick pan) and don’t skip this step.
Another mistake is rushing the cooling process. I know the smell is tantalizing, but patience is key! Allowing the cake to cool for the proper amount of time helps set its structure and prevents it from breaking apart. (See the next page below to continue…)