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Apple Cider Pound Cake

Apple cider pound cake with a dense, moist spiced crumb and a glossy cider glaze. Made by creaming butter and sugar, then baking in a bundt pan for a clean toothpick and ridged golden cake.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dry ingredients
  • 3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 0.5 tsp baking powder
  • 0.5 tsp baking soda
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 1.5 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
Wet ingredients
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2.25 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 0.5 cup apple cider, reduced to 1/2 cup
  • 0.5 cup sour cream
Cider glaze
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp apple cider
  • 0.5 tsp cinnamon

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 stand mixer

Method
 

Reduce cider
  1. Reduce 1 cup apple cider to 1/2 cup over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened; cool completely.
  2. As the cake batter rests, cool the reduced cider completely so it blends without streaking.
Prepare pan and preheat oven
  1. Preheat oven to 325F and grease and flour a 10-inch bundt pan so it releases cleanly.
Mix dry ingredients
  1. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until evenly combined.
Cream butter and sugar
  1. Beat softened butter and granulated sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping the bowl once.
Add eggs and flavor
  1. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until incorporated.
  2. Mix in vanilla extract and the cooled reduced cider just until combined.
Alternate flour and sour cream
  1. Alternate adding the flour mixture and sour cream to the batter, beginning and ending with flour.
Bake the pound cake
  1. Pour batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake 70-80 minutes at 325F until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool and glaze
  1. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes to set the crumb.
  2. Invert and cool completely before glazing so the glaze stays glossy instead of melting in.
  3. Stir powdered sugar, apple cider, and cinnamon for the glaze, then drizzle over the cooled cake.

Notes

Pro tip: reduce the apple cider first and cool it completely—warm cider can split the batter and dull the spiced flavor. Store the cake covered at room temperature up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days; freeze slices up to 2 months, wrapped well. For a lighter option, substitute low-fat sour cream (same 1/2 cup amount) for a slightly less rich crumb.