APPLE CIDER DOUGHNUT CAKE

One thing I love about fall is all of the pumpkin, apple, etc desserts I can make. There really isn't any reason they can't be made all year long, but they just seem to be really prevalent in the fall.

Friend Julie has been the Hospitality Coordinator at our church for several years and decided to resign so she could spend more time with her teenage children. She didn't resign from church so I will still be seeing her, but I will miss working with her. I always said when I retired from teaching I wanted to be a "Walmart Greeter" because I love greeting people. Well, I didn't become one but I did join the hospital team at the church. I could greet the congregation ever Sunday without a problem.

As it turned out Julie had a birthday a few days before her last official Sunday so I decided to make her a cake to celebrate both occasions. At first I couldn't understand why it was called a doughnut cake, but the only thing I could come up with is it might look like a giant cinnamon sugar doughnut. She liked it so much that she told me she gave her daughter Faith one piece and she, Julie, ate the rest. That was a lot of cake!

I made the cake for us first using a SF yellow cake mix, but used a regular yellow cake mix for Julie's. Good either way especially if you are wanting to reduce your sugar intake.

APPLE CIDER DOUGHNUT CAKE

Cake:

1     box yellow cake mix (without the added pudding) (Can use a SF yellow cake mix)

3/4  cup apple cider

1/2  cup butter (1 stick), melted

4     eggs

2     teaspoons ground cinnamon

1     teaspoon ground nutmeg

1     cup coarsely shredded peeled tart apples ( ~1 large or 2 smaller apples)  

Topping:

3     tablespoons butter, melted

1/4  cup sugar

1     teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously spray a fluted cake pan with baking spray with flour or grease and flour. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, add cake mix, apple cider, melted butter, eggs, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Beat on low to moisten the cake mix and then scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl again and

stir in the apples til

well distributed.

Pour batter into pan.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted in center.

Remove cake from the oven and let stand for 20 minutes on wire rack.

Run a knife or metal spatula around outer and inside edges of the pan to loosen the cake.

Invert pan onto cooling rack and place cooling rack over waxed paper.

Brush the top and sides of the cake with the melted butter

coating well.

Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl

and press 2 tablespoons of the mixture up the sides and top of the cake with your fingers.

Let stand  20 minutes and then repeat with remaining cinnamon mixture.

Cool completely, about an hour. 

Store loosely covered at room temperature.