Desserts
Applesauce Bundt Cake with Apple Cider Glaze
This cake, full of applesauce and dripping with an apple cider glaze, is the perfect way to enjoy the holidays and cool weather season. To control the amount of sugar, and because sugar content may vary from one brand to another, choose unsweetened applesauce. A hearty helping of applesauce, along with honey, aid in keeping this cake as moist as can be, while delivering subtly sweet apple flavor. But this cake just isn’t complete without the creamy, sweet-tart apple cider glaze. Reduce the cider to intensify the flavor, then add cream for body and brandy for punch. All in all, this is one amazing cake.
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE, WHISK:
CREAM:
ALTERNATELY BLEND:
FOR THE GLAZE, BOIL:
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°. Coat the inside of a 10- to 15-cup Bundt pan with softened butter and flour.
For the cake, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.
Cream butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 5 minutes. Add honey; beat to combine. Add eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition.
Alternately blend flour mixture and applesauce into butter mixture, in three batches, starting and ending with flour mixture.
Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top.
Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Let cake cool in pan 30 minutes before turning out to cool completely.
For the glaze, boil cider in a saucepan over high heat until syrupy, 14–15 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk together cream, 1 cup powdered sugar, lemon juice, honey, and salt; add to reduced cider and boil, whisking to combine, until mixture registers 230° on a candy thermometer. Whisk together brandy and remaining 1 cup powdered sugar.
Off heat, whisk brandy mixture into cider mixture and immediately transfer glaze to a heatproof measuring cup with a pour spout. Cool glaze until thick, then drizzle over cake.
Coat the inside of the pan evenly with butter, being sure to get into all the grooves to prevent sticking.
Alternately add the applesauce and flour mixture for a smooth, well blended batter and tender cake.
For an ultra-creamy glaze, add the cream mixture to the reduced cider and boil to 230°.