Apple Cider Bundt Cake
Ok! so I tried to type this recipe on my reel caption but of course it was entirely too long so I’m posting here. My first blog post in a looooong time to be quite honest. I miss writing blogs. I haven’t published anything in so long mostly because do people really read blogs anymore? is it still a thing? i’m not really sure. I think with so much technology advances our brains are constantly being wired for things to arrive to us faster and faster so I think peoples attention spans are so much less then they used to be. Or at least mine is anyways.
So lets get to the reason for the post shall we. I was sitting in the middle of the train wreck that is our home at the moment. If you have been following along with me you know that Cameron, Rinna & I just moved to Chattanooga, TN. It hasn’t been the easiest move to be completely honest but we think it will be a good one. That being said we’ve been living out of boxes and haven’t really unpacked anything going on a month now. I know. I’m going crazy just thinking about it. We’ve had contractors and workers in and out day in and day out getting this place put together. Granted it was ready when we first moved in but the designer in me can’t be happy with what is and always needs to add more. ha!
So today I was sitting in the midst of all the chaos on my computer like I have been for the past month. Shopping for things for the house. I figured it was time to put my wallet away and step into the kitchen and bake something for the first time. I have to say. It felt damn good to get my hands in some flour ya’ll. I love baking and cooking and really haven’t done much of any of it the past year or so since my fitness competition. I guess it’s just easier to keep eating the way we were cause we didn’t have to think about it. Geez! i’m digressing here.
Ok! so for what I baked. You guys! I can’t even. Like…WHAT?! this recipe is soooo damn delicious it’ll make you wanna touch yourself. At least that’s what my Meme always says. Haha! I couldn’t be more excited to share this recipe with you guys. 1) Because it celebrates my favorite season. FALL. and 2) It’s soooo yummy deliciously good. It literally makes me feel like I should be in Vermont on a chilly October morning on the front porch bundled up under a tartan blanket, sipping a hot espresso with steam coming off of it watching a brisk morning fog as the sun is coming up over the cascading colored hills. Did I paint a picture for you? can you see it? ok good. Now go make this cake and eat it with your eyes closed with that image in your mind. You’ll thank me. So without further adieu. I present to you Brown Butter Apple Cider Bundt Cake.
Brown Butter Apple Cider Bundt Cake:
INGREDIENTS:
1 large honeycrisp apple, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 cups apple cider
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup loosely packed light brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
3 large eggs
BROWN BUTTER GLAZE:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
CINNAMON SUGAR COATING:
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 10-cup bundt pan with nonstick baking spray.
Place the chopped apple and apple cider in a saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Brind the mixture to a boil, then reduce it to a simmer and cook until the apple is soft and the cider is absorbed. Measure out 1 cup of the apple mixture. Stir in the oil, milk and vanilla.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until creamy. Beat in the sugars until the mixture is fluffy, about 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed. Beat in each egg one at a time until fully combined.
Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the apple cider/milk mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. I like to do this in three increments, so add a fourth of the dry ingredients, then a third of the liquid, and so on until you finish with the dry ingredients, beating until just combined.
Spread the batter into the greased bundt pan, smoothing out the top with a spatula. Bake the cake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a tested inserted in the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then gently removed the cake from the pan. Let the cake cool completely.
To brown the butter, place butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and immediately begin whisking. Stir as it bubbles, and after 2 to 3 minutes or so you should see brown bits appear on the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat immediately and continue to whisk for another 30 seconds.
In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
Brush the cake all over with the brown butter. Sprinkle and press the cinnamon sugar into the cake right after brushing with the brown butter. You can rub the sugar onto the sides and the center so it sticks. Serve as desired!
