You know that warm feeling you get when you think of a special occasion, or a significant memory that just makes you smile? I feel that way about this Apple Cider Pound Cake. Full to almost bursting with chunks of sweet apples and toasted oatmeal this cake brings to mind visits to the apple orchard, pressing fresh cider and the crisp hint of cooler weather in the air!
Recently, my husband and our youngest son took a trip to a nearby apple orchard to pick apples and press cider. It was a fun, family day! We came home with three gallons of freshly pressed cider, and yes, I made the boys do all the work. Don’t worry! I stood nearby and took all the pictures. A photographers work is never done, you know! Two of the gallons are being turned into hard cider (That’s a post for another time) and the remaining gallon is all mine to use and bake to my hearts content! This cake was up first, then there will be Apple Cider Caramels and Cinnamon Spice Apple Cider Donuts! Mmmmm…. donuts!
It takes a huge basket of apples to make one gallon of cider! The boys did work hard and I’m grateful for their strength and ability to zip through those apples like nobody’s business! Next year, we can take my granddaughter, a.k.a. Mini Sous, with us and let her run around under the trees, pet the farm animals and try to press her own fresh cider too!
Since Mini Sous didn’t come with us to the farm, I thought it was only fair that she got to help make the Apple Cider Pound Cake with our freshly pressed cider.
She didn’t object one little bit! Of course, she’s only 14 months old, so she really didn’t have much of a say in it. As she gets older, baking with Omie is just going to be a normal thing. That’s what I envision anyway… her running in the door and happily asking “What are we going to make today, Omie?” She’ll have her own little stash of baking tools, pans, aprons and pot-holders. It’s going to be awesome.
Who knows! Years from now, she can look back and say this Apple Cider Pound Cake with Brown Butter Apple Cider Glaze was the one that started it all! While we wait for that to happen though, let’s have some cake, shall we? Oh, did you happen to catch the Brown Butter Apple Cider Glaze? Oh yes, it’s the delicious topping that takes this cake from awesome to “Oh my Gosh! I’m not sharing this with anyone!!”
So because I love you, and I love Mini Sous and the future of our grand and glorious baking adventures, I’ll share this cake with you too! I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we did!
Apple Cider Pound Cake with Brown Butter Apple Cider Glaze
Ingredients
- 3 Honeycrisp Apples peeled, cored and diced (Approx. 2 cups)
- 6 tablespoons apple cider
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- Brown Butter Apple Cider Glaze
- 4 Tablespoons brown butter melted and cooled
- 1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan and set aside.
- Heat a small skillet over medium-low heat and add diced apples with 6 tablespoons of apple cider.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, until the apples are soft and caramely, about 8 - 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oats, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, beat cream cheese and sugars on medium speed until well incorporated.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating for a full minute between additions.
- Add vanilla bean paste.
- With the mixer on low, gradually pour in the melted butter and then increase speed to medium-high and beat until velvety smooth, about 3 minutes.
- Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the flour/oat mixture all at once, turn on low and beat until just incorporated. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the cooled apple mixture with a spatula.
- The batter will be very thick.
- Carefully and evenly spoon batter into prepared bundt pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Start checking it at about 40 minutes to be safe.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes before inverting to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Glaze with Brown Butter Apple Cider Glaze
- To make the Brown Butter Apple Cider Glaze:
- In a large bowl, combine the brown butter, vanilla paste and powdered sugar. Whisk until mixture comes together, then add in 1 tablespoon of apple cider. Continue to whisk until the glaze is smooth. This can take up to 3 minutes, so be patient and let the sugar melt into the butter and cider. If it still doesn't appear glaze-like or seems too thick, add in the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of cider and whisk again. Spoon over the pound cake when your glaze reaches your desired consistency. Allow to drip down the sides of the cake. Let the glaze set for at least 10 minutes before serving!
- Enjoy warm or at room temperature!
Does this freeze well?
Hi Barbara! Yes, it does, but don’t freeze it with the glaze. Freeze it and when you’re ready to serve, you can make the glaze for the top!
Can’t wait to make the Apple Cider Pound Cake / Brown Butter Apple Cider Glaze.