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Quick Brown Butter Apple Cider Cake with Easy Cinnamon Glaze

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A moist, tender apple cider cake with nutty brown butter and a cinnamon glaze, ready in under an hour. This one-bowl wonder captures the essence of fall with concentrated apple cider and a velvety crumb.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup (2 sticks or 226 grams) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup (240 ml) apple cider
  • 2 cups (240 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (120 grams) powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (for glaze)
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons (30 to 45 ml) apple cider (for glaze)
  • Pinch of salt (for glaze)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
  2. Reduce apple cider: In a small saucepan, bring 1 cup apple cider to a boil over medium-high heat, then simmer on medium-low until reduced to about ¼ cup (12-15 minutes). Set aside to cool slightly.
  3. Brown the butter: Cut 1 cup unsalted butter into pieces and melt in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat, swirling occasionally. Cook until the butter foams, the foam subsides, and golden specks appear at the bottom (5-7 minutes). Immediately pour into a heatproof bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.
  4. Whisk wet ingredients: In a mixing bowl, combine cooled brown butter and 1 cup granulated sugar. Whisk until combined. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each. Stir in reduced apple cider syrup and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until smooth and glossy.
  5. Add dry ingredients: Sprinkle flour, baking powder, baking soda, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and ½ teaspoon salt over the wet mixture. Fold gently with a rubber spatula until just combined (a few streaks of flour are okay).
  6. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack, remove parchment, and flip right-side up. Cool completely (about 45 minutes).
  7. Make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Add 2 tablespoons apple cider and whisk until smooth. Add more cider if too thick, or more powdered sugar if too thin.
  8. Once cake is completely cool, drizzle glaze over the top. Let set for 10 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Don’t rush the brown butter; use medium heat and pour it out as soon as it smells nutty. Measure reduced cider carefully to exactly ¼ cup. Let cake cool completely before glazing to prevent the glaze from running off.

Nutrition

Keywords: brown butter apple cider cake, apple cider cake, cinnamon glaze, fall dessert, easy cake recipe, one-bowl cake

Find it online: https://freshforkful.com/quick-brown-butter-apple-cider-cake-with-easy-cinnamon-glaze/