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Kid-Approved Brown Butter Apple Cider Cake with Cinnamon Glaze

brown butter apple cider cake - featured image
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This moist, tender apple cake features nutty brown butter and apple cider, topped with a creamy cinnamon glaze. It’s a simple, forgiving recipe that feels like a celebration, perfect for family gatherings or a cozy Tuesday night.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter (113 grams)
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (180 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder (4 grams)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (2 grams)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (3 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (2 grams)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (0.5 grams)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger (0.5 grams)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
  • 1 large egg (room temperature)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5 ml)
  • 1/2 cup apple cider (120 ml)
  • 1 medium apple (about 170 grams), peeled and finely diced
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (120 grams)
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider (30 ml)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (1 gram)
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (14 grams), melted

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Position a rack in the center of the oven. Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit the bottom of a 9-inch round cake pan. Grease the pan with butter or nonstick spray, place the parchment circle inside, and grease the parchment too.
  2. Brown the butter: Place 1/2 cup unsalted butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Melt completely, then stir occasionally with a rubber spatula. After a few minutes, the butter will foam and crackle. Keep stirring until you see small golden specks at the bottom and the butter smells nutty and toasty. As soon as it turns warm amber, remove from heat immediately and pour into a heatproof bowl. Let cool for about 10 minutes.
  3. Combine dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Set aside.
  4. Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk granulated sugar and cooled brown butter together until well combined (like wet sand). Add egg and vanilla extract, whisk vigorously until smooth and slightly lighter in color, about 30 seconds.
  5. Add apple cider: Pour in 1/2 cup apple cider and whisk until fully incorporated. Batter will look thin and slightly separated—that’s normal.
  6. Fold in dry ingredients: Add flour mixture to wet mixture in two additions, folding gently with a rubber spatula after each addition. Mix just until no streaks of flour remain. Batter will be thick and slightly lumpy.
  7. Add diced apple: Fold finely diced apple into batter until evenly distributed. Batter will be very thick, almost like cookie dough.
  8. Transfer to pan: Scrape batter into prepared cake pan and spread evenly with spatula. Batter is thick, so take your time smoothing the top.
  9. Bake: Place pan in preheated oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Top should be golden brown and edges slightly pulled away from pan. If top browns too quickly after 25 minutes, tent loosely with foil.
  10. Cool in pan: Let cake cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge, invert cake onto rack, remove parchment paper, and flip right side up to cool completely.
  11. Make glaze: While cake cools, in a small bowl whisk together powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons apple cider, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon melted butter until smooth. Glaze should be thick but pourable. If too thick, add a teaspoon more cider; if too thin, add a tablespoon more powdered sugar.
  12. Glaze cake: Once cake is completely cool (or just slightly warm), drizzle glaze over top. Let it drip down sides naturally. Use back of a spoon to spread if needed. Let glaze set for about 10 minutes before slicing.

Notes

Brown butter burns easily; watch closely and pour into a cool bowl immediately when golden specks appear. Room temperature ingredients prevent the butter from seizing. Do not overmix the batter. Let cake cool completely before glazing to prevent glaze from melting. Cake tastes even better the next day.

Nutrition

Keywords: brown butter, apple cider cake, cinnamon glaze, apple cake, fall dessert, kid-friendly, easy cake

Find it online: https://lucastable.com/kid-approved-brown-butter-apple-cider-cake-with-cinnamon-glaze/