I’m Making Martha Stewart’s Apple Cider Donut Cake All Fall Long

I grew up in Western Massachusetts, which is home to some of the most beautiful apple orchards in the world. My very favorite thing about apple picking is the doughnuts. I can take or leave the crowded, angry bee-filled fields of the apple orchard as long as I can enjoy a fresh-from-the-fryer apple cider doughnut.

I apologize in advance, but where I now live in Connecticut, they're just not doing them right. The apple cider doughnuts I’ve tried around here are artificially flavored to taste like green apple candy, and are usually baked instead of fried. Let’s be honest, if I’m craving a doughnut, I want it to be fried!

My kids feel the same way. They’ve been spoiled by the amazing apple cider doughnuts of my youth. On a recent apple orchard outing, when I asked my middle son what the doughnut tasted like, without missing a beat, he stated, “It tastes like a paper bag.” And I believe him—I’ve seen him eat far worse than a paper bag!

When the first chilly fall mornings roll in, I find myself longing for the taste of a classic apple cider doughnut. So when Martha Stewart’s Apple Cider Doughnut Cake came across my desk, I knew I had to give it a try. After all, it had to be better than the paper bag doughnuts! 

Martha's cake is baked in a bundt pan and flavored with both apple sauce and apple cider. Then, once baked and cooled, you brush the entire cake with melted butter, then sprinkle it with cinnamon and sugar to create something that resembles one giant doughnut. 

How I Made Martha Stewart’s Apple Cider Donut Cake

At first glance, I was a little unsure how this would turn out. Frankly, bundt cakes give me a bit of anxiety. Will it come out of the pan or will I be left crying over my Nordic Ware? Also, the dry ingredients included a full cup of whole wheat flour. While I know as a 40-year-old mom of three I should be celebrating more whole grains, I prefer the flavor and texture of all-purpose or cake flour in my baked goods. 

All that to say, the recipe looked super easy and I had all the ingredients on hand, so I decided to give it a shot. 

The first thing to note: I was racing against the clock when I prepped this cake and I need you to know it only took me 10 minutes to mix up the batter. I was easily able to throw it together and get it in the oven ON A SCHOOL DAY for my kids. Usually, I can barely make it to the bus stop on time, so you know this recipe is easy!

I broke the rules a little and turned this into a one-bowl cake recipe and it worked out very well. I started by mixing up the wet ingredients in a large bowl (eggs, sugar, olive oil, vanilla, apple juice, and apple sauce), then I set a fine mesh strainer on top to sift in the dry ingredients. The only other change I made was to add a pinch of ground nutmeg in with the dry ingredients, which I feel is necessary in any old-fashioned doughnut. 

In order to ease my Bundt pan anxiety, I tried a new method for preparing the pan. First, I brushed the entire thing with melted butter, then I used Wondra Flour to dust the entire pan.T he fine texture of the flour allowed it to get into every nook and cranny without clumping, and to my delight, the cake released without a single crumb missing from the intricate design. 

The flavor of this cake was truly delightful. It tasted like a well-spiced apple cider doughnut but was hearty and filling thanks to the addition of whole wheat flour. While the base of the cake was not very sweet, once the cinnamon sugar coating was added, it was perfectly balanced. All three of my children loved it, and I'll admit I had a slice for breakfast and as a little lunch dessert later in the day.