There's no need to wait until the apple orchard to indulge in all the sweet flavors of an apple cider with this Apple Cider Donut Loaf with Cinnamon Sugar Topping! No need to break out the oil and fryer with this recipe, it's everything you love about apple cider donuts in a quick and easy loaf form!
I absolutely love making loaves for the fall season! From banana bread, to pumpkin bread to this Apple Cider Loaf, I can not be stopped!
A warm slice of pumpkin bread with a little bit of butter is perfect for a fall morning, but have you tried some ice cream on banana bread!? Truly, loaves can go from morning snack to dessert so easily!
If you need another recipe to convince you, try out this Vanilla Streusel Loaf! It's basically the vanilla cousin to this apple loaf!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
This Apple Cider Donut Loaf is infused with all the flavors of fall in a quick and easy loaf! Your whole house will be warmed with the smell of warm cinnamon apples!
Apple Cider
Apple cider is such a classic drink for fall time; it's perfect at the apple orchard to sip on a warm cup while walking through the leaves! I've even seen apple cider slushies and who doesn't love a slushie!?
You can find apple cider pretty easily this time of year at your local grocery store! I don't recommend using apple juice since the flavor components are slightly different, but you are welcome to try it out! I'm sure the loaf will still be delicious!
Cinnamon Sugar Coating
To really give this dessert the apple cider donut feel, I like to coat the top of this loaf in a cinnamon sugar coating. I love using cinnamon sugar - it reminds me of being a little girl and my mom making me cinnamon toast in the morning! She used to keep a little shaker full of cinnamon sugar!
If you have any leftovers of the cinnamon sugar mixture, I recommend storing it in a little jar in your pantry! You could also use powdered sugar or just leave the topping off all together! The real star of the show is the apple!
Ingredients
- Butter
- Oil
- Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Eggs
- Vanilla Extract
- Apple Cider
- Unsweetened Applesauce
- Flour
- Baking Powder
- Cinnamon
See recipe below for all the details!
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Step 1: Combine oil, butter, sugar and brown sugar.
- Step 2:Then add in eggs and vanilla.
- Step 3: Add half the flour, cinnamon, and baking powder.
- Step 4: Add in applesauce and apple cider. Followed by remaining dry ingredients.
- Step 5: Add to a loaf pan.
- Step 6: Top with cinnamon sugar and bake for about 45 minutes!
Hint: I like to put another sheet pan underneath the loaf pan when it's baking in the oven to prevent any spillage that could happen!
Variations and Substitutions
'Tis the season for apple, so here are a few more additions to really spice up this Apple Cider Loaf!
- Dessert Time - serve a warm slice with some ice cream and caramel drizzle to create the ultimate caramel apple experience!
- Apple Pie Spice - to add an additional spice flavor, add in apple pie spice! Apple pie spice is made up of cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom to create a warm and spicy loaf!
- Add a crumble - skip the cinnamon sugar and add a crumble to turn this loaf into an apple pie crumble loaf! That sounds pretty good in my book!
If you want to add a crumble, try using the crumble that I add to this Cream Cheese Pumpkin Bread!
Equipment
Loaf Pan - The only required equipment for this recipe is the loaf pan! I like to use a 9-inch loaf pan, but an 8-inch pan works as well!
Loaf pans are great to have for making breads, loaves, and smaller mini recipes! For the pan that I use, I have linked here!
Top tip
To help this recipe come together quicker, make sure the butter is room temperature! This helps the oil and sugars combine better with the butter creating a soft and moist loaf!
Storage
- Room Temperature - Cover loaf completely with plastic wrap or foil and store in the pantry for about 3-4 days!
- Fridge - Cover and store in the fridge for about 5-6 days. Please note that the fridge might dry out the loaf, so you might need to microwave it for a few seconds to bring it back to life!
- Freezer - Cover completely with plastic wrap, then in foil, and store in the freezer for about 2-3 months.
FAQ
I prefer a loaf pan for this recipe, but you could also use a square baking dish or even a cake pan to bake it! Just be mindful that the cook time could change!
While I haven't tested this theory, you probably could! Apple cider is going to have more of a warmer taste with the addition of the cinnamon in cider, but it would probably work!
Cheers!
-Holly Michelle
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Apple Cider Donut Loaf with Cinnamon Sugar Topping
Equipment
- 1 Loaf Pan
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons Butter room temperature
- 2 tablespoons Oil
- ⅔ cups Sugar
- ¼ cup Brown Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- ⅓ cup Apple Cider
- ⅓ cup Unsweetened Applesauce
- 1 ½ cups Flour
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
Streusel Topping:
- ⅓ cup Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large bowl, combine butter, oil, sugar, and brown sugar.6 tablespoons Butter room temperature, 2 tablespoons Oil, ¼ cup Brown Sugar, ⅔ cups Sugar
- Mix until smooth and creamy.
- Add in eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix everything together.2 Eggs, 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, and cinnamon.1 ½ cups Flour, 2 teaspoons Baking Powder, 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- In a measuring glass, mix together apple cider and applesauce.⅓ cup Apple Cider, ⅓ cup Unsweetened Applesauce
- Into the butter mixture, pour in half of the flour mixture. Stir until the flour is just combined.
- Then pour in the apple mixture, and mix together.
- After the apple mixture is fully mixed in, add in the remaining flour.
- Pour the batter into a lined loaf pan, smoothing out the top.
- In a small bowl, mix together sugar and cinnamon.⅓ cup Sugar, 1 tablespoon Cinnamon
- Sprinkle a generous amount of the cinnamon sugar to the top.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Let cool slightly, and enjoy!
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Addie
Such a perfect fall treat and super delicious, too!