Leap headfirst into the cozy flavors of fall with a loaf of this apple cider pound cake. It's a cozy combination of toasty brown butter, robust apple cider reduction, and warm apple pie spices.
Roll up your sweater sleeves, because this simple pound cake is a perfect way to celebrate autumn!

I love fall baking, and for the past few years have been making this pumpkin gingerbread loaf cake. But this year I kept gravitating towards the jugs of spiced apple cider at the store and I knew I had to use them to make a new apple cider inspired fall cake flavor. I just know you're going to love it as much as I do!
About This Recipe
Like most of my best cake recipes, this apple cider pound cake uses my classic old fashioned vanilla pound cake as a base, with a few tweaks to incorporate the apple cider and fresh minced apple pieces.
The secret to this apple cider cake's depth of flavor is the brown butter, which adds a nutty and caramelized note that perfectly complements the sweetness from the apple cider and the warmth of the apple pie spices.
The apple cider reduction and pieces of fresh apple infuse every bite with brisk fall apple flavor and keep the cake moist and tender, truly taking this pound cake to the next level.
To add even more of texture and sweetness, the top of the cake is generously coated with a layer of a cinnamon sugar, creating a delicate crust that contrasts beautifully with the moist, tender cake crumb beneath.
It's like a crackly, sugary muffin top and a cinnamon sugar apple cider doughnut combined.
This apple cider loaf cake is not just a dessert (or breakfast), it's a celebration of apple picking season on a plate. It's perfect for cozy gatherings, holiday feasts, or simply as a comforting treat to enjoy with a cup of tea or a scoop of ice cream.
Ingredient Notes
Here are the ingredients that you'll need to make this apple cider loaf cake recipe! See recipe card for ingredient quantities.
- Apple Cider - I like using spiced apple cider when I'm making this apple cake because I want as many warm spices as I can get. Plain apple cider will also work. Note: This is the apple cider you drink, not apple cider vinegar.
- Apple Pie Spice - I used King Arthur Baking's Apple Pie Spice blend when testing this cake recipe, but any pre-made apple pie spice blend like McCormick's Apple Pie Spice is just fine here too. You can even make your own if you want — Baker Bettie has a good homemade apple pie spice recipe!
- Unsalted Butter - This recipe uses unsalted American-style butter (e.g. not European butter like Kerrygold). If using a salted butter, cut the amount of salt in the recipe in half. American-style butter and European butters have different ratios of water content, which can make a big difference in how much brown butter you end up with when the water boils away.
- Brown Sugar - I prefer the more intense molasses flavor of dark brown sugar for this cake, but if all you have is light brown sugar that is just fine too.
- Sugar - Plain old regular granulated white sugar.
- Eggs - This recipe uses large eggs. Extra Large eggs will also work.
- Flour - Regular all purpose flour. Gluten free cup-for-cup all purpose flours should also work, but I haven't personally tested them.
- Salt - I use Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt which half as salty as other brands. If measuring by weight, you can use any type or brand of salt you use. But if you're measuring by volume (teaspoons) and using a different brand of salt, even a different brand of kosher salt, cut the amount of salt in half.
- Baking Powder - Double acting baking powder helps ensure this cake rises and can support the weight of the apples. It also helps it develop the soft, moist cake texture.
- Apple - Gala apples have a great crisp-but-not-hard texture that is so nice in this apple cider cake — some pieces melt into the cake, others will remain deliciously sweet apple chunks. Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, and Fuji apples also work well here.
- Cinnamon Sugar - I've included instructions for making your own cinnamon sugar topping for this cider cake but you can absolutely use store bought cinnamon sugar too.
How to Make Apple Cider Pound Cake
The first step is to make the brown butter and reducing the apple cider.
Brown butter has an irresistibly nutty flavor that is perfect for fall baking. Boiling the cider intensifies the robust apple cider flavor and gives it more of a syrup-like consistency which keeps the cake batter from being too runny and wet.
You can make these one after the other in the same pan, wiping it out between if you don't want to make more dishes. Or you can use a smaller pot for the apple cider reduction, as it's easier to see how much it has reduced.
You can also make the brown butter and apple cider reduction a few days in advance or the night before, if you prefer.
Is it sometimes annoying to have to do these two steps in advance? Sure. You know I wouldn't lie to you. But I promise you it's worth it for the final outcome!
When you brown butter, the water content in the butter boils away, meaning you'll start with 227 grams of butter, and end with 182 grams of brown butter needed in the recipe. (I have a guide with more tips on how to make brown butter if you want more detail!)
To brown butter, slice the butter and melt it over medium heat in a frying pan. Stir and swirl the pan so it doesn't burn.
First the water in the butter will boil away. Then, watch carefully, and keep stirring gently, parting the foam on top, as the milk fat solids begin to brown.
This last part happens fast — remove from the heat as soon as they're a nice golden brown color.
Bring the pot of apple cider to a low boil/rapid simmer over medium heat until it reduces by half.
You'll start with 200 grams of cider and end with 100 grams. Stir occasionally to prevent the sugars from settling on the bottom.
This can take about 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of your pan and how hot it is.
If you accidentally over-reduce the apple cider, just top it up with fresh apple cider until you have 100 grams total again.
Let the brown butter cool at room temperature while you reduce the apple cider, then pop both into the fridge for about an hour. The brown butter should be solid but malleable and cool to the touch (ideally around 65°F) when ready to use.
While the brown butter and apple cider reduction chill in the fridge, prep the rest of the ingredients so you're ready to go when they are.
In the culinary world, this prep step is called mise en place (French for "put in place") and can make the experience of baking much more fun since you're not scrambling to measure stuff and find ingredients during the mixing process.
- Bring the eggs to room temperature by submerging them in hot water for 10-15 minutes.
- Measure out the brown and white sugars into your stand mixer bowl.
- Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and apple pie spices together.
- Wait to dice the apple until right before you begin mixing the cake batter.
Like most of my other cake recipes, this apple cider pound cake uses the creaming method of mixing.
I wrote a lot more about the creaming method in detail in my vanilla pound cake recipe and I do recommend popping over there to read about it, especially if you're a beginner baker.
Combine the cooled softened brown butter and both sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and cream them together on low speed until combined and then on medium speed to aerate.
Pause to scrape down the bowl and beater at least 3 times during the creaming step. It can take 3-5 minutes for the butter and sugar to reach the right texture, depending on the butter temperature when you started.
When properly creamed together, the butter and sugar mixture will be pale tan or khaki in color. If you rub it between your fingers the sugar granules should be almost entirely dissolved but still feel slightly gritty.
The next step is to add the eggs without collapsing all the air you just worked into the butter. Do this by adding them one at a time and giving the butter plenty of time to incorporate each egg (about 45-60 seconds) before adding the next one.
Scrape down the bowl and beater before adding each egg, and then again before you move on to the next step.
The final step is to add the dry ingredients and apple cider reduction. Once you begin adding the dry ingredients, make sure you're only mixing on the lowest speed possible. This prevents over mixing and ensures your cake has a soft, tender texture.
Add half of the dry ingredients and mix on low just until almost entirely incorporated, then scrape down the bowl and beater.
Add all of the apple cider reduction and mix on low just until combined. The batter may appear to separate here, that's okay.
Scrape down the bowl and beater, add the remaining half of the dry ingredients, and mix on low again just until combined.
Stop the mixer when there are a few streaks of flour left in the batter. You'll finish mixing those in by hand when you stir in the apple pieces. This also helps prevent over mixing!
I usually peel and mince the apple at this stage so the apple has as little time to brown as possible. A baker with better time management would probably peel and mince the apple before beginning mixing (as part of mise en place), but I am who I am. You do you.
Gently fold in the minced apple pieces until evenly distributed. Scrape the bowl well as you mix, but do not over mix.
Transfer the batter to a greased and parchment lined loaf pan and smooth out the top.
I recommend using a mini offset spatula to smooth the batter out. It makes it easy to press the batter down into the corners of the pan to remove any trapped air bubbles.
Take care not to push the apple pieces to the bottom of the pan as you go — you want to see some of them at the surface!
Finish by topping the cake with a generous amount of cinnamon sugar. Tilt the pan and the cake to help spread the cinnamon sugar around evenly on top.
Bake the cake at 350°F for 60-65 minutes, until a toothpick or small knife inserted into the center comes out with just a few crumbs clinging to it. You're looking for an internal temperature of 200°-205°F.
Let the apple cider cake cool in the pan on a cooling rack for about 20 minutes. Then run a knife around any sides of the pan without parchment paper and use the parchment sling to lift it out and onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
This cake is so soft and tender, you really do want it to be completely cool so the starches have time to set before you slice it or else it will fall apart.
Bonus: Making an Apple Cider Pound Cake Glaze
To make an apple cider glaze or drizzle for this apple cider loaf cake, follow the instructions for the vanilla bean glaze in my vanilla pound cake recipe (60 grams sifted powdered sugar + 2 teaspoons liquid), but replace the milk and vanilla bean paste with apple cider.
Whisk in more apple cider as needed to thin out the glaze or whisk in more sifted powdered sugar to thicken the glaze.
Let the cake cool completely before adding the icing drizzle. Instead of spreading it across the surface of the cake, I recommend drizzling it in lines back and forth with the tines of a fork.
Suggested Equipment
Here's the equipment I use to make this apple cider loaf cake. You don't need to have all of these same tools, but they may make the process easier!
- Electric Mixer - I use a KitchenAid stand mixer with the paddle attachment. An electric hand mixer will also work — the creaming stage may just take a little longer.
- 1 Pound Loaf Pan - A "1 pound" loaf pan is approximately 8 inches long, 4 inches wide, and 3 inches tall. A 1.25 pound loaf pan (9x5x3") will also work but your cake may not have the same height that mine does in these photos. Metal pans work best; you may need to adjust baking time and temperature if using a glass pan.
- Quarter Pan Pre-Cut Parchment Sheets - I use these pre-cut parchment sheets to create a parchment sling that lines the pan to make the pound cake easier to remove. You'll have to trim about an inch off one of the long sides for it to fit, but they work very nicely!
- Metal Binder Clips - To secure the parchment paper in place so it doesn't fold in on top of the cake in the oven. Do not use plastic binder clips in the oven. I repeat, no plastic in the oven.
- Mini Offset Spatula - For smoothing out the cake batter in the pan. Trust me, you'll think a regular spatula or a knife can do the same job, but once you try using a mini offset spatula, there's no going back.
USA Pan Bakeware Aluminized Steel Loaf Pan, 1 Pound
Dimensions: 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.75. Durable construction with corrugated surface for optimal airflow. Non-stick finish is PTFE, PFOA and BPA free.
Storage Notes & Freezing
This apple cider loaf cake can be stored at room temperature with an airtight cover for 4-5 days. You can also refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to a week.
The apple cake itself can be frozen for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge, and let come to room temperature for serving.
Practical Tips and Recipe Notes
- You can make the brown butter up to 5 days ahead and store it in the fridge. Bring it to room temperature before use just like you would regular sticks of butter. You're aiming for it to be cool yet pliable, around 65°F.
- The apple cider reduction can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in the fridge until ready to use. Bring to room temperature before use.
- Yes, you can use store bought cinnamon sugar instead of making it yourself.
- When in doubt, SCRAPE DOWN THE BOWL. If it feels like you're stopping too often to scrape down the bowl, that means you're doing it right. You don't want any ingredients to go unincorporated or you'll end up with large air bubbles or clumps in your final cake.
- If you don't have parchment paper, grease and flour the pan by spraying it with nonstick spray. Add about a tablespoon of flour into the pan and tap, tilt, and rotate the pan over the sink until the flour evenly coats all the sides of the pan.
- Make sure your baking powder is fresh! If you aren't sure, it's probably not. Baking powder is good for about 6 months, after that it loses its potency. If your cakes are coming out flat and dense, your baking powder may be to blame!
- Store bought boiled apple cider has a thicker and more syrupy texture than the quick apple cider reduction we're making here. I haven't tested it in this recipe and can't speak to how it would change the final cake!
- GLUTEN FREE/ALMOND FLOUR/WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR - Cup-for-cup gluten free flour should work just fine here. Almond flour is just ground almonds, it will not work in this cake. Whole wheat flour will make the cake very dry, I don't recommend it.
Why Temperatures Matter
Make sure you pay attention to the temperature directions in this pound cake recipe. If your ingredients aren't at the right temperature the cake may not rise properly!
- If your butter is too warm, it won't incorporate enough air. If the butter is too cold, it will take much longer to cream properly.
- If you use cold eggs, they will cause the butter to firm up in the mixer and you risk it curdling or splitting, resulting in a flat, dense, tough cake.
- If your oven runs hot or runs cold, this can affect the cake's rise, the thickness of the crust, the texture, and the baking time. I recommend using an oven thermometer to make sure you're baking it at the right temperature!
Why is this recipe in grams? I want to use cups!
A kitchen scale is more accurate than cup measurements and will give you the right ratio of dry and liquid ingredients so that the cake batter behaves the way we want it to. The name of this cake is literally pound cake — it's super important that you have equal amounts of flour, butter, and sugar by weight to get the best results.
I tested and developed this recipe using weight measurements. If I were to convert it to volume measurements, I would be using an online conversion calculator — just like you would. There's no set standard for how much "1 cup" of flour weighs (I use 120 grams, like King Arthur Baking does, but other recipe developers use as much as 150 grams as "1 cup"), which means converting this recipe to cups would produce wildly varying results. Use a kitchen scale for best results!
📖 Recipe
Brown Butter Apple Cider Pound Cake with Fresh Apples
Equipment
- 1 pound loaf pan (8x4 inch)
Ingredients
Cake Batter
- 227 grams unsalted butter (182 grams brown butter)
- 200 grams apple cider
- 150 grams brown sugar
- 50 grams sugar
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 227 grams all-purpose flour
- 3 grams diamond crystal kosher salt (1 teaspoon / Use ½ teaspoon of any other brand)
- 2 teaspoons apple pie spice
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 100 grams apples (1 medium apple, peeled and minced)
Cinnamon Sugar Topping
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Brown Butter. Cut the butter into 1 inch cubes. Melt in a skillet over medium heat, stirring or swirling gently to keep the butter moving. The butter will foam and bubble as the water boils away, then foam over the top as the milk fat particles begin to brown and turn fragrant. Remove to a heat-safe bowl, cover, and set aside to cool. You should have 182 grams of brown butter.
- Reduce Apple Cider. Bring apple cider to a low boil, then reduce to a rapid simmer. Maintain the active simmer until the apple cider has reduced by half. You need 100 grams of reduced apple cider. Remove to a heat-safe bowl. Cover and place in the fridge along with the brown butter for approximately 1 hour.
- Mise en Place. Bring brown butter, apple cider reduction, and eggs to room temperature (the butter should be cool, around 65°F, but soft to the touch). In one bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, apple pie spices, and salt. Peel and dice fresh apple into another bowl. Whisk together cinnamon sugar topping. Grease an 8x4" loaf pan and line with a parchment paper sling. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cream brown butter and sugar. Combine the brown butter and both sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on low-medium speed until there's no loose sugar in the bowl, then increase speed to medium and continue creaming for 3-5 minutes, pausing to scrape down the bowl and the beater at least 3 times. Properly creamed, the butter and sugar will have a fluffy, airy, and paste-like texture and pale khaki color. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add eggs. One at a time, crack each egg into a small bowl (to avoid getting shells in your cake!) then dump the egg into the mixer bowl, beating on medium speed for at least 60 seconds and scraping down the bowl again before adding the next egg. Scrape down the bowl again after the last egg has been added.
- Alternate adding dry ingredients and apple cider. Add half the dry ingredients and mix on the lowest speed until almost combined. Scrape down the bowl and beater. Add the apple cider reduction and mix on low until combined, then stop and scrape the bowl and beater again. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just a few streaks of flour remain. Do not over mix!
- Add apples. Add the minced apples all at once and use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl, folding the apples into the cake batter until evenly distributed and any remaining streaks of flour have been mixed in.
- Bake. Scoop the batter into the parchment lined loaf pan. Use a mini offset spatula to smooth out the batter, pressing it down into the corners and sides of the pan so that there aren't any trapped air bubbles. Level off the top. Whisk together cinnamon sugar topping and sprinkle generously across the cake top, tilting the pan to get an even coating. Bake in the center of a 350°F oven for 60-65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few crumbs clinging to it.
- Cool. Remove the pan to a cooling rack. Let cool 15-20 minutes, then use the parchment sling to lift the cake out of the pan to finish cooling completely before slicing.
RECIPE NOTES
- If you accidentally over-reduce the apple cider and end up with less than 100 grams, just top it up with fresh apple cider until you have 100 grams to work with.
- You can make the brown butter up to 5 days ahead and store it in the fridge. Bring it to room temperature before use just like you would regular sticks of butter. You're aiming for it to be cool yet pliable, around 65°F.
- The apple cider reduction can be made up to 3 days ahead and stored in the fridge until ready to use. Bring to room temperature before use.
Diane
Just wondering what the gram measurements on the brown sugar and sugar are please? The recipe card just says grams but not how many. Thank you!
Rebecca Eisenberg
Oh, good catch! Just updated the post with the correct measurements. Thanks for pointing that out and happy baking!
Arty
Can you please confirm for the non-Americans if by apple cider you mean the plain not sparkling, not alcoholic, cloudy apple juice and not the alcoholic beverage?
Rebecca Eisenberg
Ah yes, good question! I'm not entirely sure what American apple cider is called in other countries but it's basically an unfiltered apple juice. It's non-alcoholic, and it's not sparkling. It might be called "cloudy apple juice" or "unfiltered apple juice". I usually get the American apple cider that has fall spices in it already, so if you have the option to get a "mulled" or "spiced" version where you are I do recommend that!
Laura
So tasty, super moist, great apple flavor, and not too sweet. Love this one!
Rebecca Eisenberg
aww thanks!! im so glad you liked it!
Amy
A delicious cake that is totally worth the effort to brown the butter and reduce the cider—the depth of flavor is wonderful and the texture is great. I did bring the spice level of the cake batter down a touch to adjust for my family’s preferences. This recipe will definitely be going in the fall rotation!
Rebecca Eisenberg
I'm so glad you and your family liked it! I was nervous people would think the brown butter and apple cider reduction were too much work but you're right — it's totally worth it! 🙂