Easy Baked Apple Cider Donuts (with Cake Mix)
Spice cake mix meets apple cider in these soft baked donuts with warm spices, browned butter, and fall flavor in every bite.
Servings: 12
Calories: 285kcal
Equipment
- Donut pan, muffin tin, loaf pan, or cake pan.
Ingredients
Apple Cider Reduction
- 3 cups apple cider Apple juice can be substituted. Simmer 3 cups of juice with the chopped apples until reduced to about ⅔ cup (see notes).
- 2 cups fresh apples, peeled and chopped about 2 medium apples
Browned Butter
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter When browned will reduce to about ⅓ cup. If the butter is not browned, use ⅓ cup melted butter (see notes).
Apple Cider Batter
- ½ cup browned butter from above ingredient
- ⅓ cup milk whole milk, if available
- ⅔ cup apple cider reduction from above ingredient
- 3 eggs
- 1 box spice cake mix
Instructions
Apple Cider Reduction
- In a medium saucepan, combine apple cider and chopped apples (about 2 medium).
- Simmer over medium to medium-high heat until the mixture reduces to about ⅔ cup and reaches an applesauce-like consistency, about 40 minutes.
- Allow to cool completely before using. The reduction can be made ahead and refrigerated until needed. See notes below.
Browned Butter
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium-low heat.
- Continue cooking until the butter turns a light amber color and browned bits form on the bottom of the pan.
- Remove from heat before the bits turn dark; the butter will continue to brown slightly off heat.
- Let it cool slightly, then measure out ⅓ cup to use in the batter. See notes below.
Apple Cider Batter
- Preheat oven to 350°F (or 365°F for higher elevation baking).
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the browned butter, milk, eggs, apple cider reduction, and spice cake mix.
- Beat with a hand mixer (or whisk by hand) for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides halfway through, until smooth and fully combined.
Piping and Baking
- Grease a donut pan with butter or nonstick spray.
- Spoon the batter into a piping bag, large plastic bag, or squeeze bottle with a wide nozzle.
- Fill each donut well just under halfway full.
- Bake on the center rack for 8-13 minutes, checking at the 5-minute mark to keep an eye on the donuts as they bake quickly.
- Let the donuts cool slightly until easy to handle. Then, dip each donut in the cinnamon-sugar mixture, turning to coat evenly.
Notes
Apple Cider:
Apple juice can be substituted if needed. The reduction takes about 40 minutes and will reach an applesauce-like consistency when ready, just simmer until reduced to about ⅔ cup. The reduction may be made ahead of time and refrigerated until needed. Browned Butter: Browning 1 stick (½ cup) of butter will yield about ⅓ cup, which is the amount needed for this recipe. This step can be done while the cider is reducing. If preferred, skip browning and use ⅓ cup melted butter instead. Remove the butter from the heat before the bits on the bottom turn dark; it will continue to brown slightly off the heat. Stir gently to loosen some of the browned bits from the bottom, use as much or as little of them as you like. High-Elevation Baking:
At 5,000 feet, add 3 tablespoons of flour and increase the oven temperature by 10-15°F (about 365°F total). Extra-large eggs provide the best rise, but if using large eggs, add 1 additional egg white if available. Adjusting the flour and oven temperature will ensure proper lift and a moist crumb.
Apple juice can be substituted if needed. The reduction takes about 40 minutes and will reach an applesauce-like consistency when ready, just simmer until reduced to about ⅔ cup. The reduction may be made ahead of time and refrigerated until needed. Browned Butter: Browning 1 stick (½ cup) of butter will yield about ⅓ cup, which is the amount needed for this recipe. This step can be done while the cider is reducing. If preferred, skip browning and use ⅓ cup melted butter instead. Remove the butter from the heat before the bits on the bottom turn dark; it will continue to brown slightly off the heat. Stir gently to loosen some of the browned bits from the bottom, use as much or as little of them as you like. High-Elevation Baking:
At 5,000 feet, add 3 tablespoons of flour and increase the oven temperature by 10-15°F (about 365°F total). Extra-large eggs provide the best rise, but if using large eggs, add 1 additional egg white if available. Adjusting the flour and oven temperature will ensure proper lift and a moist crumb.
Nutrition
Calories: 285kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 21mg | Sodium: 387mg | Potassium: 111mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 259IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 108mg | Iron: 1mg