Dessert

Apple Cider Honey Cake

A delicious and moist honey cake packed with spices and chunks of apples. This is a perfect fall or holiday cake for brunch or breakfast!

To recipe
apple cider honey cake on a plate with one slice cut
Recipe insights & TIPS

This Honey Cake needs a spot on your Thanksgiving or Christmas breakfast menu! Moist and packed with apples, It's the perfect way to start the day!

apple cider honey cake on a plate with one slice cut

Making a bundt cake always makes me nervous. Will it stick, will it be cooked through or sink in the middle are all thoughts that go through my head when I peek through the oven door. But this Apple Cider Honey Cake gave me no grief, in fact, it might be the best bundt cake I've ever made.

The consistency is a little bit like a carrot cake but the flavor is all about the cinnamon-honey combo. And the apples are a nice touch, cut them small so nobody is fork-fighting with them.

Tips to make a perfect honey cake

  • I definitely recommend making this the night before you plan to serve it, just make sure to cover the whole cake tightly with a clean towel and it'll still be super fresh in the morning. Follow my tips below for a no-hassle easy honey cake!
  • For topping ideas, this one is really up to you. I left mine as it was just because I knew I'd pour some extra honey over each slice, and the cake is pretty moist. You could easily whip up some cream cheese frosting like this vanilla version or add a dollop of whipped cream on top of each piece you serve.
  • Grease the inside of your bundt pan well. I like to rub mine with butter and then dust with flour making sure to get into every crevice. Turn the pan upside down and tap on the counter to release the excess flour.
  • Before turning my bundt cake out I like to let it rest for about 30 minutes. If you do leave it longer and the cake sticks, place the pan briefly over a gas burner to release the oils in the pan and then try again.
apple cider honey cake still in a bundt pan after coming out of the oven.

What is a bundt cake?

Bundt refers to the pan that the cake is baked in. It has a unique shape and comes from Europe and the "D" is silent. Bundt pans usually always have decorated sides and make amazing looking cakes. As long as you make sure to grease it well, you can be sure you'll end up with a great looking cake

How will I know my honey cake is done?

The method I always use to check doneness for any of my baking is my fingertip. I lightly pressed down in the center and if the cake springs back to it's original shape and leaves no indentation, then it should be done. If you leave a dent, give it some more time checking every five minutes or so.

What if my cake gets stuck in the pan?

As I mentioned, place the cake baked side facing up over a gas burner on the stove. Using a towel to prevent any burns move the cake around so you're warming the top part of the cake which is still inside the bundt pan. This helps the cake "wake up" and release the oils which usually let go of the pan. Another way is to place a large plate over the honey cake and flip them over so that the base of the cake is now sitting on the plate. Give the top of the pan a few good taps and see if that releases it.

pouring honey over an apple cider honey cake

A white, fluffy chef's hat with an orange band, logo of Foodness Gracious.

Recipe

A delicious and moist honey cake packed with spices and chunks of apples. This is a perfect fall or holiday cake for brunch or breakfast!

Course:
Dessert
COOKing TIME:
65 minutes
Total TIME:
60 minutes
CUISINE:
American
PREP TIME:
20 minutes
SERVINGS:
12

Ingredients

  • 4 large eggs
  • ¾ cup honey
  • 1 ¼ cups sugar
  • ⅓ cup canola oil
  • ¼ cup apple cider unfiltered
  • 2 ¼ cups all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • ½ tsp allspice
  • ½ tsp kosher salt
  • 2 cups apples peeled and diced

Ingredient Swaps

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 300° F.
  2. Butter a 10-inch bundt cake pan and dust lightly with flour.
  3. In a large bowl combine the eggs, honey, sugar, oil and apple cider. Whisk with a hand whisk or electric beater until smooth and light.
  4. In another bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt.
  5. Add apples to the dry mixture and toss well.
  6. Add the liquid mixture to the flour and mix until well combined.
  7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and even out with a spatula.
  8. Bake for about 1 hour and test with a toothpick. If it comes out from the cake wet, bake for another 10-15 minutes
  9. Once the cake is done let cool for about an hour and then follow the instructions above for taking the cake out of the pan.
  10. Slice and serve with a drizzle of honey over the cake.

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