• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About Pate and The G&M Kitchen
    • Contact Me
  • Recipes
    • Cakes
    • Cupcakes
    • Pies and Cobblers
    • Cookies
    • Bread
    • Breakfast
    • Muffins
    • Rolls
    • Donuts
    • Biscuits
    • Cream Puffs
    • Desserts
    • Cocktails

The G & M Kitchen

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Photography Portfolio
  • Contact Me
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Say hey y'all!:

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Photography Portfolio
    • Contact Me
    • Recipes
    • About
  • Say hey y'all!:

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
  • ×
    • A long stemmed spritz glass filled with the cocktail and garnished with lots of mint and orange wedges on a pink marble table.
      Kentucky in May AKA Mint Bourbon & Elderflower Spritz
    • A Black Forest old fashioned on a pink marble table and garnished with a. cherry.
      Black Forest Old Fashioned
    • A large ballon glass filled with the Spanish gin and tonic on a pink marble table.
      Orange and Cherry Spanish Gin and Tonic
    • A rocks glass filled with the cocktail and garnished with a pickle pear, mint and mini pickles on a pink marble back ground.
      Pickled Patrick Cocktail
    • A perfectly poured glass of Irish espresso martini with ample foam and 3 espresso beans and a mint sprig.
      Irish Espresso Martini
    • A parmesan and pickle martini on a green tile table with parmesan cheese almost filling the glass and its garnished with a parmesan crisp.
      Parmesan and Pickle Martini
    • Two glasses of the rose elderflower gin and tonic filled with rose buds on a pink marble table.
      Rose and Elderflower Gin and Tonic
    • Two chocolate covered strawberry old fashioned on a pink marble table and garnished with a chocolate strawberry.
      Chocolate Covered Strawberry Old Fashioned
    • A pickle gin and tonic in a large tonic glass garnished with dill and pickles.
      Pickle Gin and Tonic
    • A heart shaped donut hole being dipped in strawberry sauce.
      Donut Holes with Strawberry Dipping Sauce
    • A vanilla espresso old fashioned with two mini donut holes on a pink marble table.
      Vanilla Espresso Old Fashioned
    • A mandarin smash in a rocks glass on a pink marble slab and garnished with a mandarin leaf.
      Mandarin Basil Smash
    Home » Recipes » Cakes

    Published: Sep 26, 2022 · Modified: Sep 26, 2022 by Pate Giltner 36 Comments

    Festive Bourbon Apple Cider Cake

    91972 shares
    • Facebook
    • Email
    Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe

    This apple cider cake with bourbon icing is a boozy dream of a layer cake. The cake has all the best parts of an apple cider donut; reduced apple cider, Honeycrisp apples, and so many warm spices. It's then topped with an incredible bourbon cream cheese frosting!

    Bourbon apple cider donut cake with a honey glaze on a marble plate.
    Jump to:
    • Why This Recipe Works:
    • About this recipe:
    • Key Ingredients:
    • How to make this recipe:
    • Tips and tricks for this recipe:
    • FAQ's:
    • Looking for more fall recipes! Check these out!
    • Festive Bourbon Apple Cider Cake

    Why This Recipe Works:

    • This layer cake is so delicious because it takes all the favors of an apple cider donut and an apple cider cocktail and turns it into a gorgeous layer cake!
    • Reduced apple cider concentrates all that great flavor and adds moisture to the cake. The cider I used is Trader Joe's. 
    • The base for the bourbon icing is a cream cheese frosting, but it isn't as tangy as most cream cheese frostings, and you can definitely taste the bourbon, which makes it a real party.
    • Its the perfect fall recpie and I also have paired down cupcake version too, these Bourbon Apple Cider Cupcakes.

    About this recipe:

    • Taste - Apple Cider, apple spice, and bourbon!
    • Texture - fluffy and tender cake with cream cheese frosting.
    • Effort - Medium; the cake and the frosting are easy to make, but layer cakes do take a little bit more time and concentration. 
    • Time - about 1 hour 30 minutes from start to finish. 
    Ingredients for the cake on a brown table.
    Ingredients for the bourbon icing on a brown stone table with some fall decor.

    Key Ingredients:

    • Apple Cider: apple cider is key in an apple cider cake; it helps the cake to taste like apple cider. Any cider will do, but I would not substitute for plain apple juice. 
    • Honeycrisp Apples: Honeycrisp apples are more sweet than tart, which makes them perfect for this cake. Feel free to substitute for another sweet variety like a Fuji or Gala apple.
    • Vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and allspice: this occasion cake is all about the spices. The balance of these flavors brings out and complements the cider perfectly. 
    • Bourbon: Bourbon is what makes the cream cheese frosting really pop! If you don't like bourbon or want non-alcoholic icing, use any cream cheese icing recipe you like! For the bourbon, I used Woodford Reserve.

    How to make this recipe:

    Butter and sugar being creamed together in a beige bowl.

    Cream butter and sugar together in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time.

    Add in the milk and vanilla.

    Add in the milk and vanilla.

    Add in the flour and spices.

    Followed by the flour, spices, salt, and baking powder.

    The mixed batter in a large mixing bowl.

    Mix until there are no streaks left.

    The apple cider and apples to the batter.

    Add in the pureed apples and reduced apple cider and mix to combine.

    Add the batter to 3 cake pans.

    Divide the mixture evenly between the cake pans and bake for 25 minutes.

    Making the icing by combining the ingredients in a bowl and beating.

    Make the icing by beating the cream cheese and butter together. Slowly add in the powder sugar one cup at a time. Add in the vanilla and bourbon and mix until combined.

    Two cake layers with frosting.

    Frost the cake!

    Tips and tricks for this recipe:

    • Use room temperature, eggs, butter, and milk. This is key to having a good, even cake. Ingredients that are too cold can cause the cake to split in the oven. It's also a good idea to tap your pie pans against the counter to release any air pockets and that have been created. Lastly, lining your pans with parchment will make the cakes so much easier to remove.
    • Use full-fat cream cheese because low fat will make the frosting too watery.  
    • If the frosting becomes too watery, chill it for 20 minutes, and it will be perfect! 
    • This recipe makes enough icing to make a naked-looking cake and gives a nice thin layer of frosting around the cake. If you want a fully frosted cake, double the recipe. 
    Bourbon apple cider donut cake with a honey glaze on a marble plate.

    FAQ's:

    Do apple cider donut cakes taste like apple?

    Yes and no, they taste like the cider that gives them their name. That cider contains apple and all the fall spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and clove.

    How long does this cake last?

    The cake will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

    Looking for more fall recipes! Check these out!

    • A pumpkin shaped glass fulled with the pumpkin cocktail and garnished with cinnamon, sage, and marigold.
      Smashing Pumpkin Cocktail
    • A butterbeer old fashioned garnished with cinnamon dust and star anise on a black and orange marble table.
      Butterbeer Old Fashioned
    • Pumpkin chai Manhattan garnished topped with star anise on a orange marble table.
      Pumpkin Chai Manhattan
    • A rocks glass filled with the espresso cocktail and garnished with marshmellows.
      Smore's Carajillo
    Print
    clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
    Apple cider layer cake on a marble tray and decorated with apples.

    Festive Bourbon Apple Cider Cake

    5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 3.8 from 5 reviews
    • Author: pate giltner
    • Prep Time: 20 minutes
    • Cook Time: 25 minutes
    • Total Time: 30 minutes
    • Yield: 1 9inch 3 layer cake 1x
    • Category: Layer Cake
    • Method: Baking
    • Cuisine: Dessert
    Print Recipe
    Pin Recipe

    Description

    This apple cider cake with bourbon icing is a boozy dream of a cake. The cake has all the best parts of an apple cider donut; reduced apple cider, Honeycrisp apples, and so many warm spices.


    Ingredients

    Units Scale

    For the cake:

    1. 2 cups apple cider
    2. 3 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
    3. 1 tbsp baking powder
    4. 1 tsp salt
    5. 8 ounces of unsalted butter (two sticks)
    6. 2 ¼ cups sugar
    7. 3 large eggs
    8. 1 cup whole milk
    9. 2 tsp vanilla
    10. 2 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
    11. ½ tsp ground clove
    12. ¼ ground nutmeg
    13. 1 ½ tsp allspice
    14. 2 Honey Crisp apples, peeled and cored, and then pureed

    For the icing:

    1. 1 8 ounce package of cream cheese
    2. 1 stick of butter
    3. 5 cups of powdered sugar
    4. ¼ cup plus 3 teaspoon bourbon
    5. ½ tsp vanilla

    Instructions

    For the cake:

    1. Heat the apple cider in a small saucepan on medium heat until it reduces by half, making 1 cup
    2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease 3 9 inch cake pans and prepares ingredients.
    3. Whisk flours, salt, spices, and baking powder together in a large bowl.
    4. Cream butter and sugar together in a stand mixer until light and fluffy. 
    5. Add eggs one at a time beating completely before adding the next egg.
    6. Mix milk and vanilla together and while the mixer is on low add ⅓ of the flour mixture followed by ⅓ of the milk, keep alternating wet and dry ingredients until all are incorporated.
    7.  Pour in the pureed apples and reduced apple cider and mix to combine.
    8. Divide the mixture evenly between the cake pans and bake for 25 minutes.

    For the icing:

    1. In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together.
    2. Slowly add in the powder sugar one cup at a time.
    3. Add in the vanilla and bourbon and mix until combined. 
    4. After frosting the cake add 4-5 tablespoons of honey, caramel, or dulce de leche as a glaze.

    Notes

    • Use room temperature, eggs, butter, and milk. This is key to having a good, even cake. Ingredients that are too cold can cause the cake to split in the oven. It's also a good idea to tap your pie pans against the counter to release any air pockets and that have been created. Lastly, lining your pans with parchment will make the cakes so much easier to remove.
    • Use full-fat cream cheese because low fat will make the frosting too watery.  
    • If the frosting becomes too watery, chill it for 20 minutes, and it will be perfect! 
    • This recipe makes enough icing to make a naked-looking cake and gives a nice thin layer of frosting around the cake. If you want a fully frosted cake, double the recipe. 

    Did you make this recipe?

    Share a photo and tag me @thegandmkitchen — I can't wait to see what you've made!

    More Cakes

    • Flour being dusted into a greased bundt pan.
      Tips For The Perfect Bundt Cake!
    • A slice of coffee cake on a speckled plate with a few pecans.
      Cinnamon Sour Cream Coffee Cake
    • Apple Butter Pound cake on a marble slab with an apple glaze. Its then topped with dried apple slices and is on a brown stone background.
      Perfect Apple Butter Pound Cake
    • Blueberry sheet cake on a wood cutting board and decorated with blueberries and vines.
      Fresh Blueberry Sheet Cake

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sarah says

      October 21, 2019 at 7:56 pm

      This looks and sounds delish, I’ll be trying for sure. My issue with all cakes is that they NEVER rise. Any suggestions? I always serve very flat and dense cakes and I’d love to resolve this!

      Reply
      • pate giltner says

        October 23, 2019 at 6:29 pm

        Thanks so much!! Try getting some new baking soda / powder. If it's been sitting on the shelf for a while the chemicals lose their effectiveness. If that doesn't work, try adding a tiny bit more to help it along.

        Reply
    2. Anonymous says

      January 03, 2022 at 9:54 pm

      .

      Reply
    3. Anastasia says

      October 01, 2022 at 9:37 am

      Would these come out as cupcakes?

      Reply
      • Pate Giltner says

        October 01, 2022 at 1:41 pm

        🙂 I actually have an adjusted cupcake version of this here: https://thegandmkitchen.com/apple-cider-cupcakes-with-bourbon-icing/

        Reply
    4. Becky says

      October 10, 2022 at 3:23 pm

      Must have underbaked the cake, even though I baked it 10 minutes longer than recipe suggested. Cake fell apart as I took them out of the pans. Couldn't use them that way so after making the frosting I stirred it into the fallen cake mess and made cake balls. Decorated as mummy's. They were so moist and tasty!! Tragedy averted!

      Reply
      • Pate Giltner says

        October 10, 2022 at 5:46 pm

        I'm so sorry it came out underbaked! But I'm so glad and proud of your agile thinking that you were able to to fix it!

        Reply
    5. Lauren Clever says

      October 20, 2022 at 4:40 pm

      What is on top of the cake that is drizzled over the sides?

      Reply
      • Pate Giltner says

        October 21, 2022 at 10:04 pm

        In the picture it is honey, but caramel or dulce de leche would be a delicious addition.

        Reply
        • SP says

          September 12, 2023 at 6:44 pm

          What did you use to thin your honey in order to drizzle it that thin? Thank you!

          Reply
          • Pate Giltner says

            September 20, 2023 at 10:13 am

            I belive i just used thin honey, but you could always warm it up a bit.

            Reply
    6. Anonymous says

      October 20, 2022 at 8:15 pm

      How would these work with gluten free 1:1 flour? Would any adjustments need to be made?

      Reply
      • Pate Giltner says

        October 21, 2022 at 10:05 pm

        Unfortunately, I am not very experienced with gluten free flour and can't give an exact answer.

        Reply
    7. Lexi says

      October 24, 2022 at 3:42 am

      Could you do this in s bunt cake I wanted to make two and make a pumpkin shaped cake

      Reply
      • Pate Giltner says

        October 24, 2022 at 10:52 am

        I bet you could. I would lower the baking temperature and really grease the bunt pan and take care taking it out (this is a more delicate cake than is traditionally used in an bunt).

        Reply
    8. Susie says

      October 25, 2022 at 1:28 pm

      Hi, I saw a recipe of yours on Pinterest for Bourbon Banana Cake w-Bourbon Caramel Frosting but when I try to go to your page it say's "Forbidden"
      I'd sure like to make that cake!
      Any ideas on how to get to it?

      Thanks, Susie

      Reply
      • Pate Giltner says

        October 25, 2022 at 7:48 pm

        Hi Susie! Here's the link for the cake! https://thegandmkitchen.com/bourbon-banana-cake-with-caramel-frosting/

        Reply
    9. Amy says

      November 07, 2022 at 4:10 pm

      How did you puree your apples?

      Reply
      • Pate Giltner says

        November 08, 2022 at 2:30 pm

        I pulsed them in a food processor, you could also mince them with a knife.

        Reply
    10. Becky says

      November 19, 2022 at 2:42 pm

      Any idea of how many cups you used of apples since they are so different in size? Thanks!

      Reply
      • Pate Giltner says

        November 19, 2022 at 4:18 pm

        I would stick to a 1/4-1/3 cup of the puree, the apples don't effect the final outcome of the cake and are just there for flavor so I wouldn't stress to much about them.

        Reply
        • Ange says

          November 26, 2023 at 7:20 pm

          Haven’t made it yet but excited too! Was just wondering if I could freeze the sponges?

          Reply
    11. Anonymous says

      December 17, 2022 at 5:04 pm

      Disaster! Literal apple soup. The only thing I did different was used a hand held mixer. I kept it on and added the ingredients slowly as directed. My batter was liquid and just boiled in the oven. I even tried cooking longer but the liquid was going nowhere except my trash bin.

      Reply
      • Pate Giltner says

        December 18, 2022 at 6:15 pm

        I’m so sorry that happened! Did you reduce the apple cider as directed?

        Reply
        • Anonymous says

          December 21, 2022 at 8:58 pm

          I did. Despite reducing to 1 cup, it was still liquid. I even used less apple puree thinking it was too much liquid.

          Reply
          • Pate Giltner says

            December 22, 2022 at 7:22 pm

            I am so sorry, I've made this cake upwards of 20 times and thats never been an issue, so I'm not sure what went wrong. I am so sorry it was a disappointment.

            Reply
    12. Michelle V. says

      January 08, 2023 at 7:40 am

      I had great success with this cake. I've never had an apple cider donut but my son has and he said it tasted exactly like it. He said the consistency was the same as well: dense like a cake donut. It was a bit too dense for me to be honest. I cut back on the sugar (I do that in all my baking...european sweets are so much less sweet than American and I prefer that...honestly can't imagine this cake with honey drizzled on it! Very sweet! 🙂 ). Thanks for recipe. Icing was amazing!!

      Reply
    13. Claira Sohn says

      September 14, 2023 at 9:18 pm

      This is absolutely an amazing cake! I added half the amount of sugar to the cake itself and I didn’t add any honey on top (we don’t like a lot of sweets). The apple really keeps the cake moist and the buttercream is great.

      Reply
      • Pate Giltner says

        September 20, 2023 at 10:11 am

        I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Its one of my favorite cakes!

        Reply
    14. Lady Grey says

      November 22, 2023 at 1:01 pm

      The cake is very dense. I was worried that cake was too wet going into the oven. It did not grow in the oven. Not sure if that happens to everyone. The cake itself was good, just wish it was a little more fluffy. The cake didn't have as much apple taste to it. So I'm planning on adding a layer of cooked cinnamon apples into the middle layer. I nearly had a heart attack looking at the amount of sugar in the cream cheese frosting. Only used a 1/4 of the recommendation.

      Reply
    15. Candice says

      November 22, 2023 at 5:41 pm

      Did you serve this immediately or could I refrigerate overnight or should I just make the cake the night before and do the icing the next day

      Reply
      • Pate Giltner says

        November 23, 2023 at 10:21 am

        Yes! It would keep wonderfully in the fridge overnight - then just make the glaze right before serving.

        Reply
    16. Emily says

      August 27, 2024 at 2:52 pm

      Hi! This recipe looks delicious and I'd like to make it a bit ahead of my gathering. How many days do you think this will hold? And should it be kept refrigerated or at room temperature? Thank you! I can't wait to try this!

      Reply
      • Pate Giltner says

        August 29, 2024 at 1:57 pm

        Hi Emily! Would keep it in the refrigerator and say it it would keep for up to 1-2 days.

        Reply
    17. B says

      December 19, 2024 at 2:20 pm

      Do you cook the apples to make the puree or just blend them up?

      Reply
      • Pate Giltner says

        December 20, 2024 at 10:07 am

        Hi! I just blend them 🙂

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

    Primary Sidebar

    Pate Giltner holding a cupcake
    Pate Giltner holding a cupcake

    About Pate

    Hi! I'm Pate, the blogger, recipe developer, and photographer behind The G&M Kitchen!

    Raised in the heart of Kentucky, I come from a long line of passionate cooks and bakers. The kitchen was always the heart of our home, where we transformed vegetables into delightful dishes and crafted pies and cakes that emerged from the oven. This tradition of coming together through food and cooking inspired the name of my blog, The G&M Kitchen – 'G' for my father's family, the Giltners, and 'M' for my mother's family, the Millers.

    I also believe if a recipe is missing something, it's probably bourbon.

    Learn more about me →

    Hello and welcome!

    Here at The G&M Kitchen, you will find southern-inspired baking recipes with a modern twist that are easy, elegant, and fun! Everything is made from scratch, designed for the home kitchen, and is simply delicious!

    Want recipes delivered straight to your inbox? Subscribe here!

    As featured in: thefeedfeed, Sur La Table, Bake From Scratch, Foodtography School, The Bourbon Review, Bringing it Home

    Trending Recipes

    • House shipped gingerbread bunt cake on a marble platter with cranberries and being dusted powdered sugar
      Moist Bourbon Gingerbread Bundt Cake
    • banana layer cake being dusted with chocolate on a marble cake stand.
      Bourbon Banana Cake with Bourbon Caramel Frosting.
    • Raspberry almond muffin on a vintage muffin tray.
      Raspberry Almond Muffins
    • Apple cider layer cake on a marble tray and decorated with apples.
      Festive Bourbon Apple Cider Cake

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Contact

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2020 The G&M Kitchen on the Brunch Pro Theme