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Cozy Brown Butter Apple Cider Snickerdoodle Cake

brown butter apple cider snickerdoodle cake - featured image
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This moist, tender cake combines nutty brown butter with tangy apple cider and a crunchy cinnamon-sugar coating, creating a fall dessert that tastes like the whole season in a pan.

Ingredients

Scale
  • ½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup apple cider (unfiltered is best)
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg (freshly grated if you have it)
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar (for coating)
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (for coating)
  • 2 tablespoons melted butter (for brushing pan and top)

Instructions

  1. Brown the butter: Place ½ cup butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally as it melts. It will foam, then settle, and brown specks will form at the bottom (5-7 minutes). When it smells nutty and the specks are deep amber, remove from heat and pour into a heat-safe bowl. Let cool for 10 minutes.
  2. Preheat and prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pan with parchment paper and grease sides with butter. Sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of the cinnamon-sugar mixture into the pan and tilt to coat sides and bottom.
  3. Mix wet ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together cooled brown butter and 1 cup granulated sugar until smooth (it will be like a thick paste). Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each. Stir in vanilla and apple cider. The mixture may look separated at first; keep whisking until combined.
  4. Combine dry ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg until no clumps remain.
  5. Fold together: Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in two additions, folding gently with a rubber spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
  6. Assemble and bake: Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle remaining cinnamon-sugar mixture over the top. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. The top should be golden and cracked.
  7. Cool and release: Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and invert onto a cooling rack. Peel off parchment paper and let cool completely before slicing.

Notes

Browning butter can go from perfect to burnt in about 30 seconds—stay close and swirl the pan often. Use room temperature eggs to prevent the brown butter from seizing. For a crunchier top, sprinkle coarse sugar (like turbinado) on top before baking. At high altitude, add an extra tablespoon of flour and reduce sugar by a tablespoon. The cake tastes even better on day two.

Nutrition

Keywords: brown butter, apple cider, snickerdoodle cake, fall dessert, easy cake recipe, cinnamon sugar cake

Find it online: https://cookluma.com/cozy-brown-butter-apple-cider-snickerdoodle-cake-best-easy-recipe/