You wouldn't believe that this healthy apple cider doughnut cake is made from wholesome ingredients. It has no fat, no butter and it's gluten-free. It's also refined sugar-free.
I know there are millions of apple cider doughnut recipes out there and that's the reason that I'm making it healthier with this recipe.
This way we can enjoy it knowing that every bite also brings us nutritional values. Isn't that great?
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Recipe Highlights
Texture and flavour - Super tender and moist cake with delicious apple flavour, slightly tangy and with crunchy cinnamon sugar coating.
Size - 1x10 inch bunt cake, yields around 12 slices.
Level - Ridiculously easy. Everything by hand, no fancy gadgets needed.
Occasion - Perfect when it's apple season, fall/autumn or for Thanksgiving. I'm getting warm and fuzzy just thinking about it.
Lets Talk Ingredients
Oat flour - It's not the same as oatmeal. Oat flour has a finer texture, almost similar to all-purpose flour. You can make it yourself by blending oats into a fine texture in a grinder or food processor.
TIPS: Always blend oats first and then measure (if using cup measurement) because the volumes of oat, oatmeal, and oat flour are not the same.
Applesauce - It's basically apple puree. I buy mine, easier, but you can also make it yourself. The most basic way is cooking apples with some water until they're tender and then blend into a fine puree in a food processor. Pimp it up with some cinnamon and brown sugar, if desired. I love baking using applesauce like in my healthy apple muffins.
Sweetener - I use unrefined brown sugar for the cake and erythritol for the cinnamon sugar. Brown sugar adds that touch of deep caramel flavor and color to the cake. Erythritol gives that beautiful color contrast to the golden brown cake. You can use whatever dry sweetener that you prefer.
Apple Cider vs. Apple Juice
Let's talk about these two real fast because they are similar but definitely not the same.
Apple cider - Is raw unfiltered apple juice. It has a murky colour and you can see some apple particles in it. Its taste is also stronger and tangier. Don't confuse it with the alcoholic apple cider that's typically found outside of USA though.
Apple juice - Is filtered apple juice thus making it more transparent in colour and is also weaker in taste compared to apple cider.
Substitute To Apple Cider
It's its twin from another mother.. apple juice. Haha!
Like I mentioned above, using apple juice will make your cake with lesser apple taste but hey, it's still doable and delicious. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, that'll help give that touch of tanginess.
More Healthy Recipes
- Air fryer apple cinnamon muffins
- Chocolate sheet cake
- Thousand layers apple cake
- Apple oatmeal muffins
- Carrot cake muffins
Watch How To Make It
📖 Recipe
Healthy apple cider doughnut cake
Video
Equipment
- Bowls (Big, medium and small)
- 10 inch silicone bundt pan
- Spatula
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 ½ cup oat flour (320 g)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup unrefined brown sugar (100 g)
- 2 large eggs , room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup apple cider (250 ml), room temperature
- 1 cup applesauce (250 g), room temperature
Cinnamon Sugar
- ¼ cup erythritol (50 g), or any dry sweetener
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350ºF (175ºC) and place the rack on lower ⅔. Grease a 10 inch silicone bundt pan, place on a baking tray.
Dry Ingredients
- Mix everything well in a medium bowl, set aside.
Wet Ingredients
- Add all ingredients into a big bowl and whisk using a manual hand whisk.
- Add dry ingredients half at a time and whisk very well until you see no lumps. Pour into prepared pan.
Bake
- Bake for 50-60 minutes or until you insert a skewer in the center, it comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely on a rack.
- Gently pull the edges of the silicone pan to help releasing the cake. Flip on a rack and remove the pan.
Cinnamon Sugar
- Mix ingredients in a small bowl. Sprinkle all over the cake. Pressing it gently on the cake will help making it stick better. Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Since all apple cider and applesauce have different level of sweetness, so adjust the sweetener in the cake to your liking.
- Use spoon and level method when measuring (for cup measurement).
- Use portable oven thermometer (like this one) for a more precise temperature reading (I use it all the time).
- Keep at room temperature in air tight container, up to 3 days.
- Lasts in the fridge up to 4-5 days in an air tight container, bring to room temperature before serving. It's nicer.
- Frozen up to 3 months.
Betty says
This is delicious. I made them in mini bunt molds. I got 18 of them. In six of them I added chopped apple.
Bea & Marco says
That sounds wonderful, Betty! Love the idea of using mini bundt molds and adding chopped apple, we can imagine they turned out so good! Thank you for your feedback and sharing your take on it!
Ranay says
This looks & sounds delicious, are the calories of 194 per piece, 1/12th of the whole cake? Just making sure. Thanks so much!!
Bea & Marco says
Yes, that's the calories per piece. We really love this cake, so delish. Hopefully you'll like it too! Thanks Ranay!
Annie Abraham says
Excellent recipe thank you !!
Bea says
Thanks for your feedback, Annie!
Alicia says
Hello Bea!
Thanks so much for this healthy recipe.
I used apple juice like you said and it was delicious. Your healthy recipes are the bomb! Keep making them.
XXX
Bea says
Yeay 🙌! Happy to hear that, Alicia! Yes, apple juice works fine also. Thank you for your feedback!