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Easy Apple Cider Donut Bread with Cinnamon Sugar Crust

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This Easy Apple Cider Donut Bread with Cinnamon Sugar Crust captures the cozy, spiced flavor of classic apple cider donuts without the hassle of deep-frying. It’s a simple, one-bowl recipe that yields a moist, tender loaf with a crunchy, sweet cinnamon sugar crust.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups apple cider
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ cup buttermilk, room temperature
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted (for crust)
  • ⅓ cup granulated sugar (for crust)
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (for crust)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on the long sides.
  2. In a medium saucepan, bring apple cider to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce to a simmer. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about ½ cup. Set aside to cool slightly.
  3. In a large bowl, beat softened butter and 1 cup sugar together until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes with an electric mixer).
  4. Beat in eggs one at a time, then mix in vanilla extract and the cooled reduced apple cider syrup.
  5. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
  6. With mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients to wet mixture in three additions, alternating with buttermilk (starting and ending with dry). Mix until just combined; do not overmix.
  7. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and spread evenly. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. If top browns too quickly, tent with foil after 40 minutes.
  8. Let bread cool in pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes.
  9. While bread cools, melt ¼ cup butter in a small bowl. In a shallow dish, whisk together ⅓ cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon.
  10. Use parchment to lift warm bread from pan onto wire rack. Brush all sides generously with melted butter.
  11. Immediately roll buttered bread in cinnamon-sugar mixture, pressing gently to adhere.
  12. Let bread cool completely on rack before slicing.

Notes

Don’t skip reducing the apple cider; it concentrates the flavor. Use room temperature ingredients for best results. Let bread cool 10-15 minutes before coating to ensure crust adheres. For a gluten-free version, use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend with xanthan gum. For dairy-free, use vegan butter and dairy-free buttermilk (1 ½ tsp lemon juice + ½ cup unsweetened oat or almond milk).

Nutrition

Keywords: apple cider donut bread, cinnamon sugar crust, fall baking, quick bread, apple cider recipe, easy bread recipe

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