Cider Spice Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Make cake:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2 (8- by 2-inch) round cake pans and dust with flour, knocking out excess.
• Whisk together flour (1 1/2 cups), baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice in a medium bowl.
• Combine apple cider and lemon juice in a small measuring cup.
• Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, then add brown sugar and beat until combined. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition (mixture will look curdled).
• Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and cider mixture alternately in 3 batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture and mixing until just combined.
• Divide batter between cake pans (batter will form a thin layer) and rap pans on work surface once to release any large air bubbles.
• Bake cake layers until they begin to pull away from sides of pans and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center of each cake layer comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Cool cake layers in pans on racks 5 minutes, then run a thin knife around edge of each layer and invert layers onto racks. Cool completely, at least 1 hour.
• Make buttercream while cakes cool:
• Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a 2-quart heavy saucepan. Whisk in cider, then bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking constantly, and boil, whisking constantly, 1 minute (mixture will be very thick). Transfer to a metal bowl and set in a larger bowl of ice and cold water, then stir occasionally until cool, about 30 minutes.
• Beat butter in a large bowl with cleaned beaters at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, then add one third of cider mixture and beat until incorporated. Add remaining cider mixture and continue beating until smooth.
• When cakes are cool, arrange 1 layer flat side up on a flat serving plate or cake stand and spread top with 3/4 cup buttercream. Top with remaining cake layer flat side up. Frost top and side of cake with remaining buttercream. Chill 2 hours before serving (to firm up buttercream).

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare the cakes: Coat two 9-inch round pans with baking spray and line the bottoms with parchment.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, spices and salt; set aside.
• Working in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using an electric mixer), beat together the butter and brown sugar on medium until smooth. Add eggs and orange zest, and beat on medium-high speed, about 1 minute.
• In a separate bowl or liquid measuring cup, add the molasses and baking soda. In a small saucepan, bring the apple cider to a boil over high; pour it over the molasses and baking soda and whisk until combined. (The mixture will froth.)
• Beat in a third of the flour to the butter mixture on low until combined, then half the cider mixture. When it's blended, add half the remaining flour, all the remaining cider, then the rest of the flour, beating to blend after each addition. Batter will be runny.
• Divide the batter between the pans, swiveling the pans to level the batter, which will be scant. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, rotating halfway through. Let cakes cool in pans for 15 minutes, then unmold and transfer the cakes to wire racks to cool fully.
• Prepare the frosting: Use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the butter and beat until smooth. Add the vanilla and salt, and mix briefly. On low speed, add the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time. After all the sugar is incorporated, scrape the bowl, then beat the frosting on medium-high for 15 seconds.
• Place one layer of cake on a serving platter. Top with 1 cup frosting, and spread it to the edge of the cake. Place the second cake layer on top, and frost the entire cake with the remaining frosting. Top with a smattering of crystallized ginger bits, chocolate pearls or sprinkles, if desired. Refrigerate for 1 hour (or up to 3 days) before serving.

Steps:

• Equipment: 1 x 10-cup (2.5 litre capacity) bundt tin/pan or 1 x 20cm/8-inch square cake tin approximately 5.5cm/2 ¼-inches deep.
• Open the cider so that it loses its fizz. Preheat the oven to 170°C/gas mark 3/325ºF, and grease your bundt tin with non-stick cooking spray, or simply oil it, and leave the tin upside down on a piece of newspaper or baking parchment while you get on with the batter.
• Measure the oil, brown sugar and (whether you're weighing it or going for volume and using a cup measure, always lightly oil the receptacle for the treacle first and it will slide out easily) black treacle into a bowl.
• Pour in the cider and crack in the eggs, add the ginger and beat till smooth. While I use a freestanding mixerto make this cake, it's simple enough by hand: in which case, beat the eggs together first before adding to the other ingredients.
• In another bowl measure out the flour, baking powder, bicarb, nutmeg, 5-spice and cinnamon, and fork through to combine.
• Gently tip the dry ingredients into the wet treacly mixture, beating as you go to make a smooth batter. Scrape the sides and the bottom of the bowl well to make sure there aren't any pockets of flour.
• Pour the dark and aromatic batter into the prepared tin: it will be very runny, but don't be alarmed. Place in the oven to bake for 45-50 minutes, but start checking after 40. When the cake's ready, it will start to come away from the sides of the tin and a cake tester should come out clean; that's to say, not wet, but with some crumbs adhering to it. Transfer the bundt to a wire rack for about 30 minutes, then use your fingers to help prise the cake away from the edges of the tin, most particularly around the funnel, and turn out. Leave to cool completely before wrapping, first in parchment and then foil, as it tastes best if eaten the next day. I don't always manage this.
• STORE NOTE: The cake can be kept loosely wrapped in its parchment and foil, in an airtight container at cool room temperature for up to 1 week.
• FREEZE NOTE: The fully cooled cake can be tightly wrapped in a double layer of clingfilm and a layer of foil and then frozen for up to 3 months. To defrost, unwrap and place on a wire rack and leave at room temperature for about 5 hours.

Steps:

• Cream sugar and shorttening in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
• Beat in molasses and honey.
• Combine dry ingredients and add 1/2 to the creamed mixture; beat until moistened.
• With mixer running at low speed, blend in hot cider.
• Add remaining dry ingredients, mixing well.
• Add egg and vanilla; beat for one minute on medium speed.
• Spread batter in a greased 8 inch square baking pan.
• Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven 25 to 30 minutes or until a pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Cool in pan for 10 minutes.
• Prepare glaze by stirring apple jelly and apple cider together in a small pan.
• Cook over low heat, stirring frequently, until jelly is melted and mixture is smooth.
• Spoon hot glaze over the cake and sprinkle with walnuts.
• Cool.
• Top with whipped cream or a mixture of 8 oz whipped cream and 1/2 cup sour cream and sprinkled with a little bit of cinnamon or ginger.