The Most Delicious Spiced Bundt Cake

Baking mishaps don’t always end in disaster—in fact, sometimes they result in something even better than planned. That’s exactly what happened with this delicious bundt cake, a recipe that stemmed from a mistake that quickly jumped to the top of my list for favorite cakes I’ve made.

This cake wasn’t meant to be a spice cake at all. The original idea was an apple cider donut cake, but after popping it in the oven, I realized I had completely forgotten the key ingredient: the apple cider! It was too late to toss, so I decided to roll with it—and I’m so glad I did. The cake came out moist, flavorful, and perfectly spiced. It reminds me of the cinnamon sugar toast my mom used to make me as a kid.

Spiced Bundt Cake

This little mishap took me back to a story about my mom. She passed away a few years ago. I carry her with me everywhere, but especially when I’m in the kitchen. She was the kind of perfectionist who followed all the rules, but one time, back when I was in college, she let go of that, just a little.

She had people coming over and asked me to make her mother’s cheesecake recipe. I’ve always been the baker in the family, so I was happy to help. When the instructions said to "stir in cream," I absentmindedly stirred in a cup of sour cream instead of the quarter cup of heavy cream the recipe called for. When I realized the mistake, I thought, “Why not bake it and see what happens?”

My mom wasn’t so sure. “Just throw it away!” is what she said, but I refused and baked it anyway. To our surprise, the cheesecake came out better than ever. Everyone raved that it was the creamiest cheesecake they’d ever tasted. It’s one of my favorite kitchen memories with her, and this spice cake incident reminded me of that day. It felt like she was telling me once again to trust the process, even when things don’t go as planned. It's a great life lesson, isn't it?

Just like that cheesecake, this spice cake was a beautiful surprise. Moist, full of flavor, and warmth from the fall spices. It’s now a fall favorite. If you love the flavors of buttery cinnamon with a touch of nutmeg, this cake is right for you. It’s comforting and nostalgic, just like fall.

If you’re feeling adventurous, here's a link to the original apple cider donut cake recipe, so you can try that version too, but I think you’ll love this incidental spice cake as much as I do.

RECIPE HERE

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The Most Delicious Spiced Bundt Cake

Ingredients for the Cake:

• 3 cups(360g) all-purpose flour

• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 ½ tbsp baking powder

• 1 ½ cups (300g) sugar

• ½ cup (110g) brown sugar

• 1 cup vegetable oil

• 3 eggs

• 1 cup (250g) applesauce (I used chunky)

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

  
  

Ingredients for the Cinnamon Sugar Coating:

• ¼ cup (56g) butter, melted

• ¼ cup (50g) sugar

• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

  
  

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Spray a bundt cake pan and set aside (you can flour it, but I find it dries out the cake).

2. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and baking powder.

3. In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), combine the sugar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil. Mix on medium speed until combined.

4. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition.

5. Gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until no streaks of flour remain.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

7. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before flipping onto a cooling rack.

8. Once the cake has cooled completely, use a pastry brush to coat it with the melted butter.

9. In a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the cake.