Cider-Glazed Apple Bundt Cake

We usually prefer easy baking. Because, let's be honest, we're all busy - especially this time of year. We tried this cake, from Cooks Illustrated, because it promised to deliver a delicious apple-y cake without any gummy spots that commonly occur when you add apples to a large cake. They claimed that reduced apple cider and shredded apples are the keys to a perfect cake. Also, they insisted that the cake should be baked only in a bundt to avoid those gummy areas in the center.

So did it deliver? Well, sort of. The cake was beautifully baked, moist and firm, and looks pretty. No gummy, gooey spots. But we didn't feel that the apple flavor came through all that well. In the softer bottom of the cake it was a little more apparent. But overall, although our tasters agreed it was good, they felt they tasted more spice and less apple than promised. Was it worth all the effort? Not so sure.

If you're an apple lover and want to try it, here's the skinny:

You will used reduced apple cider in the cake and in the two-layer glaze. It's takes quite a while to reduce a quart of apple cider to one cup. And you need to be around to make sure it doesn't get too low. If you have access to apple cider syrup or want to purchase some online, this will make this cake so much easier. We reduced our own in a saucepan, not a skillet. We've had some issues in the past with burning while reducing, so took the lower, slower method.

The shredded apples were simple in our food processor. You can use a box grater as well. We used Honeycrisp for a slightly sweeter cake. You can use any apple that holds up to baking.

If you're wondering about the weird quantities, we altered the recipe so it can be made in your mixer and baked in a standard 10-cup bundt pan. The original was for a 12-cup pan - and hardly anyone has one of those!

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ingredients & special equipment

• 10-cup non-stick bundt pan
• Rimmed baking sheet and wire rack that fits inside
• 3-3/4 cups apple cider for reduction or 1 cup apple cider syrup
• 1-1/4 pounds peeled and shredded Granny Smith apples (about 2-1/2 cups)
• 13 Tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 1-1/4 cups dark brown sugar, packed
• 3 large eggs
• 1-3/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3-1/4 cups less 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1-1/4 teaspoons salt
• 1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 scant teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoons rounded of ground cinnamon
• 1/4 scant teaspoon ground allspice
• 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

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directions

Apple Cider Reduction and other prep

1. Bring cider to a boil in a 12-inch skillet or heavy 2 quart saucepan. Cook until reduced to 1 cup:  20-25 minutes in skillet or 45 minutes to 1 hour in saucepan. Set aside and allow to cool.
2. While cider is reducing, adjust oven to middle rack and set the temperature to 350F.
3. Grease and flour a 10-cup bundt pan or spray heavily with cooking spray that includes flour. Make sure you get all the nooks and crannies well.
4. Peel, core and shred apples. Set aside.
5. Whisk together in a medium bowl: flour, spices and baking powder and soda. Set aside.
6. In a small bowl, set aside 2 Tablespoons cider reduction and whisk together with confectioners' sugar to form an icing. Cover and set aside.
7. In another small bowl, set aside 8 Tablespoons cider reduction for use in glazing the cake.

Cake

1. Using your stand mixer fitted with SideSwipe, cream together butter and brown sugar on medium to medium high speed until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs one a time on medium speed until well combined.
3. Add vanilla, then mix. Add apple cider, then mix until combined. Batter will be loose and soupy at this point.
4. Add shredded apples, then mix on medium speed until well incorporated.
5. On low speed, add the flour mixture about a cup at a time, mixing on low each time. Mix until the flour is almost incorporated. Do NOT overmix this batter. Remove from mixer and complete the last couple of folding motions with your spatula.
6. Pour into your prepared bundt pan and smooth the top of the batter.
7. Place filled bundt on a baking sheet and place in your heated oven.
8. Bake until a tester comes out clean, about 55 minutes to 70 minutes,
9. Allow the cake to cool in the pan about 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack inserted into a rimmed baking pan for glazing.
10. Brush the top and sides of the cake with the 8 Tablespoon of reduced cider you reserved earlier. Allow cake to cool for 20 minutes.
11. Stir icing to loosen the texture, then drizzle evenly over the cake. Allow cake to cool at least two hours before serving.
12. Cake can be kept, wrapped loosely with plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 3 days. In fact, we think the apple flavor improved with at least a day's wait.