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Spiced Apple Cider Cake with Frosted Cranberries

Spiced Apple Cider Cake with Frosted Cranberries for the win every Fall and Winter.
Course Baking
Cuisine American
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 8 -10
Author Samantha

Ingredients

Cake:

  • 1 stick 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened in microwave, plus additional for greasing pans
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus additional for dusting cake pans
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg I used ground, but you can also use fresh, grated
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp allspice
  • 2/3 cup apple cider juice, not filtered
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 3 large eggs at room temperature

Buttercream:

  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1/8 tsp tsp salt
  • 3/4 cup apple cider juice, not filtered
  • 2 1/2 sticks 1.5 cups unsalted butter, room temperature

Cranberries:

  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 package approx. 200 grams fresh cranberries (frozen won't work)
  • 3/4 cup berry fine or regular sugar

Instructions

Cake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter 2 (8"x2") round cake pans. Dust with flour, knocking out excess.
  2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice in a medium bowl.
  3. Combine apple cider and lemon juice in a small measuring cup.
  4. 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, one at a time, beating well between additions.
  5. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture and cider mixture alternating in 3 batches, beginning with flour mixture. Mix until just combined.
  6. Divide batter between cake pans and tap on work surface to release air bubbles.
  7. Bake layers until they begin to pull away from the sides of pans and a cake tester comes out clean, 25-30 minutes.
  8. Cool in pans for 5 minutes, then invert on to cooling racks until cooled completely, at least 1 hour. (I let mine cool and then placed (with parchment paper between layers) in fridge over night before icing.)
  9. !Buttercream:
  10. Whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a sauce pan. Whisk in cider. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly for about 1 minute. Mixture will become quite thick. Transfer to a metal bowl that is set in a larger bowl of ice water. Stir occasionally until cool.
  11. Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add 1/3 of cooled cider mixture and beat until incorporated. Add remaining cider mixture and beat until well blended and smooth.
  12. When cakes are cool, arrange 1 layer flat side up and spread with 3/4 cup buttercream. Top with second layer and frost top and sides with remaining buttercream. Chill 2 hours before serving to allow buttercream to set.
  13. * cake will keep chilled nicely for 1-2 days.
  14. !Cranberries:
  15. Place sugar and water in pot and heat until simmering (not boiling) and stir until sugar is dissolved. Place cranberries in pan and submerge. Make sure cranberries are well coated.
  16. Using a slotted spoon transfer coated to cranberries to a wire rack to dry for an hour, but not longer than a couple of hours (they'll become too dry to be coated in the sugar) OR roll in a piece of paper towel.
  17. Place cranberries in small batches into the granulated sugar in a shallow pan or bowl and roll cranberries through sugar to coat.