Bready or Not: Cider Pound Cake
This luscious Cider Pound Cake, made in a tube pan, is great by itself or eaten alongside fruit and/or ice cream.
There are no apples in this cake. That means it’s fast and easy to make, too. No peeling, or dicing or grating. Instead, the recipe relies on sparkling apple cider for sweetness and gentle flavor.
“Sparkling cider” means nonalcoholic. That doesn’t mean you should use any old apple juice, though. Apple cider has more flavor and heft (i.e. not so watery). I used a seasonal version from Aldi that is all Honeycrisp, but any basic sparkling cider will do!
Modified from Centennial Kitchen Fall Baking Magazine 2021.
Bready or Not: Cider Pound Cake
Equipment
- large tube pan
- nonstick spray
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups unsalted butter (4 sticks) softened
- 2 cups white sugar
- 6 large eggs room temperature
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup sparkling apple cider
Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon sparkling apple cider
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a tune pan with nonstick spray.
- In a big bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until they are fluffy. Add the eggs in sequence, beating well after each addition.
- In another bowl, stir together the flour and salt. Gradually add it to the large bowl along with the apple cider, going back and forth in increments. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is mixed. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth out the top.
- Bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes, until a toothpick plunged into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan for 20 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to completely cool.
- Once the cake is cool, in a small bowl, combine the three glaze ingredients to make a thick but moveable glaze. Dribble over cake so that it oozes over sides.
- Let set at least 30 minutes before cutting. Store under a cake dome or cut into individual slices to encase in plastic wrap.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Cookie Butter Pound Cake
This Cookie Butter Pound Cake, topped with a Cookie Butter Glaze, is lush, indulgent, and oh so good.
Because someone always asks, “What’s cookie butter?” The answer is: an addictive substance found near the peanut butter in most every grocery store in America; even my local Walmart has it in the main Biscoff brand or as a Walmart generic, and Trader Joe’s calls it Speculoos. It’s essentially pulverized cookies and oil. It has the exact same texture as peanut butter and can substitute for it in most any recipe. There is nothing healthy about it and it is incredibly delicious.
Cookie butter makes everything taste more inherently like cookie dough. In this recipe, you have cookie dough in the cake batter, in the glaze, and actual cookies crumbled on top. If you love cookie butter, this is your recipe–and if you haven’t had it yet, prepare to be converted.
Modified from Bake from Scratch September-October 2023 issue.
Bready or Not: Cookie Butter Pound Cake
Equipment
- large bundt cake pan (15 cups)
- baking spray with flour
- stand mixer
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) softened
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 3/4 cups brown sugar packed
- 3/4 cup cookie butter
- 5 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup milk or half & half, room temperature
Cookie Butter Glaze
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 cup cookie butter
- 1/4 cup milk or half & half
- 2 Biscoff cookies crushed, for garnish
Instructions
Make the cake
- Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Generously apply nonstick spray with flour to a large (15 cup) bundt pan.
- In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter, sugars, and cookie butter until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Follow up with vanilla.
- In another bowl, stir together flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Gradually add the dry mix to the wet, alternatively adding in the milk as well. Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is combined.
- Spoon batter into the greased pan. Even out the batter over the top.
- Bake for an hour to an hour and 5 minutes, until the middle of the cake passes the toothpick test. Let it cool in pan for 20 minutes, then invert it onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Make the glaze
- In a mixing bowl, beat together the confectioners’ sugar, cookie butter, and milk. Beat for 1 to 2 minutes, until it is nice and smooth; if it is too loose, add more confectioners’ sugar, and if it’s too thick, add a touch more milk. Immediately drizzle over cake to form thick drizzles. Crush the two Biscoff cookies and crumble them over the top.
- Store cake under a cake dome, or cut into individual slices to encase in plastic wrap.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not Original: Apple Bundt Cake with Apple Cider Caramel Glaze
This Cider Bundt Cake is part of a series of apple cake experiments that will be on Bready or Not over the next while. They are all just a bit different.
The thing that really sets this cake apart is the Apple Cider Caramel Glaze. Oh boy, this glaze. It’s truly thick, luscious caramel. The cake by itself is fairly standard–this glaze elevates it to star status.
Even better, you’ll likely have some glaze leftover. Store it covered in the fridge and use it in the coming days. Warm up a portion to make it pliable, then use it for dipping apples or cookies, or to top ice cream… or just eat it straight or add even more to the cake slices. Just don’t you dare let it go to waste.
Bready or Not Original: Apple Bundt Cake with Apple Cider Caramel Glaze
Equipment
- large bundt pan
- nonstick spray with flour
- cooling rack
- medium saucepan
Ingredients
Cake
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks) softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
- 1/2 cup buttermilk or soured milk (see note)
- 3 medium baking apples peeled and grated or finely diced
Apple Cider Caramel Glaze
- 1 cup nonalcoholic apple cider
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/4 cup half & half
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 325 degrees. Apply nonstick spray with flour to a large bundt pan.
- In a large bowl, beat together butter, both sugars, and vanilla extract, until fluffy. Scrape down bottom of bowl. Add eggs, beating well after each addition.
- In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and cardamom. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, pausing to add the buttermilk at several points. Scrape the bottom of the bowl, then fold in the apple pieces.
- Scoop batter into the prepared pan. Even it out. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool in pan for 20 minutes, then invert onto a rack to completely cool before making the glaze.
- In a medium saucepan, bring the cider to a low boil and keep it there for about 4 minutes, watching it closely to bring down heat if necessary to ensure it doesn’t boil over. Add the brown sugar, butter, and half & half, then bring to a boil for another 2 to 4 minutes, until it has thickened. Remove from heat to set and cool for about 15 to 20 minutes. While the caramel is still warm (if it’s not warm, heat it again gently to make it pliable), drizzle it over cake. (If you have any caramel leftover, let it cool and then refrigerate it for other delicious uses!)
- Let cake set in fridge. Keep covered under a dome or individually slice and wrap for storage, keeping it in the fridge. It'll keep for at least 5 days.
OM NOM NOM!
Notes
Bready or Not: Gooey Butter Bars [Cake Mix Variation]
A few months ago, I shared a time-consuming yeast-based recipe for making St. Louis Butter Cake. I continue to explore different takes on this Missouri classic, and this time around, the Gooey Butter Bars use convenient cake mix! (If you’re more interested in cookies than cake, I can also point you towards a Bready or Not guest post from Dan Koboldt back in 2018 where he shared Gooey Butter Cake Cookies that also use cake mix.)
To maximize the cheapness and convenience of this recipe, I used entirely Aldi ingredients. Their cake mix is as good as the name brands.
When it comes down to taste, I far prefer the yeast version. It is sweet and delicate with nuance–but it also takes a long time to make. This version is easy, but the sweetness could come across as cloyingly strong. So, keep that in mind in regards to your audience’s tastes.
Modified from Centennial Kitchen Fall Baking 2021 Magazine.
Bready or Not: Gooey Butter Bars [Cake Mix Variation]
Equipment
- 15x10x1 pan
- aluminum foil
- nonstick spray
Ingredients
Cake base
- 15.25- ounce yellow cake mix or white cake mix
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 large egg
Top layer
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 large eggs
- 4 cups confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Line a 15x10x1 inch pan (also called a jelly roll pan) with foil; apply nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, stir together cake mix, butter, and egg, until they are crumbly. Pat the entire dough into the bottom of the prepared pan. It will be very thin and fiddly to work with.
- In the same bowl, beat together the cream cheese and eggs until they are fairly smooth; a few clumps are okay. Gradually mix in the confectioners’ sugar to make a cohesive mix. Spread on top of the crust.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the middle is set and golden brown. Cool at room temperature, and chill in fridge to completely set.
- A reminder that this is called ‘Gooey Butter Cake.’ Cut pieces finger-sized. Some in the middle may be particularly gooey. If not serving immediately, move pieces to a lidded container and use waxed paper between the stacked layers. They will stay firmer and less-gooey if they are kept chilled.
OM NOM NOM!
Bready or Not: Berry Butter Cake
Cake is good. This Berry Butter Cake, loaded with fruit, is very good.
This cake features a tender, moist crumb that provides a delicious cushion for things like strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries. It’s not fancy.
I modified this a lot from Bake from Scratch Magazine, adjusting some ingredients and other directions. The bake time was way too long, for starters. I was also perturbed that they call for vanilla extract in the glaze, but obviously used clear vanilla extract for their picture, because using regular extract muddies the glaze.
This cake is great to freeze and thaw later, even weeks later. It stores beautifully sealed up in the fridge or at room temperature.
Bready or Not: Berry Butter Cake
Equipment
- 9-inch springform pan
- parchment paper
- nonstick spray
Ingredients
Cake:
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 cup buttermilk or soured milk, see note
Fruit:
- 1 3/4 cups fresh or frozen berries such as raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries (210 grams)
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
Vanilla Glaze:
- 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar plus more if needed
- 1 Tablespoon milk or half & half, plus more if needed
- 1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven at 350-degrees. Prepare springform pan by cutting a piece of parchment paper to fit inside. Use nonstick spray on interior of pan, then place cut parchment inside and spray again.
- Beat together butter and both sugars until they are light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter bowl alternatively with the buttermilk/soured milk. Scrape the bottom of the bowl a few times.
- In another bowl, stir the flour into the fruit to coat it. Reserving 1/4 cup of fruit, fold most of it into the batter. Spread batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle the reserved fruit over the top.
- Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes, until the cake looks golden brown and the middle passes the toothpick test. Let it cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then pop open the springform ring to remove it. Let cake cool completely on rack.
- Combine glaze ingredients in a bowl until they are smooth. Add more confectioners’ sugar or milk, if necessary, to achieve a thick but good consistency for drizzling. Immediately drizzle across the top of the cake. Let set at least 20 minutes before slicing in.
- Cake keeps well in sealed container at room temperature for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen in individual slices for weeks or kept in fridge.
OM NOM NOM!
Notes
Bready or Not: Cherry-Almond Bakewell Tart
Bakewell Tarts are classic British pastries. This version, modified from Bake from Scratch Magazine, uses store-bought preserves (I used Bonne Maman) with everything else from scratch.
If you’re in America, you’re not likely to find a Bakewell Tart unless you’re near a big city bakery; as for me, I’ve never found it for sale in the US, and I’d probably scream in delight if I came across it. I made a pointed effort to get slices more than once during my 2019 trip to the UK.
Not gonna lie, this is a dessert that takes some work. The pâte sucrée, the crust, can be done ahead of time, and that helps to space out the labor. The filling, which is a frangipane, needs to not only be mixed, but piped into the crust to help it form a consistent layer.
And of course, at the end, the tart needs a nice sweet drizzle that looks gorgeous and amps up the flavor, too. This is really the ultimate special occasion breakfast or dessert.
There are two recipes included here: the pâte sucrée and the full assemblage of the Bakewell Tart.
Bready or Not: Pâte Sucrée
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) softened
- 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
Instructions
- In a stand mixer or by hand. beat together butter, sugar, and salt until they are pale and creamy. Add the egg. Gradually beat in the flour until just combined, scraping the bottom of the bowl a few times.
- Shape the dough into a flat disk and encase in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for an least an hour, but overnight is preferred. Dough can be refrigerated for up to a week or can be frozen for up to 2 months. If frozen, thaw in fridge before using.
Bready or Not: Cherry-Almond Bakewell Tart
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- parchment paper
- 9-inch tart pan with removable plate
- pie weights
- pastry brush
- pastry bag or freezer quart bag
- uneven spatula
Ingredients
Tart
- 1 pâte sucrée
- 1 large egg white lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick) room temperature
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup almond flour sifted to remove clumps
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup cherry preserves
Topping
- 1/4 cup sliced almonds
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 Tablespoon milk or half & half
Instructions
Form the crust
- If the pâte sucrée is quite firm from chilling, let it set at room temperature for about 20 minutes to make it more pliable. Use a rolling pin to roll it into a 12-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick.
- Remove the base of the tart pan and trace the shape onto parchment paper. Cut paper to fit in bottom of pan and apply baking spray. Carefully transfer dough to pan, but if it falls apart, that’s okay–press it into an even layer across the bottom of the pan and up the fluted sides. Use a knife to cut excess dough from the top edge. Use a fork to dock the bottom of the pan, stabbing it here and there across the whole surface. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes.
Bake the crust
- Preheat oven at 325-degrees.
- Top the dough with a large piece of parchment paper, with ends extending over the sides. Add pie weights to fill the basin.
- Bake the crust for about 15 minutes. Carefully lift with the parchment and weights, setting on another pan to cool. Brush the bottom of the pan with the egg white. Continue baking for another 15 minutes; the base should look dry with the dough lightly browned. Set aside to cool completely as the filling is made. Increase oven temperature to 350-degrees.
Make the frangipane
- Beat the butter and white sugar until light and fluffy. Scrape the bottom of the bowl a few times to make sure everything is mixed. Add eggs, one at a time, followed by vanilla, salt, and almond extract. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl. Gradually mix in both flours until just combined.
- Spoon frangipane into a pastry bag or a freezer quart bag. Cut off the tip.
- Use an uneven spatula to spread the cherry preserves over the bottom crust. Pipe the frangipane over the preserves. Use a clean uneven spatula to smooth it into an even layer. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top.
- Bake until frangipane is set and golden, about 30 minutes. Let cool about 20 minutes before removing the outer ring of the pan. Let tart cool completely on rack.
Add drizzle
- In a small bowl, stir together confectioners’ sugar and milk. Spoon into a pastry bag or freezer quart bag and snip off a tiny corner. Pipe glaze back and forth over tart. Let glaze set, about 20 minutes, then dig in. Store wrapped up or in sealed container in fridge for up to 4 days.