This French apple cider cake recipe was originally published as “Fall-iday Dessserts” in the November 2020 issue of Delaware Today. The recipe was provided by Leah Steinberger, former pastry chef at Hotel Du Pont.
The start of fall means the beginning of the holiday season in Delaware. The holidays invite us to indulge, and that often comes in the form of sugar and spice. Leah Steinberger, former pastry chef at Hotel Du Pont, knows how to sprinkle it on.
Her recipe for French apple cider cake piles on the flavor—and the fall vibes. Combining the warm, comforting flavors of apple cider, warm spices and brown sugar, the decadent cake is perfect for fall and the holidays. The tender cake—enhanced by both fresh and hard apple cider—is a true crowd-pleaser, topped with a luscious brown butter frosting that envelops each layer. The frosting complements the cake with nutty notes of brown butter and rich cream cheese. To top it all off, Calvados-caramel pecans bring a delightful crunch and touch of sophistication.
The appeal of the fall dessert doesn’t stop at the decadent flavor. It can also serve as a stunning centerpiece for any dessert table with all the colors and flavors of fall. Whether you choose to serve it as a show-stopping centerpiece at a dinner party or as a comforting dessert at home, it’s sure to impress.
For an extra cider punch, you can create a simple syrup by combining equal parts sugar and water, then adding an equal amount of the hard apple cider leftover from the cake. Lightly soak the cake layers with the syrup. You’ll be left with a boozy and decadent dessert.
French Apple Cider Cake
Course: DessertCuisine: FrenchDifficulty: Medium40
minutes30
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minutesThis French apple cider cake works well as an autumnal centerpiece, and it’s just as tasty as it looks.
Ingredients
- The Cake
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
5 eggs
½ cup fresh apple cider
½ cup premium hard apple cider
½ cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon nutmeg
- Brown Butter Frosting
¾ cups butter
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups powdered sugar
3 tablespoons heavy cream
- Calvados-Caramel Pecans
½ cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons Calvados
2 cups pecan halves
Directions
- French Apple Cider Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Prep three 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine apple cider, hard apple cider, buttermilk and vanilla.
- With electric mixer, paddle together butter and sugars, beating until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, beat, scrape sides of bowl, repeat.
- On low speed, add flour mixture and apple cider mixture in 1/3 increments, mixing and scraping sides and bottom of bowl in between.
- Divide batter evenly between baking pans. Bake for about 20 minutes. Allow to cool about 15 minutes in the pan, then invert onto wire racks to cool completely.
- Brown Butter Frosting
- Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir until it begins to foam. Continue to cook the butter until it is lightly browned and develops a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and pour into a heatproof bowl. Refrigerate until cool and solid.
- With electric mixer, beat brown butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add cream cheese, beating until well-mixed.
- Add salt and vanilla, then gradually add powdered sugar, beating on low speed until well-mixed.
- Add heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time, beating each time.
- Calvados-Caramel Pecans
- In a nonstick skillet over medium heat, melt brown sugar and Calvados together. Add pecans, stirring to coat. Cook about 3 to 4 minutes until fragrant and most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Spread pecans in a single layer onto a silicone, mat-lined baking sheet, and use a fork to separate them. Let stand at room temperature until fully cooled. Pecans will be slightly tacky to the touch.
- Assembling the Cake
- Once cakes cool, level each layer by slicing off the rounded domes with a serrated knife.
- For an extra cider punch, create a simple syrup by combining equal parts sugar and water, then bring to a boil. Allow to cool, then add an equal amount of the leftover hard apple cider. Use a pastry brush to lightly soak the cake layers with the syrup.
- Top the first layer of cake with about ¾ cup of frosting and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Top with the second layer and repeat. Place the third layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.
- Decorate the cake with the Calvados-caramel pecans and shortbread crumbs.
P.S. Looking for more fall desserts? Try making these vegan apple cider cookies next.
Related: 9 Delaware Coffee Shops to Visit for Cozy Fall Flavors
