Apple Cider Doughnuts with Cider-Caramel Glaze

From the kitchen of Carly

Cake doughnuts spiced with autumn cider, finished with a glossy caramel glaze spiked with reduced apple cider. These are tender, warm, and taste like fall in every bite. A proper doughnut that actually rewards the effort.

Apple Cider Doughnuts with Cider-Caramel Glaze

Apple cider doughnuts hit different when you reduce the cider twice: once for the glaze to get it concentrated and silky, again for the dough itself where just two tablespoons of cider concentrate infuses every bite without making things wet. The glaze stays glossy and doesn't crack, and the doughnuts taste like fall without being heavy or overly spiced.

Prep
n/a
Cook
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Total
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Servings
4
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

4 servings

  • 4 cupspiced apple cider
  • 1/2 cupunsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1/2 cupdark brown sugar
  • 1 cupspiced apple cider
  • 2 cupall-purpose flour
  • 1 tspbaking powder
  • 1/2 tspbaking soda
  • 1/2 tspkosher salt
  • 1/2 cupgranulated sugar
  • 2 tbspunsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature
  • 1 largeegg, room temperature
  • 1/3 cupbuttermilk
  • 2 quartcanola oil
  • 1A 3" round cutter
  • 1" round cutter
  • 1deep-fry thermometer

Instructions

  1. Pour the cider into a large saucepan and bring it to a boil. Drop the heat and simmer until the liquid reduces to about 2 cups, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the butter and brown sugar, then keep the pan at a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, until the mixture thickens down to about 1 1/2 cups, roughly 8 minutes more. Pull it off the heat; the glaze will continue to thicken as it sits.

  2. In a medium saucepan, bring the cider to a simmer and cook it down to about 2 tablespoons, 20 to 30 minutes. Set aside and let it cool completely.

  3. While the cider reduces, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and whisk them together.

  4. Fit a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat the granulated sugar and butter on medium speed until the mixture is smooth and uniform, about 3 minutes.

  5. Drop in the egg and keep beating, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until fully incorporated. Dial the speed down to low and stream in the buttermilk and reserved reduced cider, beating just until combined. Add the dry ingredients gradually and mix only until the dough comes together.

  6. Turn the dough out onto a large sheet of parchment paper and lay a second sheet on top. Roll it between the parchment sheets to about 1/3 inch thick. Slide the whole thing onto a rimmed baking sheet and freeze until firm, about 20 minutes.

  7. Peel back the top sheet of parchment. Using a 3-inch cutter, punch out as many rounds as possible from the dough, then use a 1-inch cutter to remove the center of each round. Gather the holes and scraps, re-roll, and repeat the process 3 to 4 times until all the dough is used; you should end up with 12 doughnuts. Arrange them on a second parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze until slightly chilled, about 5 minutes.

  8. Fill a heavy-duty pot with oil to a depth of 2 inches and clip on a deep-fry thermometer. Heat the oil to 375 degrees F. Fry the doughnuts in batches until deep golden brown, about 1 minute per side, then transfer to a wire rack lined with paper towels and rest for 2 to 3 minutes. Dip each warm doughnut into the Cider-Caramel Glaze, return it to the rack, and let the glaze set for about 3 minutes before dipping a second time.

Tips from the kitchen

  • Reduce the cider for the glaze until syrupy, then let it sit off heat. It will continue to thicken and won't seize or granulate when you dip the warm doughnuts in it.
  • Don't skip freezing the dough before cutting. It firms up enough that your cutters punch clean holes instead of dragging and tearing the dough.
  • Use a deep-fry thermometer and keep oil at exactly 350°F. Too cold and they absorb oil; too hot and they brown before the center cooks through.
  • Reroll your scraps at least three times to minimize waste, but don't overwork the dough or your doughnuts will be tough and dense.
  • Glaze doughnuts while they're still warm so the glaze sets into a thin shell. Cold doughnuts won't absorb it the same way.

Variations

  • Brown butter doughnuts: Replace the two tablespoons of room temperature butter in the dough with browned butter that's been cooled. It adds a nutty depth.
  • Cardamom glaze: Simmer cardamom pods with the cider reduction for the last few minutes, then strain. Works better than adding cardamom to the dough itself where it can turn bitter.
  • Cinnamon sugar doughnuts: Skip the glaze and toss warm doughnuts in a mix of cinnamon and granulated sugar instead. Lighter and more classic.
  • Filled doughnuts: Pipe apple butter or spiced cream cheese filling into the center using a pastry bag before frying.

Make ahead and storage

Keep doughnuts in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. Freezer storage is fine for up to three months in a freezer bag. Rewarm frozen doughnuts in a 300°F oven for about five minutes to restore softness.