This delicious two-tier cake includes a cranberry-berry filling in between layers of apple cider cake topped with a berry cream cheese frosting. Decorate with whole and crushed meringues for a decorative touch!
Apple Cider Cake
Full of fall and winter flavors, this layer cake is simple and not dissimilar from my pumpkin cake recipe. The apple cider version, however, has more structure to it making it a dream to frost. The trick is boiling down the apple cider… and I mean really boiling it down! I use three cups of cider and boil it down to a half cup, which results in a concentrated almost syrup-like consistency. You can use either pasteurized or unpasteurized apple cider for this. If you use the latter, you’ll get an even more syrup-like texture.
Cranberry-Berry Filling
The filling layer for this cake is very versatile. If you like very tart flavors, then opt for a pure cranberry filling. If you prefer slightly tart/sweet, then opt for a cranberry-berry combo (recipe below). I use fresh fruit usually but you can also use frozen fruits– just make sure to reduce the amount of water by about half if you’re using frozen. If you’re pinched for time you can also use store-bought berry jam.
Another option is to skip this filing and increase the cream cheese frosting recipe by half to spread a layer of that in between the apple cider cake instead!
Cranberry-Berry Cream Cheese Frosting
A simple cream cheese frosting, this recipe calls for one to two tablespoons of the cranberry-berry filling to add a rosy, light pink hue to the frosting. If you prefer a pure, cream-like color, then you can skip this step.
Meringue Topping
A nice way to add a decorative touch to any cake is by topping it with some meringues. I like to do this after I’ve baked the cake because they need about 90 minutes in the oven (which is what I usually need to make the frosting and assemble the cake). You can add some color variety to the meringues by straining a tablespoon of the cranberry-berry filling into the whipped egg sugar mixture.
These meringues are optional but are very delicious! They won’t be as crisp the next day if you store your cake in the fridge so I suggest doing these the day of serving if you’re baking the cake ahead of time.
Storing
Gently wrap the cake in plastic wrap or cover the cake with a large Tupperware bowl turned upside down and store in the fridge for up to three days.
Apple Cider Cake with Cranberry-Raspberry Filling
Equipment
- 2 8-inch round pans
- 1 handheld mixer
- 1 saucepan
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, room temp (plus 1 tbsp more for greasing pans)
- 3 cups apple cider
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 egg
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2½ cup flour, plus 1 tbsp more for greasing the pans
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 oz cream cheese
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1-2 tbsp cran-raspberry filling (see below)
Cran-Raspberry Filling
- 6 oz cranberries
- 6 oz raspberries * to save time can also use raspberry jam
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ cup sugar
Optional Meringue Topping
- 2 egg whites
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp strained cranberry-berry filling (optional)
Instructions
Apple Cider Cake
- In a medium saucepan, boil the apple cider for about 25-30 minutes until it's reduced to about 1/2 cup. Set aside.
- Heat oven to 350°. Grease the pans with butter. If you're using a tin with grooves in it, use a pastry brush to make sure the butter gets in all the crevices. Sprinkle flour over the pans to ensure each one is lightly floured.
- Cream butter with the sugars until paler and fluffier with a handheld mixer on medium-high. About 3 minutes.
- Add eggs, vanilla and apple cider reduction. Mix until combined.
- Add in the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon until the batter comes together (it will get thicker).
- Pour half the batter in one tin and the rest in the other. Bake for 30 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a knife or toothpick into the center of one (it should come out clean when ready).
- Let cool for 10 minutes then remove cakes from pan and let cool completely on wire rack.
Cranberry-Berry Filling
- In the same saucepan as the apple cider, pour the cranberries and berries into the along with the water, sugar, and lemon juice. Boil on high for 10 minutes. Stir every few minutes.
- After 10 minutes, turn the heat off ( it will be soupy but it will thicken as it cools.) Let it sit for 20-30 minutes to thicken.
Cranberry-Berry Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla together until a frosting-like texture forms.
- Take 1-2 tablespoons of the reserved cranberry-berry filling and use a small strainer to strain the filling into the frosting. This will give the cake a light pink hue but is optional. You can also skip this step for a more neutral cream-colored frosting.
Optional Meringue Topping
- Preheat oven to 200°. Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Whip the egg whites until frothy. Add in the granulated sugar, a tablespoon at a time, whisking at every interval. It should start to thicken and turn snowy white. Once you have stiff peaks, add in the sifted powdered sugar and fold gently using a spatula until just combined. You can also strain a teaspoon of the cranberry-berry filling into the mixture if you'd like some light pink meringues.
- Using a piping bag or a ziplock bag with a corner slightly cut off, pipe dollops of the meringue onto the pan. There's no need to be precise here in terms of size. *You can also strain a teaspoon of the cranberry-berry filling into the mixture if you'd like some light pink meringues. Bake in oven for 90 minutes.
Assembly
- Spread a layer of the cranberry-berry filling in between the two layers of apple cider cake. Using an offset spatula (or a knife), spread the cream cheese frosting on top and on the sides.
- Take some of the meringues and place them on top. For added visual texture, you can crush some meringues and sprinkle on top and using your hand, press them onto the sides of the cake.