The Old-School Cake That's Been Around Since The 1800s

Hard cider has been a part of the American diet since its early colonial beginnings. Apple seeds and plants were even brought over on the Mayflower. The grains brought over from Britain didn't do well, but the apple trees thrived in the New England climate. This meant that the fruit and all things apple-related were heartily utilized by the early settlers. Not only did they eat them fresh, but they also added them to food, made vinegar, and, of course, made cider. Fermented drinks and alcohol were often used to replace unsafe drinking water. Ultimately someone figured out that it made a really tasty, moist, and tart cake.

While the oldest cider cake recipes we have a record for are from the early 1800s, it would be safe to say that the early colonists most likely enjoyed them as well. Cider cake recipes of the early 19th century were rather simple, but often, simple recipes make the best food. These recipes varied slightly, but all contained apple cider, flour, butter, eggs, a variety of sugar, and some form of early leavening like pearlash (the predecessor to baking soda). The apple cider was often mixed separately with the leavener to create carbon dioxide. This was the secret to getting your cake to rise. The rest of the batter would be added slowly to the bubbly concoction and then baked. Many recipes show people adding spices, fruit, or nuts for added flavor, much like how the cider cake gets adapted these days. Not only do people still drink cider today, but they also enjoy the same tasty cider-infused cakes.

While the classic apple pie is considered the iconic American dessert, cider cake was nearly as popular in the early beginnings of the U.S. It may have been overshadowed by its dessert cousin because of a small bit of history that caused the humble cider cake to be outlawed — Prohibition. During the Prohibition Era of the early 1920s, cider became illegal to make or consume. Many apple trees were cut down for this very reason. Sadly, this meant no more cider cake until after the end of Prohibition. After the end of outlawed cider, people replaced destroyed apple trees with fresh eating varieties and sweet baking apples. Cider wouldn't see a true revival until the 1990s when people rediscovered the flavorful, boozy alternative to beer.

With the rise in popularity once again of hard cider, the creative culinary uses followed suit. Apple cider-flavored donuts and the lovely cider cake have become second only to pumpkin-flavored everything during the fall season. With the rise of social media, cider cake is front and center on the FYP (aka your "for you page" on social media) with the slightest hint of an autumn breeze. As in the earliest days of this dessert's history, bakers have found ways to make this moist cake shine. Whether you top it with a tart apple glaze made from reduced hard cider, add fruit and nuts for a more traditional take, create a less boozy version of this apple cake, or even bake muffins using the cider cake base, this dessert is sure to be around for many years to come.