Who doesn’t love doughnuts?

It’s no secret that Americans love their doughnuts. We’re all accustomed to the classic yeasty, fried and glazed sweet treat, which is hard to beat. But have you ever had an apple cider cake-style doughnut?

It’s a sweet treat that is spiced generously with nutmeg and cinnamon and brimming with apple goodness. The magic of the dessert is the addition of apple cider, which has been reduced to syrup. The sweet cider syrup intensifies the apple flavor. Plus, the doughnut is baked, not fried. It is essentially a muffin batter, which has been baked in a doughnut pan. After the doughnuts have been baked and cooled, they are rolled in cinnamon and sugar. The result is a small round cake with a hole in the center that has a crunchy, sweet, sugary texture. It’s a great way to use up apple cider from your autumn outings. The doughnuts embody fall’s warmth and are a hit with both kids and adults.

If you grew up or have lived on the East Coast, you know apple cider doughnuts are synonymous with fall, particularly in New England, where there are apple orchards from Maine to Connecticut. That’s where apple cider was first added to flavor the fluffy, golden rings during colonial times. It was a fast way for orchard owners to use up apple cider before it spoiled. The idea of apple cider doughnuts spread throughout the area and became an iconic fall treat in the region.

Abby Soukup, a former reporter at The Gazette, grew up in Westborough, Mass. As a young girl, she went with her mom and sister to the Tougas Family Farm every year to pick apples for apple butter. And for the apple cider doughnuts.

“We had to get there extra early to beat the crowds to get in line for the famous apple cider doughnuts because they would run out of them really quickly,” Soukup said in a text message. “There’s just something special in New England this time of year. Apple cider doughnuts are not as popular out here, but I’ve enjoyed going to Happy Apple Farm in Penrose for their doughnuts on weekends.”

Liz Dean, who owns Cotton Blossom Caramel in Black Forest, waxes poetic about the apple cider doughnuts of her childhood. They were the inspiration for her creation, Salted Caramel Apple Cider Donuts.

“I’m all about nostalgia and finding joy in things that bring back those warm, happy memories,” she said. “As a child, I have such fond memories of enjoying apple cider doughnuts with my momma at a small orchard near where we lived in Nebraska. Those doughnuts were a part of my childhood. Years later, as an adult, I had the chance to visit the Northeast in the fall and experience them again, and it was pure magic. That memory inspired me to create my own version of those beloved fall treats.”

Those apple cider doughnuts quickly became the top sellers at her little cabin sweet shop in the forest. And, since caramels are Dean’s specialty, of course she had to have some gooey sweet candy in her doughnut recipe too.

“I melt caramels in the butter I use for making the doughnuts,” she said. “Depending on demand, I typically make around 500 cider doughnuts each week, but it can go up to 800 when orders are high.”

We discovered Dean’s twist on apple cider doughnuts at the Black Forest Bistro.

“Have you had apple cider doughnuts?” asked Mike House, co-owner of the restaurant. “If you haven’t, I highly recommend you try them. They are delicious.”

House wasn’t kidding. And, although we had apple cider doughnuts when we lived on the East Coast, Dean’s version of the doughnut was exceptional.

When we paid Dean a visit to her sweet shop across the street, we learned that her apple cider doughnuts have been such a success she came up with variations on the recipe for other times of the year.

“It all started with my apple cider doughnuts, and now I’ve created a unique flavor for every season,” she said. “From gingerbread for Christmas to frosted cherry for Valentine’s Day, pistachio almond for St. Patrick’s Day, glazed lemon for Easter, and strawberry crunch for spring. There’s always something new and delicious I’m whipping up.”

We wrapped up our tasty visit with Dean with a few questions:

Why cake doughnuts?

“I have a cottage food certificate, so I make all my candy and sweets in my home kitchen,” she said. “I went with baked cake-style doughnut because I don’t have frying equipment. Plus, the cake-style doughnut doesn’t require yeast and is faster to make and is easy to adapt to other flavors.”

Is special equipment needed?

“Yes, I use doughnut pans, which you can order online or at kitchen stores,” she said. “Or you can make them like muffins in a muffin pan. Instead of rolling them in the sugar cinnamon mixture, just sprinkle it on top of the muffins after they cool from baking.”

Apple cider source?

“When I first started making the doughnuts I used apple cider,” she said. “I had to boil it down to concentrate the flavor. Now that I make so many doughnuts a week, it takes too long to reduce the juice. Instead, I order apple cider syrup online.”

So, now with a few of Dean’s secrets to success, here’s a recipe for you to try your hand at making some sugary, crunchy apple cider doughnuts on your own.

No time to bake? Some doughnut chains, like Dunkin’ Donuts, sell them seasonally. Or plan to dine at Black Forest Bistro or check out Dean’s festive shop at 6755 Shoup Road Cabin B, Black Forest, where you can buy a dozen freshly baked treats and savor the flavors of autumn.