Ingredients

Cake:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 ¼ cups superfine sugar
2 large eggs
2 ½ cups unsweetened applesauce, preferably homemade style
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, cut into ½-inch pieces
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 Tb confectioners’ sugar
2 Tb Calvados or brandy (optional)

Cider Glaze:
2 cups apple cider, plus more as needed
4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 lemons

Method

1. Preheat oven to 325. Butter a 9 ½-inch Bundt pan. Coat with ¼ cup superfine sugar; tap out excess sugar, and set mold aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and remaining 2 cups superfine sugar on medium speed, scraping down sides as needed, until mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, and beat 2-3 minutes more. Fold in applesauce (if you use homemade, make sure to let it cool down first!), being careful not to over mix).
3. Into a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Fold mixture into applesauce mixture. Add chocolate pieces, Calvados and vanilla; mix until just combined. Pour batter into prepared pan; smooth top with a rubber spatula.
4. Bake until cake pulls away from sides of pan and is springy to the touch, and a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly before inverting cake onto rack. Re invert; let cool completely.
5. Sift confectioners’ sugar over cake. Pour cider glaze over top of cake, allowing it to drip down sides.

Cider Glaze:

1. Combine cider and 1 cup sugar in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat.
2. Skim surface, removing any cider sediment that rises to top. Reduce heat; simmer until liquid begins to thicken into a glaze, about 30 minutes.
3. Remove cider glaze from heat; let stand until cool enough to touch.
4. Return to low heat and allow to reduce until ¾ cup. Whisk remaining 3 cups confectioners’ sugar into glaze. Remove from heat. If glaze is too thin, let it cool slightly. If it is too thick, add a little more cider. Use immediately.

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