Prepreparing the Apple Cider:

1. Pour 1 cup of apple cider into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. Let it simmer until it’s reduced to ¼ cup, which takes about 10-15 minutes.
3. Cool the reduced cider completely. You can do this step ahead of time, even the day before.

Making the Donuts:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and grease your donut pans with non-stick cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, beat together 1 cup of granulated sugar and ¼ cup of softened unsalted butter until well combined.
3. Add in the beaten eggs and mix until everything is well blended.
4. Pour in ½ cup of buttermilk and the cooled, reduced apple cider. Mix it all together until it’s well combined.
5. In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together 3 ½ cups of all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 teaspoon of baking soda, 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon of nutmeg, and ½ teaspoon of salt.
6. Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined.
7. Fill your donut pans about halfway full with the batter.
8. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes or until the donuts are lightly browned.
9. Let the donuts cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then remove them from the pan before glazing.

Creating the Cinnamon Topping:

1. Combine ½ cup of granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon in a bowl.
2. Melt ¼ cup of unsalted butter and let it cool slightly.
3. Dip each donut into the melted butter and then immediately coat both sides with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
4. Place them on a wire rack.

Preparing the Glaze:

1. In another bowl, whisk together 1 cup of powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, and 2 tablespoons of apple cider until it’s smooth.
2. Dip one side of each donut into the glaze, allowing any excess to drip off, and place them back on the wire rack.