Hard Cider Spice Cake with Apples and Cider Glaze

Combine raisins and hard cider in a small heavy saucepan and bring just to a simmer over medium-high heat, and then remove from heat. Let raisins soak for about 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch Bundt pan.

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together butter and sugars until mixture is light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition, and then beat in vanilla.

In another bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, ras el hanout, lemon zest and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture and beat on low speed just until ingredients are incorporated.

Fold apples into batter. Drain raisins, reserving soaking liquid.

Fold raisins and 2 tablespoons of the soaking liquid into batter (reserve remaining liquid for glaze). Spoon batter to the prepared pan, smoothing the top.

Bake until cake is golden brown and the center springs back when touched, about 45 minutes.

Cool cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto the rack and cool for at least 1 hour.

Meanwhile, make the glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup of the powdered sugar, lemon juice, salt and remaining soaking liquid until a thick, pourable glaze forms (add remaining 1/4 cup powdered sugar if needed for a thicker glaze).

Immediately pour glaze over cake, moving slowly and evenly to cover as much of the cake as possible. Let glaze set before serving.