Applesauce Cake

This delicious and moist Applesauce Cake combines the flavors of applesauce, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves, all topped with a delicious five-ingredient cinnamon cream cheese frosting.

I love to take this cake to potlucks, family reunions, and neighborhood shindigs. It has so much incredible apple flavor and is even better the day after it has been baked. I think I have mentioned a time or two that fall is my favorite time of the year. It will be here before you know it, and with it comes everything apple.

If your family is anything like mine, apple desserts are always a huge hit. This cake, apple cobbler, apple brown betty, and crock pot apple butter are just a few family and friends’ favorite apple recipes.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.

• Spices: ground cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. If desired, add a couple of pinches of ground ginger or allspice.
• Applesauce: unsweetened, all-natural
• Oil: Vegetable or canola
• Vanilla Extract: the pure stuff, please
• Nuts: walnuts or pecans
• Butter: unsalted or salted. If using salted butter, eliminate the added salt in the frosting.

How to Make Applesauce Cake

This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves in a medium bowl. In a large mixing bowl, combine the applesauce, eggs, vegetable oil, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.

Now, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in several increments, mixing just until combined. Then fold in the walnuts and pecans if using. Pour the mixture into a 9×13 baking pan that has been greased and floured or sprayed with nonstick baking spray. Bake for about 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Move the pan to a wire rack to cool.

Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand-held electric mixer, beat together the butter, cream cheese, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract until light, fluffy, and smooth. Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until well combined. Scrape down the bowl and beaters as needed. Spread on the fully-cooled cake. Because of the cream cheese frosting, this cake should be refrigerated.

Tips for Success

• If possible, use unsweetened applesauce, as sugar is already in the recipe.
• Do not over-mix the cake batter, as this can make it tough. Mix just until combined.
• This moist applesauce cake is even more delicious the day after baking, so plan accordingly.
• Thoroughly cool the cake before frosting. This can take several hours.

Storage and Freezing

With a cream cheese frosting, this cake should be stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Leftovers covered with plastic wrap can be stored in the fridge for up to four days.

Or cover the baking dish with two layers of plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and store it covered in the fridge.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Apple Desserts

Apple Brown Betty

Apple Cobbler

Apple Crumble

Apple Cake

Apple Strudel

Apple Crisp

Applesauce Cake Recipe

An easy, family-friendly, scrumptiously moist applesauce spice cake with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves. It is perfect for potlucks, family events, fall parties, and festivals.

5 from 39 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Southern

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour

Servings: 16 servings

Calories: 581kcal

Author: Beth Pierce

Ingredients

Cake

• 2½ cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 cups applesauce (unsweetened, all-natural)
• 2 large eggs room temperature
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ¾ cup chopped walnuts or pecans optional

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 8 ounces of cream cheese softened
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3½ cups powdered sugar

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking dish
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves.
• In a large bowl, combine the applesauce, eggs, vegetable oil, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract.
• Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture in several increments mixing just until combined. Fold in the walnuts and pecans if using. Pour the mixture into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.  Move the pan to a wire rack to fully cool.
• Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand-held electric mixer, beat together the butter, cream cheese, cinnamon, salt, and vanilla extract until light, fluffy and smooth.  Turn the mixer to low and gradually add the powdered sugar, beating until well combined. Scrape down the bowl and beaters as needed.
• Spread the frosting on the fully-cooled cake. This cake should be refrigerated because of the cream cheese frosting.

Notes

• If possible, use unsweetened applesauce, as sugar is already in the recipe.
• Do not over-mix the cake batter, as this can make it tough. Mix just until combined.
• This moist applesauce cake is even more delicious the day after baking, so plan accordingly.
• Thoroughly cool the cake before frosting. This can take several hours.
• This cake should be stored in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Leftovers covered with plastic wrap can be stored in the fridge for up to four days.

Nutrition

Calories: 581kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 65mg | Sodium: 226mg | Potassium: 117mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 49g | Vitamin A: 586IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 1mg

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