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.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Southern

Keyword applesauce cake recipe, how to make applesauce cake, how to make cake with applesauce, recipe for applesauce cake

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 1

Servings servings

Calories 775kcal

Author Beth Pierce

Ingredients

Cake

2 ½ 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
2 large eggs room temperature
1 cup vegetable oil
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup light brown sugar
1 ½ 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
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
3 ½ cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9x13-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, and vanilla 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.

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