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Applesauce Cake
Applesauce Cake is a rich cake flavored with cinnamon, sugar, applesauce, walnuts, and raisins, and topped with a luscious layer of cream cheese icing.
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Applesauce cake is a moist and tender spice cake flavored with the perfect amount of spices. This favorite old-fashioned dessert is made with applesauce, raisins, and walnuts, and topped with a velvety layer of cream cheese icing. Enjoy a slice for dessert or even breakfast.
If you love this spiced Applesauce Cake you’ll also want to make Applesauce Cookies, Caramel Apple Spice Cake Crisp, or baked apple donuts.
Applesauce Cake Ingredients
You will need:
Cake
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups cinnamon applesauce
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Substitutions and Additions
ADD-INS: You could add chocolate chips, oatmeal, coconut, carrots, or pumpkin to this tasty moist cake. It’s also delish with just a dash of ginger added.
RAISINS: Sultana or golden raisins would both work fine in this sweet cake recipe.
How to Make This Applesauce Cake Recipe
For the Cake
STEP ONE: Preheat oven to 350°F.
STEP TWO: In a small bowl, pour the milk and place the raisins in the milk. Let them sit while preparing the rest of the cake.
STEP THREE: Prepare a 9×13-inch pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper and spraying with nonstick spray.
STEP FOUR: In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
STEP FIVE: In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars until mixed.
STEP SIX: Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until mixed together.
STEP SEVEN: Add the dry ingredients slowly to the butter and sugar mixture and beat just until combined.
STEP EIGHT: Add the applesauce and mix on low just until combined.
STEP NINE: Add the raisins and milk mixture and the walnuts and mix until just combined.
STEP TEN: Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
STEP ELEVEN: Once the cake has cooled, frost with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.
For the Frosting
PRO TIP: If you want to skip the frosting, you could sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar instead.
STEP TWELVE: In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
PRO TIP: Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature so that you don’t end up with lumps in your frosting.
STEP THIRTEEN: Add the powdered sugar and beat on low until powdered sugar is mostly mixed in.
STEP FOURTEEN: Add cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt. Mix on medium speed until all smooth and creamy.
STEP FIFTEEN: Once the cake has cooled, use an offset or rubber spatula to frost the top of the cake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.
PRO TIP: You could also bake this simple recipe in a bundt cake pan, a loaf pan, or make them as muffins!
How to Serve
Enjoy your deliciously spiced Applesauce Cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce on top. This sweet cake would be tasty with a warm cup of apple cider or homemade pumpkin spice latte. A lovely cake for a special occasion or a get-together with friends.
Storage
IN THE FRIDGE: Since the frosting has cream cheese in it, we’d recommend storing any leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
IN THE FREEZER: I would suggest freezing the cake by itself before topping it with the frosting. Add the icing after thawing, before serving. It will store in a well-wrapped, freezer-safe container for two to three months.
Applesauce Cake is rich and irresistible, flavored with cinnamon, sugar, applesauce, walnuts, and raisins. The moist cake is topped with a luscious layer of homemade cream cheese icing. Simple to make, the warm spices make this classic cake a cozy treat that’s a family favorite.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I can’t find cinnamon applesauce in the store?
We would suggest using plain unsweetened applesauce and then adding two extra teaspoons of cinnamon in place of the cinnamon applesauce.
Can I freeze this homemade cake?
This delicious applesauce cake freezes well although we would recommend freezing it unfrosted and waiting to add the frosting until you are ready to serve.
Can I store this cake on the counter?
Since the frosting contains cream cheese, we’d recommend keeping the cake in the fridge.
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Applesauce Cake
Applesauce Cake is a rich cake flavored with cinnamon, sugar, applesauce, walnuts, and raisins, and topped with a luscious layer of cream cheese icing.
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon cloves
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups cinnamon applesauce
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup raisins
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- ½ cup butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a small bowl, pour the milk and place the raisins in the milk. Let them sit while preparing the rest of the cake.
- Prepare a 9×13-inch pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper and spraying with nonstick spray.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars until mixed.
- Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until mixed together.
- Add the dry ingredients slowly to the butter and sugar mixture and beat just until combined.
- Add the applesauce and mix on low just until combined.
- Add the raisins and milk mixture and the walnuts and mix until just combined.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Once the cake has cooled, frost with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.
Frosting
- In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
- Add the powdered sugar and beat on low until powdered sugar is mostly mixed in.
- Add cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt and mix on medium speed until all smooth and creamy.
- Once the cake has cooled, use an offset or rubber spatula to frost the top of the cake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.
Video
Notes
- You could also bake this simple recipe in a bundt cake pan, a loaf pan, or make them as muffins!
- If you want to skip the frosting, you could sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar instead.
- Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature so that you don’t end up with lumps in your frosting.
Comments
Gloria says
Delicious! Just like grandma always made.
Sandy says
Can you use plain applesauce if you don’t have cinnamon applesauce?
layne says
Yes!