Applesauce Cake

This homemade applesauce cake is a simple moist cake infused with rich apple flavor and topped with old-fashioned buttery Penuche frosting. A perfect afternoon snack!

The aromas of home-baked applesauce cake bring back childhood memories and baking this recipe is just a natural stress relief for me.

This delicious cake is a beautiful way to use homemade applesauce or a great excuse to make some! It is also easy and quick to make even mid-week for a lightly sweetened dessert, a to-go snack, or for potlucks and picnics.

I personally love it for breakfast with a cup of hot coffee because it is not too sweet at all. If this fall you’re on an applesauce kick, try my recipe and let me know how it goes!

Applesauce Cake Ingredients

I’m making my easy applesauce cake from scratch, but if using boxed cake mix, the ingredients list will shorten immediately to just 3 ingredients plus whichever frosting you choose (simple sugar icing, buttercream, brown butter, cream cheese frosting, or just like me – classic penuche topping).

• Unsweetened applesauce is the star of the show and brings apple flavor to the cake. I would urge you to use homemade apple sauce but you can use store-bought too. Some of them are more chunky and some are silky – it’s just a personal preference. If using sweetened applesauce, just add less sugar later in the mix.
• Granulated sugar is a simple sweetener since I’m using unsweetened applesauce. White sugar works, as well as any other sugar to be honest.
• Vegetable oil, like canola oil, without a strong flavor, to make the most moist cake you’ve ever had.
• Eggs, room temperature
• Milk, room temperature
• 1:1 gluten-free flour blend – I don’t use wheat flour in this cake recipe, so it is a completely gluten-free mix.
• Baking powder and baking soda help the cake have a nice fluffy spongey texture and rise in the oven.
• Ground cinnamon is my favorite add-on to this cake. I love the combination of warm cinnamon and apples and it just screams fall and delicious!
• Salt. Kosher salt is best

Old-Fashioned Penuche Frosting Ingredients

• Unsalted butter, room temperature – (1 stick)
• Milk – the second most important ingredient in the frosting.
• Brown sugar. Light brown sugar has a milder flavor and less molasses, while dark brown sugar adds a really deep caramel flavor.
• Salt simply balances the sweetness. The frosting won’t taste salty.
• Confectioner’s sugar – sifted or powdered sugar. Both work well to make buttermilk or penuche frosting

Kitchen Equipment

• 9×13-inch baking pan lined with parchment paper or greased with a non-stick baking spray. You can use round baking dishes too, or a bundt pan (makes a very pretty cake).
• Mixing bowl to make the frosting.
• Optional, stand mixer to combine the cake batter ingredients.

How To Make Applesauce Cake Recipe

This is a pretty easy applesauce cake recipe that you can follow.

The main steps are to make the batter, bake the cake, prep the frosting while the cake bakes, and then frost the cake. See, easy!

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177ºC). 
2. Prepare a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or grease and dust with flour.
3. Combine applesauce, oil, eggs, sugar, and milk in a large mixing bowl and beat well for about 4 minutes.
4. Whisk the flour blend, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a separate bowl.
5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and beat just until blended.
6. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
7. Bake the cake for 45 to 55 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake returns clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
8. Place the baking pan on a wire rack and let the cake cool completely. It can take a couple of hours.
9. While the cake bakes, prepare the frosting.

How To Make Penuche Frosting

1. Combine the butter, brown sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Beat on high until fluffy, about 6 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. 
2. Add the confectioner’s sugar, starting on low and then increasing after it is mostly mixed in. 
3. Add the milk, scrape down the sides, and continue mixing until the frosting forms. 
4. Increase the mixer speed and beat until fluffy.
5. Spread the frosting into an even layer on the cooled cake before serving.

Storage

Storing: Let the cake cool and store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days or tightly wrapped in plastic wrap on the counter for 2 days.

Freezing: applesauce cake freezes well but it is better to freeze it without the frosting. Let the cake cool completely, then wrap it in plastic and in foil. Can store in the freezer for 2-3 months.

To serve thaw overnight in the fridge.

Making ahead: You can make a large batch ahead and freeze the cake without frosting in individual bags. Warm up gently in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.

Applesauce Cake Variations

• Cream cheese frosting. In a large bowl beat cream cheese with sugar and butter until soft peaks form. To flavor it you can use vanilla, coconut, or almond extract.
• Vanilla frosting. Simply add vanilla extract to your favorite type of frosting.
• Try caramel frosting. Caramel and apples work amazingly together like in caramel candy apples. However, it tends to set and crack quickly. So I wouldn’t freeze it.
• Vegan frostings are melted coconut butter with sugar glaze, vegan cream cheese frosting, or simple coconut whipped cream.
• To add texture, add some chopped walnuts, dates, bourbon or golden raisins, toasted pecans, or even fresh apples to the cake batter. Chopped nuts or halved pecans make a nice decoration as well.
• Make spiced applesauce cake. Add warm spices like ground cinnamon, ginger, pumpkin, clove, cardamom, and/or nutmeg.
• The old-fashioned applesauce spice cake used shortening instead of oil or butter.

Tips To Make The Best Cake

• No time or desire to make the frosting? Simply dust the cake with some powdered sugar! That’s how my mother used to do it too. Or no frosting at all. This is a perfect cake just on its own.
• For homemade cake use room temperature ingredients to make sure they combine well and leave no chunks.
• It is best to make the applesauce cake one day ahead as it gets the most moist the next day. You can frost it directly before serving.
• I prefer to use the cake batter by hand to not over-mix it. The overdone batter is not fluffy and chewy, tougher than usual.

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Popular Questions

Can I Use Cake Mix?

Yes! Instead of making the cake from scratch, you can use vanilla cake mix or any other flavors of a boxed mix. You will still need to add applesauce to the dry mix as it is the main ingredient of this recipe.

What Does Applesauce Replace In Baking Cakes?

Applesauce is a 1:1 ratio oil substitute in baking, and it can also replace eggs. Using applesauce cake instead of eggs or oil will affect how high the cake rises when baked but it won’t affect the moist texture. 

If you love this cake recipe, you’re going to love these other tasty treats too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

More Great Recipes With Applesauce

Instant Pot Applesauce

Applesauce Oatmeal Cookies

Applesauce Muffin Recipe

Chocolate Chip Applesauce Cookies

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