An Applesauce Cake recipe that is a moist cake, rich with flavour and stuffed with plump juicy raisins. The natural sweetness from the applesauce and fruit creates an awesome flavor with every bite.
A simple cake made with simple ingredients, it’s one of my favorite fall desserts. I literally serve this for brunch, and sometimes, because I’m an adult, I’ll enjoy a piece with my cup of coffee in the morning.
Easy recipes are what we’re about with this amazingly moist applesauce cake. Why stress over anything complicated when you can bake perfection with this simple cake recipe?
And lovingly wrapped in Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting? Yes, please!
You could call it Cinnamon Applesauce Cake. I’ll call it delicious.
I baked it in a bundt pan, but you could use a regular 8 x 8 cake pan too. You have baking options because this cake recipe made with applesauce is versatile.
Sound good?
Now if you are looking for a healthy applesauce cake recipe, you could leave off the cream cheese frosting. But…
It really kinda makes the cake!
I added a teaspoon of cinnamon to our basic cream cheese frosting recipe (we’ve got a video for that!) and it’s really just so good.
There are lots of applesauce cake recipes out there too! Ina Garten, the Pioneer Woman, and Southern Living all have great recipes.
Applesauce Cake Recipe
I found this recipe in my Grandma’s Recipe Ledger – so it’s certainly a vintage recipe and one that’s been in the family recipe archives for generations.
This is an Applesauce Spice Cake. It feeds a crowd – just like our awesome carrot cake recipe or no bake apple pie lasagna.
But here’s the thing.
What about some Applesauce Muffins?
Frosted with some yummy Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting? You can create any family recipe that you want with the simple ingredients and steps!
Yep, that got your attention, didn’t it. It definitely got mine!
So let’s go bake together ok? I promise that this moist and delicious cake recipe is one that you’re going to love to make over and over again.
When you have a simple cake recipe this good, you have to keep it close so that you can refer to it always.
Xo
Ingredients you will need to bake your own Old Fashioned Applesauce Cake Recipe
- unsalted butter
- brown sugar
- eggs
- molasses
- all purpose flour
- baking powder
- salt
- cinnamon
- nutmeg
- cloves
- ground flax
- unsweetened applesauce
- raisins
Want to try something different with an Applesauce Bundt Cake?
Try this cinnamon cream cheese glaze!
- ½ pkg cream cheese
- 1 cup sifted powdered sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 4 to 5 tsp vanilla flavoured coffee cream.
Just mix it all up and drizzle it all over your cake. Yum. Yum.
How to make the best Applesauce Cake
This is one of my favorite apple desserts and sweet cakes to make. It’s perfect for the holiday season and is truly a decadent dessert. When it comes to making homemade dessert recipes, you’re going to love this apple flavor.
Step 1: Mix the ingredients
Use unsweetened applesauce in a jar – try to get an organic brand. It’s so much easier and has the right texture for cakes.
Measure your flour by using a spoon to fill your measuring cup, then use a knife to level it off.
Then sift it with your other dry ingredients in a medium bowl- baking powder, salt and spices. It’s an extra step, but makes your cakes so much better!
Use a large bowl with a stand mixer to get the butter and sugars well blended – or a hand mixer if that’s what you have. Either one are fine.
I recommend using medium speed to mix them up.
Step Two: Add the flour
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients (butter, sugar, eggs)
Step Three: Cool the cake
Let your cake cool completely before frosting.
How long do you bake a cake?
Not sure about how long to bake your cake? Try the lower range of the times given. You can always add a few minutes if your cake isn’t fully baked.
How do you know when a cake is done baking?
Use a toothpick or wooden skewer to test the centre of your cake. If it comes out clean, then the cake is fully baked and ready to cool on a wire rack.
Cake Baking FAQs
How do you make applesauce cake from scratch?
Use this recipe! It’s one of my Grandma’s favourites, and dates back to the early 1960’s. So easy and versatile, this applesauce cake recipe bakes up into a cake, or makes delicious muffins!
Can I use applesauce instead of oil in a cake?
Yes, absolutely. We use a combination, so that there is less oil, and therefore fewer calories. Our amazing carrot cake recipe uses part applesauce and part oil for a very moist, yummy cake. Just like this applesauce cake recipe.
Does this cake need to be refrigerated?
If you are leaving your cake naked, no frosting, then you can leave it out at room temperature for about three days. If you add our yummy Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting then it needs to go in the fridge.
What toppings can you add to the top of the cake?
This is the best part about this easy cake recipe! You can easily top it with anything that you’d like! I think that this easy applesauce cake tastes great with frosting or you can opt to use powdered sugar or even a caramel sauce drizzled instead.
You can also use caramel frosting, or even just serve this delicious homemade applesauce cake with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream as well!
A Delicious Applesauce Cake For You!
Just the wonderful smells from baking this cake will gather everyone in your home! The rich molasses, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg all blend to give you a moist, dense cake. Almost like a pound cake.
This is a perfect cake that is meant to be savored, with friends and family, and a delicious cup of coffee.
Applesauce Cake- A Vintage Recipe
If you've been looking for a delicious spice cake that looks as good as it tastes you've arrived! A rich moist cake you can bake in a bundt pan, square or as a layer cake, and smother it in creamy cinnamon cream cheese frosting. xo
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs at room temperature
- ½ cup molasses
- 1 ¾ cup sifted all purpose flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp cloves
- 1/4 cup ground flax
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup raisins
Instructions
!Cake
Preheat oven to 350F
Cream butter and sugar
Beat in eggs one at a time
Stir in molasses - set aside
Sift flour with baking powder, salt, and spices
Add wheat germ and raisins to the dry mixture
Mix the dry mixture into the wet, alternatively with the applesauce
Pour into a prepared pan
Bake 350F in a 9” square - 55 min
2- 8” round pans - 40 min
1 bundt pan - 55 to 60 minutes
!Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
1 pkg whole fat cream cheese
½ cup unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
4 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
Combine all ingredients and beat until creamy and stiff
Frost your cooled cake and enjoy!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 390Total Fat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 359mgCarbohydrates: 62gFiber: 3gSugar: 37gProtein: 5g
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Judy Kahansky
Judy Kahansky is an experienced baker and writer. She loves to take classic and vintage recipes and update them to fit the busy lives of her readers. When not baking, Judy and her husband Mark are passionate golfers, travelers and dog lovers, spending as much time as they can with their sweet pup Millie.