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Perfectly moist, this spiced applesauce cake is one delicious sweet treat. Topped with a cream cheese frosting, this simple cake is spiced with cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg, making it the perfect treat for fall.
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There really is nothing quite like a homemade cake, and this old-fashioned applesauce cake ticks all of the right boxes. When it comes to Fall desserts, this is one of my all-time favorite desserts I make on repeat every year. After a fun day at the apple orchard with the kids, I love to make a batch of homemade applesauce in the Instant Pot. And the best part? I use it to bake this moist and delicious applesauce cake!
Serve as a dessert to a crowd, or enjoy with a mid-afternoon cup of coffee.
Be sure to try my Apple Almond Cake, Pumpkin Cake, and Flourless Chocolate Cake too!
Why You Need To Try This
- Easy to make: There’s no complicated baking techniques needed to make this easy applesauce cake. Just mix the ingredients together and bake.
- Moist: The applesauce not only adds flavor and sweetness, but it also helps to keep the cake wonderfully moist, just the way cake should be!
- Make ahead: This applesauce cake actually tastes even better the next day! The flavors have time to meld, making it even more rich and delicious.
Ingredients
- Flour: You can use either all-purpose flour or a 1:1 GF flour to make this cake.
- Baking soda and baking powder: So that your cake rises when it bakes.
- Seasonings: Salt, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, and vanilla extract.
- Eggs: We will need whole eggs to bind the ingredients together. Use large eggs, and always organic pasture-raised if you can.
- Coconut oil: This eliminates the need to add butter and helps to keep the cake nice and moist.
- Applesauce: You can use store-bought unsweetened applesauce. Sometimes I like to use my homemade applesauce recipe if I have any on hand.
- Sugar: I prefer to use coconut or brown sugar in this recipe. It adds more of a depth of flavor compared to white sugar.
- Nuts: Chopped walnuts or pecans add a great texture to the cake. I prefer to chop them coarsely so they add to the texture of the cake.
- Raisins: Raisins add a nice burst of fruity sweetness and they work so well with the spices.
- Frosting: Cream cheese, butter, vanilla extract, powdered sugar and cinnamon.
How To Make an Applesauce Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and place parchment paper in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in a medium bowl.
- In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add coconut oil, sugar, and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer until well incorporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Add applesauce. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined, then stir in walnuts and raisins.
- Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool completely.
- Combine all frosting ingredients (cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract) in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Spread frosting evenly on top of cooled cake. Cut the cake into small squares and decorate with chopped walnuts.
TIPS FROM NELI’S KITCHEN
Recipe Notes and Tips for the best applesauce cake recipe
- Line your baking dish with parchment so that it’s easy to remove once it is baked.
- Preheat your oven while you are mixing the batter. If the cake is put in a cold oven, it won’t cook through.
- If the cake is browning too much on top, you can cover it loosely with foil.
- Let the cake cool fully before frosting it. If it’s still warm, it will slide right off.
- To make this cake gluten-free, use gluten-free flour.
- To make it Paleo & Whole30, use a Paleo frosting.
How To Store It
Unfrosted, it will keep well for 5 days at room temperature and up to a week in the fridge. If frosted, keep refrigerated for up to 5 days. Make sure that the cake is fully cooled before storing it in an airtight container.
How To Freeze It
Yes, you can freeze this healthy applesauce cake if it isn’t frosted. Wrap it securely in plastic wrap and foil, before placing in a container or bag to keep it fresh. It will keep well for 3 months and can be defrosted at room temperature before frosting.
Why use applesauce in a cake?
Using applesauce eliminates the need to use butter to make the cake, and it also makes it super moist with the most perfect crumb. It adds a great fall flavor, especially when combined with the spices. Use unsweetened applesauce, as there is already a sweetener used in the cake and the frosting.
More Sweet Treats
Loved this cake? Then you won’t want to miss these other delicious sweet treats!
If you enjoyed this Applesauce Cake recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
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Applesauce Cake
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Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups flour, all purpose or gluten-free
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted
- 1 cup coconut sugar, or brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups applesauce
- ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, plus extra for decorating frosting
- ½ cup raisins
Frosting
- 5 oz cream cheese, softened at room temperature
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and place parchment paper in a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in a medium bowl.
- In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add coconut oil, sugar, and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer until well incorporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Add applesauce. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined, then stir in walnuts and raisins.
- Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake until golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool completely.
- Combine all frosting ingredients (cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract) in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Spread frosting evenly on top of cooled cake. Cut the cake into small squares and decorate with chopped walnuts.
Video
Notes
- Line your baking dish with parchment so that it’s easy to remove once it is baked.
- Preheat your oven while you are mixing the batter. If the cake is put in a cold oven, it won’t cook through.
- If the cake is browning too much on top, you can cover it loosely with foil.
- Let the cake cool fully before frosting it. If it’s still warm, it will slide right off.
- To make this cake gluten-free, use gluten-free flour.
- To make it Paleo & Whole30, use a Paleo frosting.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer: Nutritional values are estimates and may vary with ingredients, brands, and portion sizes. For accuracy, use your preferred nutrition calculator.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this recipe is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical or nutritional advice. I am not a doctor or a dietitian. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalized guidance regarding your diet or health. For more details, please read my full disclosure page.
This Applesauce Cake sounds amazing! I love how it combines delicious flavors with healthier ingredients. Can’t wait to try it out for my next family gathering!
Thank you! 😊 I love how the applesauce keeps the cake moist and flavorful while making it a bit healthier. I hope you and your family love it!
I made this cake for the monthly challenge and loved it! It has great flavor and a moist, tender crumb. I used homemade applesauce and it was just delicious!
I baked this cake for the Monthly Cooking Challenge. It was a hit! Moist and full of fall flavor. Easy to make.
My family loved this!
Don’t have coconut oil. Can I use butter instead?
This turned out really good! I used a Einkorn flour and didn’t add any icing. Perfectly sweet and moist! Great recipe to use up tons of applesauce that I made in the summer!