Made with applesauce and full of warm spices, this applesauce cake recipe is a simple but delicious cake that you can whip up with kitchen staples. This cake is perfect for any occasion, from a get-together or just as an afternoon snack. You can even enjoy it for breakfast!
I love how the cake is light and fluffy but still moist and rich. It’s so effortless to make. The batter comes together without a mixer; once stirred together, simply pour it into a pan and bake! No layering, leveling, or any fuss. Want another easy cake recipe? Try my pumpkin cake recipe, banana cake recipe, or peanut butter cake.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Sugar — for the best flavor, texture, and crumb structure, use both white and brown sugar for the cake batter. If you do not have brown sugar on hand, you can make some by following my guide on how to make brown sugar. The molasses in the brown sugar keeps the cake moist, so I don’t suggest skipping it.
Leavening agents — to keep the crumb light and fluffy, I use both baking soda and baking powder to help lift the cake.
Warm spices — the cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger pair wonderfully with the apple flavor and makes the cake taste so cozy.
Walnuts — chopped walnuts add a crunchy contrasting texture to the cake. Pecans are a great alternative.
Applesauce — you can use store-bought or my homemade applesauce recipe. Both work great in this cake recipe. Not only will the applesauce add apple flavor to the cake, but it also gives the cake a rich and moist crumb. Avoid using sweetened applesauce as there is already sugar added to the cake batter.
Oil — use a flavorless oil such as vegetable oil. The oil helps keep the applesauce cake soft and moist.
Vanilla extract — for the best flavor, I suggest using real vanilla extract instead of artificial extract.
Butter — make sure you use unsalted butter to prevent the cake from tasting salty. The butter needs to be at room temperature to avoid a lumpy frosting.
Confectioners’ sugar — avoid swapping powdered sugar for another sugar. The fine powder will make for a smooth frosting. You might also find this sugar labeled as icing sugar or powdered sugar.
How to Make Applesauce Cake
1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, all-spice, and salt. Stir in the walnuts.
2. In another medium mixing bowl, whisk together the applesauce, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined.
3. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture stirring just until combined.
4. Pour the applesauce cake batter into a greased 13×9–inch baking pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes and let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.
5 Make the frosting by beating butter on medium speed until creamy in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add the sugar alternating with the milk until combined. Add the vanilla and beat until fluffy.
6 Spread the frosting over the top of the cake. Garnish with walnuts if desired.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- A scale to measure your flour is highly recommended for the most accurate results. However, if you don’t have a scale, fluff your flour with a spoon and then spoon it into your cups before leveling it off with a knife. This method is the best way to measure flour without overpacking the measuring cup, leading to a heavy applesauce cake.
- Lining the cake pan will help prevent the bottom of the cake from getting too dark. It’ll also make lifting the cake out of the pan much easier.
- Tap the cake pan on the counter a few times to pop any air bubbles and level out the batter in the pan for an even bake.
- Do not overmix the batter, or you’ll have a tough cake. Mix everything until just combined, and avoid using a mixer.
- Room temperature eggs incorporate evenly and quickly so you do not overmix the batter. If you forgot to bring the eggs out, put the cold eggs in a large bowl and cover them with warm tap water for 5 minutes.
- Make sure you allow the cake to cool fully before you frost it. If it is still warm, the frosting may melt off.
Frequently Asked Questions
Applesauce not only adds flavor, but the crumb becomes rich, tender, and moist. The applesauce acts like fat and allows the recipe to use less oil without sacrificing moisture and texture.
Applesauce adds a tangy tartness to the cake.
Store the cake covered in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also make the cake ahead of time and make the frosting the day of assembling.
This applesauce cake is freezer-friendly! You can freeze this cake frosted or unfrosted, whole or sliced. To freeze, allow the cake to cool to room temperature before wrapping it tightly with plastic wrap and then a layer of tin foil or transfer to a freezer-safe container. Store the cake for up to 3 months in the freezer. When ready to eat, thaw and then slice and serve. Frost if needed.
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If you’ve tried this Applesauce Cake recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Applesauce Cake
Equipment
- 13×9-inch cake pan
- Parchment paper
- Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour (300g)
- 1½ cups granulated sugar (300g)
- ½ cup packed brown sugar (110g)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground all-spice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup chopped walnuts (115g)
- 2 cups applesauce (480ml/560g)
- ½ cup vegetable oil (120ml)
- 3 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the Frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened 113g
- 3 cups confectioners’ sugar (360g)
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 13×9–inch baking pan with butter or baking spray and line with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, all-spice, and salt. Stir in the walnuts.
- In another medium mixing bowl, whisk together the applesauce, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until well combined. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture stirring just until combined. Pour into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Remove the cooled cake from the pan, discarding the parchment paper and place on a serving platter.
For the Frosting:
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy. Gradually add the sugar alternating with the milk until combined. Add the vanilla and beat until fluffy, adding additional milk if needed for a spreadable consistency.
- Spread the frosting over the top of the cake. Garnish with walnuts if desired.
Notes
- A scale to measure your flour is highly recommended for the most accurate results. However, if you don’t have a scale, fluff your flour with a spoon and then spoon it into your cups before leveling it off with a knife. This method is the best way to measure flour without overpacking the measuring cup, leading to a heavy applesauce cake.
- Lining the cake pan will help prevent the bottom of the cake from getting too dark. It’ll also make lifting the cake out of the pan much easier.
- Tap the cake pan on the counter a few times to pop any air bubbles and level out the batter in the pan for an even bake.
- Do not overmix the batter, or you’ll have a tough cake. Mix everything until just combined, and avoid using a mixer.
- Room temperature eggs incorporate evenly and quickly so you do not overmix the batter. If you forgot to bring the eggs out, put the cold eggs in a large bowl and cover them with warm tap water for 5 minutes.
- Make sure you allow the cake to cool fully before you frost it. If it is still warm, the frosting may melt off.
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