• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • About
    • Contact Me
    • Privacy Policy
  • Chickens and Farm Animals
  • Gardening
  • Recipes
  • Podcast
    • Guest Application

Beyond The Chicken Coop logo

menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipe Index
  • Chickens and Farm Animals
  • Gardening
  • About
    • Contact Me
    • Privacy Policy
  • Podcast
    • Guest Application
×
Home » Desserts » Applesauce Cake

Published: Apr 9, 2020 · Modified: Jan 26, 2022 by Kathy · This post may contain affiliate links

Applesauce Cake

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Jump to Recipe
A slice of applesauce cake with powdered sugar.

Applesauce cake is a very moist cake with warm spices of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

This delicious, easy to make eggless cake is perfectly finished with  just a sprinkling of powdered sugar or cinnamon sugar!

A slice of cake topped with powdered sugar.
Table of Contents
Why make this cake
Key ingredients
Step by step directions
Tips for making this cake
Recipe Faqs
Variations
More delicious cake recipes
Applesauce Cake

Why make this cake

At first glance, this cake isn't a show stopper. It's rather plain looking and unassuming. Don't judge a book, or cake by its cover!

First bite proves this is one delicious cake! The applesauce in this cake makes the cake very moist. The spices make every bite warm and cozy. 

Applesauce cake is an old fashioned cake made with a few basic pantry ingredients. No eggs are added. This cake is a depression era cake and reminds me a bit of chocolate mayonnaise cake in its simplicity. 

You know when a recipe has survived this long and is still made on a regular basis, that it's delicious! 

This cake is easily whipped together in just a few minutes. No frosting is needed. You can add just a dusting of powdered sugar to dress it up a bit.

Want a vegan cake? Just sub the butter out for canola oil and you're good to go!

Key ingredients

Ingredients for making applesauce cake.
  • Applesauce - use your favorite - homemade, unsweetened or sweetened. Avoid using artificially sweetened applesauce.
  • Butter - you can use oil and make this cake vegan
  • Spices - ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground nutmeg

Step by step directions

  • Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices together in a bowl
  • Cream butter in a mixing bowl until soft and fluffy. Mix in brown sugar
Flour and spices in a bowl.
Creamed butter and brown sugar.
  • Add half of flour mixture and combine
  • Add applesauce and vanilla 
Flour added to butter and brown sugar.
Applesauce in a mixing bowl with flour.
  • Mix in remaining flour mixture
  • Place in a greased baking dish
Cake batter in a mixing bowl.
A cake pan filled with batter.
  • Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 30 minutes
  • Allow cake to fully cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve.

Tips for making this cake

  • Use softened butter
  • When measuring brown sugar, firmly pack it into measuring cup
  • Do not overmix cake batter. Just stir until flour is mixed in
  • Allow cake to fully cool in baking dish
  • Add powdered sugar just before serving
  • Use an 8x8" baking dish and bake for 35-40 minutes or an 8x11" dish and bake for 30-35 minutes

Recipe Faqs

Can applesauce cake be made ahead of time?

Yes, you can make this cake one day ahead of your intended serving time. Once cake has fully cooled, cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature. Add powdered sugar just before serving.

Can I freeze applesauce cake?

Yes, this cake can be frozen for up to one  month. Allow cake to fully cool. Cover with plastic wrap and then foil. Label and date cake.

To use pull from freezer and allow to thaw at room temperature. Add powdered sugar just before serving. 

Variations

If you are looking for a few variations on this applesauce cake, consider adding any of the following options:

  • 1 cup of chopped walnuts
  • 1 cup of chopped pecans
  • ½ cup of raisins
  • ½ cup of dried cranberries
Spice cake topped with powdered sugar.

More delicious cake recipes

  • Cherry snack cake
  • Cinnamon apple cake
  • Strawberry cake
  • Carrot cake
  • Chocolate apple cake
  • Blueberry lemon bundt cake

If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment below and snap a picture and tag me on Instagram @beyondthechickencoop

Check out all my dessert recipes!

  • A slice of cake topped with powdered sugar.
    Cinnamon Apple Cake
  • Raspberry dessert topped with a scoop of ice cream.
    Raspberry Crisp
  • Cookies on a white platter.
    Whopper Cookies
  • Scoops of sorbet in a bowl with a lime wedge.
    Lime Sorbet
A slice of cake topped with powdered sugar.

Applesauce Cake

Kathy
Eggless cake made with applesauce and warm spices.
5 from 34 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Saved!
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 45 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 1 Cake
Calories 229 kcal

Equipment

  • Measuring Cups
  • Measuring Spoons
  • Baking Dish - 8 x 8 inch
  • Whisk
  • Stand Mixer
Prevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • ½ cup butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup applesauce
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping

  • 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350°F
  • Grease an 8 x 8 inch or an 8 x 11 inch baking dish
  • Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves in a bowl
    2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • Cream butter in a mixing bowl with a mixer until soft. Add brown sugar and combine
    ½ cup butter, 1 cup brown sugar
  • Add half the flour mixture. Mix until incorporated
  • Mix in applesauce and vanilla
    1 cup applesauce, 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • Add remaining flour and mix until flour is completely mixed in
  • Pour batter into prepared baking dish. Smooth batter with a spatula so it is evenly spread in dish
  • Bake for 35 - 40 minutes for an 8 x 8 inch dish or 30-35 minutes for an 8 x 11 inch.
  • Allow cake to fully cool in baking dish.
  • Sprinkle powdered sugar on top before serving
    2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

Notes

Tips:
  • Use softened butter
  • When measuring brown sugar, firmly pack it into measuring cup
  • Do not overmix cake batter. Just stir until flour is mixed in
  • Allow cake to fully cool in baking dish
Variations:
If you are looking for a few variations on this applesauce cake, consider adding any of the following options:
  • 1 cup of chopped walnuts
  • 1 cup of chopped pecans
  • ½ cup of raisins
  • ½ cup of dried cranberries
  • Make this cake vegan by using canola or vegetable oil instead of butter

Nutritional Disclaimer:

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. To obtain the most precise nutritional information in a provided recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the exact ingredients you are using when preparing the recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 229kcalCarbohydrates: 38gProtein: 2gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 216mgPotassium: 95mgFiber: 1gSugar: 21gVitamin A: 242IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 37mgIron: 1mg
Keyword applesauce cake, eggless cake
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @BeyondTheChickenCoop or tag #beyondthechickencoop!

Recipe adapted from The New Doubleday Cookbook and Joy of Cooking.

More Desserts

  • A cherry dessert topped with a scoop of ice cream.
    Cherry Crumble
  • A glass filled with layers of yogurt, berries and granola.
    Greek Yogurt Parfait
  • A slice of chocolate cake on a white plate with a strawberry.
    Buttermilk Chocolate Cake
  • Cupcakes topped with mini chocolate chips on small blue plates.
    Chocolate Chip Cupcakes
  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Barb says

    June 13, 2023 at 12:46 am

    5 stars
    This cake is delicious! I was looking for an eggless cake for my granddaughter due to allergies, and this was a hit! I've made it twice now. I added walnuts and chopped pears and cut back on the spices a tad for the kids, and went easy on the confectioner's sugar the first time.
    The second time, I left out the nuts, still added thin pear slices on top of the first layer of batter, then covered with the rest and leveled out the batter. Also, made a butter rum glaze topping for just me and husband. So good and moist, even after a couple of days!
    Used a bundt pan both times, which worked well. It does not fill the pan, but turns out onto a plate nicely and makes for easy slicing and eating.
    Thanks for this yummy recipe!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      June 13, 2023 at 5:23 am

      Thank you! I appreciate you sharing your tips and your different versions. I love the idea of the pears and the rum sauce! Yum!!! 🙂

      Reply
« Older Comments

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

A slice of applesauce cake with powdered sugar.
The author holding a chicken.

I'm Kathy, a busy working mom who loves to cook from scratch, grow a garden, and raise farm animals. Take a look around and find all my recipes, gardening tips, and country living antics.

More about me →

Popular Recipes

  • A single muffin topped with a crumbly topping on a plate.
    Oatmeal Banana Muffins
  • Stacks of crispy golden fish on a white plate with a blue rim.
    Beer Battered Fish
  • Crispy fish fillets topped with lemon wedges.
    Pan Fried Walleye
  • A plate with baked pasta with cheese and tomatoes.
    Chicken Pasta Bake

Chicken Dinners

  • Strips of chicken, peppers and onions in a baked casserole.
    Chicken Fajita Casserole
  • Crispy chicken thighs on a white plate.
    Cast Iron Chicken Thighs
  • A chicken thigh with a sauce on a plate with rice and peas.
    Apricot Chicken
  • A plate filled with chicken legs covered in barbecue sauce.
    Baked BBQ Chicken Legs
  • Grilled chicken thighs on a white plate.
    Italian Dressing Chicken
  • A golden chicken thigh on a white plate with roasted potatoes and green beans.
    Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner

Featured In...

Beyond the Chicken Coop recipes have been featured in many different sites.

Footer

A slice of applesauce cake with powdered sugar.

↑ back to top

Beyond the Chicken Coop recipes have been featured in many different sites.

About

  • Privacy Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact

Copyright © 2023 Beyond the Chicken Coop LLC ®