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Home » Desserts

Published: Apr 9, 2020 · Modified: Jan 26, 2022 by Kathy

Applesauce Cake

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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.

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

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A slice of cake topped with powdered sugar.

Applesauce Cake

Kathy Berget
Eggless cake made with applesauce and warm spices.
5 from 57 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
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @BeyondTheChickenCoop or tag #beyondthechickencoop!

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

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Desiree says

    November 03, 2024 at 4:36 pm

    5 stars
    My grandmother made a similar cake in a bundt pan only she added 1/4 cup of unsweetened coco powder as well as 2 Tb spoons of chocolate liquor or kaluah.1/2 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips and 1/4 cup chopped pecans. It was fabulous and we made it every year for Christmas. The recipe was lost by my aunt. After a lot of recipes finally found yours and it brought my memories back! Thank you so much !!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      November 03, 2024 at 4:41 pm

      I'm glad you found this recipe. I also have another one similar to how you describe your grandmothers, but without Kahlua. https://www.beyondthechickencoop.com/cocoa-apple-cake/ You might want to check it out too!
      Thanks,
      Kathy 🙂

      Reply
  2. Teresa says

    November 30, 2023 at 9:19 am

    5 stars
    LOve the cake. I am a calorie counter and I want to know how many serving of this cake is what you consider 229 calories? Is the cake cut in into 4 pieces or 9?
    Thank you.

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      November 30, 2023 at 9:22 am

      I cut the cake into 9 pieces. So glad you enjoy it! 🙂

      Reply
  3. 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
  4. Wendy says

    March 03, 2023 at 1:13 pm

    Will these measurements work in a Bundt pan?

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      March 04, 2023 at 3:57 am

      I have only made this cake in a small 8x8 cake pan. I am not certain how it would work in a bundt pan.
      Kathy 🙂

      Reply
  5. Cari says

    February 20, 2023 at 10:48 am

    My husband's new favorite! I added cashew cranberry granola. Delish!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      February 20, 2023 at 4:35 pm

      Wonderful!!! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Shelley says

    February 18, 2023 at 7:28 am

    5 stars
    This is in the oven now and my house smells like Heaven! I added a cup of chopped pecans, and will dust with powdered sugar once cooled.

    THANK YOU SO MUCH for putting the ingredient amounts IN THE INSTRUCTIONS! BRILLIANT and so helpful! I didn't have to keep scrolling back and forth.

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      February 18, 2023 at 8:13 am

      Thank you! I love your addition of the chopped pecans! Enjoy the cake and thanks so much for your comment! 🙂

      Reply
  7. Lynn says

    November 13, 2021 at 5:51 am

    What type of flour did you use please? I am going to try this .

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      November 13, 2021 at 4:54 pm

      Hi Lynn,
      I use all-purpose flour.
      Enjoy,
      Kathy 🙂

      Reply
  8. Heather says

    May 05, 2021 at 10:11 pm

    I don’t own an 8” x 11” pan. Do you think a 9” x 9” pan would work?

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      May 06, 2021 at 4:35 am

      Hi Heather,
      Yes, a 9 x 9 pan will work. The bake time may be slightly different so just keep an eye on your cake.
      Enjoy!
      Kathy 🙂

      Reply
  9. Sabrina Ramsahai says

    November 17, 2020 at 11:29 am

    It was AMAZING! So moist, soft and tasty.

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      November 17, 2020 at 12:21 pm

      Thanks! Glad you loved it. 🙂

      Reply
  10. Valentina says

    April 10, 2020 at 11:53 am

    5 stars
    Baked goods with cinnamon, nutmeg and clove are calling my name right now. Perfect for this cool, rainy LA day. In quarantine, no less. 😉 ~Valentina

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      April 11, 2020 at 6:38 am

      Times sure are different right now! A perfect time for baking!

      Reply
  11. David @ Spiced says

    April 10, 2020 at 3:29 am

    5 stars
    I've used apple sauce in baking before as a way to lighten the calories, but I've never used apple sauce as the primary flavor. I'm intrigued! And as you said, this one is perfect because it relies on pantry ingredients. Now I just need to convince Robbie to "loan" me some of his apple sauce... 🙂

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      April 10, 2020 at 6:14 am

      So true! Applesauce for toddlers is one of their favorites. He might let you "borrow" some if he knows it's for cake!

      Reply
  12. Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says

    April 09, 2020 at 5:46 pm

    5 stars
    This cake brings back such sweet memories for me Kathy! Growing up a local orchard sold an applesauce cake that was my parent's favorite. Can't wait to try your recipe!

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      April 10, 2020 at 6:13 am

      How lovely! This will be a fun one for you to make.

      Reply
  13. Dawn - Girl Heart Food says

    April 09, 2020 at 8:19 am

    5 stars
    Looks and sounds like a delicious cake, Kathy! What a great way to infuse the cake with more flavour, moisture and some natural sweetness! Love a slice this afternoon with my cuppa 😉

    Reply
    • Kathy says

      April 10, 2020 at 6:12 am

      Lots of flavor!

      Reply
5 from 57 votes (49 ratings without comment)

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I'm Kathy, and I love to create delicious recipes from scratch utilizing many ingredients that we grow and raise. I'm a recipe creator, food photographer, and cookbook author!

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