My recipe book tells me this recipe for Applesauce Spice Cake originally came from my Auntie Susie, but I'm fairly certain everyone in our family makes it. It has to be one of my favourite cakes of all time. Something about the moist applesauce, flavourful from the spices, add a nice vanilla buttercream...ooooh baby. Yes, it's good with just a little glaze, but a thick buttercream is definitely my favourite.
Recipes in my life need to be versatile. I need to be able to make it with many variations, based on what I have on hand, and it work every time. This Applesauce Spice Cake delivers on that.
You can use butter, olive oil or coconut oil.
You can use plain ol' sugar, organic cane sugar/sucanat, coconut sugar or honey to sweeten it.
You can use white flour, whole wheat flour or fresh ground flour. If you're choosing whole wheat flour, after you've mixed the batter, let it sit 20-30 minutes to "autolyze" as this lets the bran in the whole wheat properly absorb all the moisture and you'll get a better rise and more tender crumb to your baked goods!
You can use just cinnamon, or you can use nutmeg, cloves and allspice as well.
You can make it a pure unadulterated cake, or you can add nuts and dried fruit.
It's up to you which path you choose, but whatever path you choose, I hope you make it soon!
Applesauce Spice Cake
Ingredients
- ½ cup soft butter olive oil or soft coconut oil
- 2 cups sugar/coconut sugar or 1 cup liquid honey
- 2 eggs
- 2 ½ cups flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 ½ cups applesauce
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg optional
- ¼ teaspoon allspice optional
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves optional
- ½ cup raisins optional
- ½ cup chopped walnuts optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Grease a pan of your choice. (9x13, bundt pan, 2 dozen cupcakes, or if you want a layer cake, three 8- or 9- inch round pans.)
- Cream butter and sugar together.
- Add eggs and beat well.
- Add 1 cup of the flour, followed by the baking soda, salt and cinnamon (and optional add-ins would go in here too).
- Add remaining flour, beat well.
- Add applesauce and you guessed it, beat well.
- Pour and spread out in your desired baking pans.
- You're going to have to play the baking time a little by ear here, as different pans and different ovens bake at different times. Luckily, it's so moist it's very forgiving, but you want to bake it until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. SEE NOTES FOR ESTIMATED BAKING TIMES.
- Let it cool and ice with your desired glaze or frosting, I like a simple vanilla butter cream but sorry I don't have a recipe for it...I just wing it every time!
Blogtastic Food
wow yum! Love the idea of putting apple and spices in a cake! (:
Lauren
This cake is AMAZING!! I didn't add the walnuts or raisins. But oh. My. Word. Its moist and tasty. And quite easy to make too.
Dianna
Made this the other night and the whole family loved it! It’s definitely going in the permanent recipe book. Next time I think I’ll try adding cranberry to the buttermilk frosting
Rachel
This cake is amazing! I have converted it to be gluten and dairy free and it’s turned out every time! I’ve used both applesauce and pumpkin in it too! Delish!
Rebecca
i love this recipe to moist and great for fall and winter time to !! So yummy !!!
Tara
I made this cake recently and it is now a new family favourite. So good!
Chelsea
I think this is going to be my new go-to Thanksgiving dessert! Subbed the raisins for cranberries and made a maple syrup cream cheese frosting and it was absolutely delicious! Just a perfect mix of autumn flavours in a delicious moist cake!
Rachel
Used namaste gluten free flour. So good!
Tara
This cake is moist and delicious. Everyone in my family loves it!
StephanieMandel
So good! An awesome way to use homemade applesauce!
cccornell
I made this with pumpkin purée instead of applesauce and it was DELICIOUS! Super easy and really versatile.
Rachel Cornelsen
We LOVE this recipe! I use Zena’s GF flour blend and it stays moist on the counter for a week! I have also used pumpkin and banana in place of the applesauce with great and delicious results!
mogrma
Going to make for New Year Eve...
Annie Hache
Excellent! Everyone loved it!