Slice of applesauce cake with walnuts and raisins topped with cream cheese frosting on a small plate

This classic applesauce cake is a favorite old-fashioned rich and irresistible treat that is extra moist thanks to the addition of cinnamon applesauce.

Jump to Recipe

Prep Time10

Cook Time35

Total Time45

Servings

There’s a good chance your grandma had an applesauce cake recipe tucked away in a well-worn cookbook. This one is ours, and let me tell you—it’s a keeper. Moist, tender, spiced just right, and topped with a cinnamon cream cheese frosting that makes people “accidentally” come back for seconds.

Close-up of applesauce cake square showing fluffy texture with walnuts and raisins under frosting — Applesauce cake works for everything from Sunday dinner to Thanksgiving dessert tables.

What Readers Are Saying

This version was developed and tested in the Spaceships Kitchen, and it has quickly become a family favorite with our readers, too. With hundreds of five-star reviews across social media, it’s a recipe you can bake with confidence knowing it turns out beautifully every time.

⭐ “Tastes like the one my mom used to make. Brought back memories!” – Jayne
⭐ “Made it for Bible study—there wasn’t a crumb left.” – Olivia S.
⭐ “Moist, spiced, perfect. Everyone asked for seconds.” – Kristen

Ingredients You’ll Need For This Apple Cake Recipe

flat lay of ingredients for applesauce cake

For The Cake:

½ cup of milk
1 cup of raisins
2 cups of flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of nutmeg
½ teaspoon of cloves
½ cup of butter, softened
1 cup of sugar
½ cup of brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon of vanilla
2 cups of cinnamon applesauce
1 cup of walnuts, chopped

For The Frosting:

8 ounces of cream cheese
½ cup of butter, softened
3 cups of powdered sugar
2 tablespoons of heavy cream
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
½ teaspoon of cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of salt

Ingredient Substitution

If you can’t find cinnamon applesauce, use plain unsweetened applesauce and then add two extra teaspoons of cinnamon in its place.

Cooking Tips for The Perfect Cake

Soak the raisins in milk before mixing
This trick makes a big difference. The milk hydrates the raisins so they stay plump and juicy while baking, instead of turning chewy or tough. The milk also sneaks a little extra tenderness into the crumb.

Cream butter and sugars thoroughly
This step isn’t just mixing—it’s about creating structure. When the butter and sugars look light and fluffy, you’ve trapped tiny air pockets that help the cake bake up soft instead of heavy.

Don’t overmix once applesauce is added
Applesauce adds moisture, which is great, but too much stirring at this stage can make the cake dense. Stir until just combined and then stop.

Step-by-step applesauce cake batter process showing mixing in applesauce, walnuts, and raisins before baking

Fold in walnuts at the very end
Adding nuts last keeps them evenly distributed and prevents overmixing the batter. Plus, it protects their crunch so they stand out against the soft crumb.

Start with softened cream cheese and butter for frosting
Room temperature cream cheese and butter blend smoothly with powdered sugar, preventing those stubborn lumps that ruin the texture of your icing.

Serving Instructions

If you want to skip the frosting, you could sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar instead.
If you want an extra bit of decadence, serve this easy cake with a drizzle of caramel sauce on top.

Storage Instructions

Since the frosting contains cream cheese, we’d recommend keeping the cake in the fridge. It should stay fresh up to four days,

This applesauce cake freezes well, although we would recommend freezing it unfrosted and waiting to add the frosting until you are ready to serve. It will store in a well-wrapped, freezer-safe container for two to three months.

Pan of applesauce snack cake with cream cheese frosting, one square being lifted with a spatula

The Final Bite

This applesauce cake isn’t fussy or complicated—it’s the kind of recipe that becomes part of your family’s story. Bake it once and you’ll find yourself making it again and again, whether it’s for a potluck, a birthday, or just because your kitchen deserves to smell amazing.

👉 Save this recipe on Pinterest so you don’t lose it—your future fall self will thank you.

More Cake Recipes

Applesauce Cake

5 from 27 votes

This classic applesauce cake is a favorite old-fashioned rich and irresistible treat that is extra moist thanks to the addition of cinnamon applesauce.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Total Time 45

Servings

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Review Recipe

Ingredients

Cake

½ cup milk
1 cup raisins
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cloves
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups cinnamon applesauce
1 cup walnuts, chopped

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese
½ cup butter, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Cake

Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a small bowl, pour the milk and place the raisins in the milk. Let them sit while preparing the rest of the cake.
Prepare a 9×13-inch pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper and spraying with nonstick spray.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and cloves. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars until mixed.
Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until mixed together.
Add the dry ingredients slowly to the butter and sugar mixture and beat just until combined.
Add the applesauce and mix on low just until combined.
Add the raisins and milk mixture and the walnuts and mix until just combined.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Once the cake has cooled, frost with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.

Frosting

In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
Add the powdered sugar and beat on low until the powdered sugar is mostly mixed in.
Add cream, vanilla, cinnamon and salt and mix on medium speed until all smooth and creamy.
Once the cake has cooled, use an offset or rubber spatula to frost the top of the cake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.

Video

Notes

You could also bake this simple recipe in a bundt cake pan, a loaf pan, or make them as muffins!
If you want to skip the frosting, you could sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar instead.
Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature so that you don’t end up with lumps in your frosting.

Nutrition

Have You Tried This Recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @spaceshipslb

Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

Stephanie Keeping Publisher
Layne Kangas Marketing
Lexus Monroe Editorial Assistant
Amy Tandiko Graphic Designer
Ina Chong
Sian Cox Photographer

My Grandmother’s Vintage Applesauce Cake Recipe

What Readers Are Saying