Applesauce Cake

Name: Applesauce Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 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); 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

close up shot of a slice of Cake topped with frosting on a plate with a fork

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

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Table of Contents

Applesauce Cake Ingredients
Substitutions And Additions
How To Make This Applesauce Cake Recipe
How To Serve
Storing This Applesauce Snack Cake
More Recipes You’ll Love
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Moist and delicious, this old-fashioned applesauce cake is filled with the perfect amount of spices, sugar, cinnamon applesauce, walnuts, and raisins. All the flavors of fall make this cake a cozy choice when the weather is cool.

Applesauce Cake Ingredients

Applesauce Cake raw ingredients that are labeled

The combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves gives the cake a warm and comforting flavor, while the applesauce keeps it moist and tender.

You’ll also be delighted by the light and fluffy texture of this cake.

You’ll need:

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

Substitutions And Additions

ADD-INS: You could add chocolate chips, oatmeal, coconut, carrots, or pumpkin to this tasty, moist cake. It’s also delish with just a dash of ginger added.

RAISINS: Sultana or golden raisins would both work fine in this sweet cake recipe.

How To Make This Applesauce Cake Recipe

Let’s walk through the steps to making the batter for this moist cake before baking it and topping it with a creamy frosting

Our Recipe Developer Says

You could also bake this simple recipe in a bundt cake pan, a loaf pan, or make them as muffins.

STEP ONE: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray. In a small bowl, pour the milk and place the raisins in the milk. Let them sit while preparing the rest of the cake.

STEP TWO: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and cloves. Set flour mixture aside.

STEP THREE: In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter and both sugars until mixed. Then, add the eggs and vanilla and beat until mixed together.

eggs blended into the cake batter mixture

STEP FOUR: Add the dry ingredients slowly to the wet ingredients and beat just until combined.

dry ingredients added to the butter mixture in a bowl

STEP FIVE: Add the applesauce and mix at low speed just until combined.

applesauce added to the ingredients in a bowl

STEP SIX: Fold in the raisins and milk mixture as well as the walnuts and mix until just combined.

STEP SEVEN: Pour cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

For The Frosting

PRO TIP:

If you want to skip the frosting, you could sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar instead.

STEP ONE: In a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth.

PRO TIP:

Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature so that you don’t end up with lumps in your frosting.

STEP TWO: Add the powdered sugar and beat at low speed until the powdered sugar is mostly mixed in.

STEP THREE: Follow it with the heavy cream, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt and mix at medium speed until all smooth and creamy.

STEP FOUR: Once the cake has cooled, use an offset or rubber spatula to frost the top of the cake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.

How To Serve

Serve this easy cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side and a drizzle of caramel sauce on top for an extra decadent treat.

You could also offer a warm cup of coffee or tea on the side to complete the cozy experience.

This sweet cake would be a lovely alternative to a traditional birthday cake.

Make sure you also try out our mayo cake and our chocolate crazy cake, too!

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Storing This Applesauce Snack Cake

We’ve got you covered with some simple tips to ensure your cake stays fresh and delicious for as long as possible.

IN THE FRIDGE: Since the frosting has cream cheese in it, we’d recommend storing any leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.

IN THE FREEZER: I would suggest freezing the cake by itself before topping it with the frosting. Add the icing after thawing before serving. It will store in a well-wrapped, freezer-safe container for two to three months.

close up shot of a cake topped with frosting with a slice missing

This delicious moist applesauce cake recipe has been a family favorite for generations. It’s so quick and easy to bake, and the flavors are irresistible. I love the moist, dense texture and warm spices. Topped with a fast homemade cream cheese icing, you’re going to love this recipe!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What if I can’t find cinnamon applesauce in the store?

We would suggest using plain unsweetened applesauce and then adding two extra teaspoons of cinnamon in place of the cinnamon applesauce.

Can I freeze this homemade cake?

This delicious applesauce cake freezes well, although we would recommend freezing it unfrosted and waiting to add the frosting until you are ready to serve.

Can I store this cake on the counter?

Since the frosting contains cream cheese, we’d recommend keeping the cake in the fridge.

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Applesauce Cake

5 from 26 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

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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

Applesauce Cake

Applesauce Cake Ingredients

Substitutions And Additions

How To Make This Applesauce Cake Recipe

How To Serve

Oatmeal Cake

Vanilla Wacky Cake

Storing This Applesauce Snack Cake

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