Applesauce Cake Recipe
A delicious spice cake made with applesauce so it's super moist! Frosted with cream cheese frosting! This recipe makes enough batter for three 6"x2" cake rounds or two 8"x2" cake rounds.
Servings: 24 servings
Calories: 463kcal
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- #32 Wilton Piping Tip
- Piping Bag or Bottle
Ingredients
Applesauce Cake Ingredients
- 4 oz unsalted butter softened
- 10 oz granulated sugar
- 3 oz oil
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 10 oz cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 12 oz applesauce unsweetened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 16 oz cream cheese softened
- 8 oz unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon orange extract
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 36 oz powdered sugar
Instructions
Before you Begin
- Preheat your oven to 350º F and prepare your cake pans with cake goop or your preferred pan release. Have your butter, egg, and cream cheese at room temperature before starting.
Applesauce Cake Instructions
- Sift together the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter until smooth with the whisk attachment.
- Sprinkle in the sugar and whip on high until white and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the oil and whip another minute.
- Switch to the paddle attachment. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Add the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Do not overmix.
- Add the applesauce and mix until fully combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.
- Bake until the cakes feel firm in the center and a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs, 25 to 35 minutes.
Cream Cheese Frosting Instructions
- Place the softened butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and cream on low until smooth.
- Add the softened cream cheese in small chunks and blend on low until smooth and combined.
- Add the orange extract and salt. Add the sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time and mix until combined.
Video
Notes
Ingredient notes: Use unsweetened applesauce so you control the sweetness of the finished cake. If your applesauce is chunky, blend it smooth first for the most even crumb.
Pan options: This recipe makes enough batter for three 6″×2″ rounds or two 8″×2″ rounds. For a 9×13 pan or a bundt pan, see the FAQs above, both have been tested successfully by readers, keep an eye on bake time since it will run differently than layer pans. To convert this into cupcakes, leave out the oil, fill liners two-thirds full, bake at 400º F for 5 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350º F without opening the oven door (opening it can cause the cupcakes to deflate), and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until the domes are set.
Make-ahead and storage: Bake and cool the layers, then wrap tightly and freeze for up to 2 months before filling and frosting, this is the technique I use every time since chilled layers trim and fill much more cleanly. Once frosted, store the cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Substitutions: All-purpose flour can replace cake flour in a pinch (see the cake flour substitute link above for the exact swap), though the crumb will be slightly less tender. Brown butter cream cheese frosting or easy buttercream frosting both work in place of the cream cheese frosting if you want a different finish.
Critical do-nots: Don't overmix once the flour goes in, it toughens the crumb. Don't skip chilling the frosted cake for 15 to 20 minutes before adding the caramel drip, or the drip won't hold its shape.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 463kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 0.5g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 208mg | Potassium: 56mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 56g | Vitamin A: 624IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 0.2mg
