Applesauce Cake

A simple and cozy Applesauce Cake filled with warm spices and applesauce. Top with cinnamon cream cheese frosting, powdered sugar, or honey. 

Applesauce cake! Because it’s fall! Because applesauce cake is amazing! And because we need a vehicle to transport cinnamon cream cheese frosting into our faces (obviously).

If you like cake that has a hint of apple flavor, plenty of warm spices, and is equally appropriate for breakfast, snack, or dessert… this one is for YOU.

Why you’ll love this Applesauce Cake

Flavor: The perfect balance of fall flavors between applesauce, brown sugar, cinnamon, and pie spice.

Texture: This cake bakes up soft, fluffy, and moist. It’s even better on day two!

Quick & easy: No mixer needed for this recipe. Two bowls and a whisk is all you need. The batter comes together in minutes and bakes in a 9×13 pan.

Topping options:

Choose the topping that sounds best to you! We’ve enjoyed this cake with the following toppings:

• Cinnamon cream cheese frosting (recipe below)
• Powdered sugar
• Honey
• Whipped cream (try my homemade whipped cream)

What kind of applesauce to use?

I recommend store bought applesauce for this recipe. This produces the most reliable outcome since most store bought applesauces are similar in texture and moisture content. You want unsweetened applesauce. Check the ingredients to make sure there is no added sugar or corn syrup. If you’d like to use cinnamon applesauce you can, just note that the cake will have a stronger cinnamon flavor.

More apple recipes:

APPLE DUMPLINGS
APPLE COBBLER
APPLE BUNDT CAKE
CINNAMON APPLES
BAKED STUFFED APPLES
APPLE FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE
APPLE CIDER DONUT HOLES

Applesauce Cake

A simple and cozy Applesauce Cake filled with warm spices and applesauce. Top with cinnamon cream cheese frosting, powdered sugar, or honey. 

5 from 11 votes

Print Pin

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 16

Calories: 357kcal

Author: Allison - Celebrating Sweets

Ingredients

Applesauce cake:

• 2-1/2 cups all purpose flour2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice2 teaspoons apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil, canola oil, or melted coconut oil1/2 cup vegetable oil, canola oil, or melted coconut oil
• 1/3 cup water1/3 cup water
• 1-1/2 cups applesauce*1-1/2 cups applesauce*
• 2 large eggs2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar1/3 cup light brown sugar
• powdered sugar, honey, whipped cream, or cinnamon cream cheese frosting (below)**, for toppingpowdered sugar, honey, whipped cream, or cinnamon cream cheese frosting (below)**, for topping

Cinnamon cream cheese frosting:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 3 cups powdered sugar, plus more if needed3 cups powdered sugar, plus more if needed
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• cream, half and half, or milk, as neededcream, half and half, or milk, as needed

Instructions

Applesauce cake:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13 cake pan and set aside.
• Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
• In a separate large bowl, whisk oil, water, applesauce, eggs, and sugars. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk to combine.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 20-30 minutes (begin checking it at 20), until the top springs back when you touch it and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place the pan on a rack to cool.

Cinnamon cream cheese frosting:

• Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon and beat until combined. Add cream, half and half or milk if needed to thin the frosting, or more powdered sugar to thicken. Increase speed to high and beat for 20-30 seconds. Spread on the cooled cake.

Notes

*I recommend store bought unsweetened applesauce for this recipe.

**If you'd prefer to skip the cream cheese frosting you can top the cooled cake with a dusting of powdered sugar, or you can serve each slice with a drizzle of honey or dollop of whipped cream.

STORAGE: Ths cake can be stored at cool room temperature for 1 day or the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I have not tried freezing it, but I would assume it would freeze just fine. 

Nutrition facts include frosting.

Recipe updated slightly September 2020.

Nutrition

Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 50g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 202mg | Potassium: 69mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 355IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this recipe?Mention @CelebratingSweets or tag #CelebratingSweets!