This cozy applesauce cake is flavored with warm spices and applesauce and topped with cinnamon cream cheese frosting.
If you like cake that has a hint of apple flavor, plenty of cozy spices, and is equally appropriate for breakfast, snack, or dessert… this one is for YOU.
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Why you’ll love this applesauce cake
Flavor: The perfect balance of flavors from applesauce, brown sugar, vanilla, and warm spices.
Texture: This cake bakes up soft, fluffy, and moist. It’s even better on day two!
Quick & easy: This cake batter comes together in minutes with two bowls and a whisk.
Feed a crowd: This 9×13 sheet cake is great for feeding a group or a holiday celebration.
Cinnamon cream cheese frosting: Need I say more?! 😉
Key ingredients
The following ingredients are essential to making this cake the best!
- Applesauce: Adds subtle apple flavor and lots of moisture.
- Spices: Apple pie spice (which is a blend of spices) along with extra cinnamon.
- Brown sugar: Adding brown sugar to the cake batter adds a deeper, richer flavor than just granulated sugar.
- Vanilla extract: This rounds out the flavors in both the cake and the frosting.
- Cream cheese: The tanginess of cream cheese in the frosting balances wonderfully with the sweet cake.
Recipe overview
*Full recipe below in recipe card*
- Combine dry ingredients.
- Combine sugar and wet ingredients.
- Whisk together the wet and dry ingredients.
- Pour into greased pan and bake.
What kind of applesauce to use?
I recommend store bought applesauce for this recipe. This produces the most reliable outcome since most store bought varieties are similar in texture and moisture content.
I recommend unsweetened applesauce. Check the ingredients to make sure there is no added sugar or corn syrup. If you only have sweetened applesauce that is fine, just be aware that the cake will be a bit sweeter.
Serving and storage
Serve cake at room temperature for the best flavor and texture.
Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I have not tried freezing it, but I would assume leftovers would freeze just fine.
More apple recipes
Recipe
Applesauce Cake
Ingredients
Applesauce cake:
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons apple pie spice or pumpkin pie spice
- 1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ cup vegetable oil, canola oil, or melted coconut oil
- ⅓ cup water
- 1½ cups applesauce*
- 2 large eggs
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cinnamon cream cheese frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar, plus more if needed
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
Applesauce cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9×13 cake pan and set aside.
- Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk oil, water, applesauce, eggs, sugars, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk to combine being careful not to overmix.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. I like to tap the pan on the countertops a few times to remove air bubbles. 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.
- Increase speed to high and beat for 20-30 seconds. Spread on the cooled cake. If desired, you can sprinkle the top of the frosting with cinnamon sugar (1 tablespoon sugar mixed with a few dashes of cinnamon).
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
Lisa Bynum says
I have been loving apples lately too! You have the right idea — a slice of this cake with some hot tea would be DIVINE!
Jacqueline Meldrum says
I want a slice of that with hot custard poured over it, like right now. Oh my that would be good.
Katie says
What a perfect fall treat! With iceacream for dessert, or with coffee for breakfast. Apples are the best ingredient right now, and the house smells amazing when baking!
Roxana says
It looks like a nice light cake. Great use of applesauce for flavor, moistness, replace oil/butter and also add sweetness.
Sandi says
I would love to eat this with my morning coffee. I bet it would be a great pick me up to start the day.
Tisha says
This looks so amazing a fluffy!!! Love apples and perfect for fall!!
Shanika says
This cake looks and sounds amazing! Plus, I’ve never tried making cake out of Applesauce, but I’m so tempted now!
Helena says
Absolutely right – it is fall, this apple cake is amazing and I want to feel good about making a few bites of it 🙂 Great recipe for a weekend evening!
David @ Cooking Chat says
Looks so nice and moist! A perfect fall recipe! Apple sauce is a nice versatile recipe to have on hand.
laura says
My grandmother use to make this in cake pans and actually ice with Applesauce seasoned with cinnamon and brown sugar. To do this just pour a jar of apple sauce in a cast iron skillet. Add 1 1/2 tablespoon of cinnamon and 1/2 cup brown sugar. cook on medium low until it thickens to the consistency of icing, but a little thinner. It will turn dark brown while cooking. It is incredible even on a plain yellow cake
Celebrating Sweets says
That applesauce icing sounds fantastic! Thanks for sharing. 🙂