Applesauce Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting is simple recipe for sweet, tender and incredibly moist, homemade cake from scratch, with ingredients that you already have in pantry.

Growing up, it is safe to say that we were a dessert family.
One dessert that my Mom often made, also a favorite of my Grandma, was this applesauce cake. They both made it in a 9 x 13 aluminum lidded pan, also with the telltale lid rattle I could hear from a mile away.
Most families have a cake or two like this, ones that are made entirely of pantry staples and remind them instantly of home. For me this is that cake.
While I most love chocolate cake, this is the cake that takes me straight back to the childhood to my Grandma’s kitchen.

WHAT IS APPLESAUCE CAKE?

It’s unclear to me the exact origins of our cake recipe.  Many people are familiar with Amish applesauce cake, and it’s a common dessert to find for sale at your local farmers market.
Some recipes use molasses or a tablespoon or two of cocoa powder, shortening, oil or butter but all use applesauce. Most are studded with varying amounts of walnuts/pecans and/or raisins.
Can be topped with cinnamon spiced cream cheese frosting, brown butter frosting, vanilla ice cream and so on or just powdered sugar !
I’m certain our version comes from a newspaper somewhere over the years, and was written down in my Grandma’s lovely cursive on a 3 x 5 index card that has yellowed and browned over time.

Applesauce Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

My easy applesauce cake is made from scratch but is incredibly simple to put together. Top it with our cinnamon spicy decadent frosting or serve a less sweet, simplified version by just adding a sprinkle of powdered sugar.

What Ingredients do you need for Applesauce Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting ?

Applesauce, definitely applesauce!  Adding applesauce to cake isn’t just a good way to cut some butter out of the recipe. It also makes the cake unbelievably moist with the perfect crumb.
And a few other things that you probably already have in your pantry. Water, butter, eggs, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, flour, salt and brown sugar make up the bulk of the batter. Cinnamon, ginger, and cloves add delicious fall flavor, while pecans or walnuts, bring it all together.  The frosting adds a bit of cinnamon spicy decadence and is made up of cream cheese, butter, cinnamon, powdered sugar, and vanilla.

Tips

Any leftover cake should be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to three days, as the cream cheese frosting should not be left out at room temperature.
You can also bake the cake ahead of time, wrap it well and freeze it. Then when ready to serve, defrost it, make the cream cheese frosting, and ice the cake.

Applesauce Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Sarah Kozowski

Applesauce Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting is simple recipe for sweet, tender and incredibly moist, homemade cake from scratch, with ingredients that you already have in pantry.

4 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 20 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

Total Time 1 hr 5 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 9

Ingredients

  

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Cake

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 stick unsalted butter softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/2 cup walnuts/pecans chopped

Frosting

• 5 oz cream cheese softened
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter softened
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup confectioners sugar
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter a 8 or 9 inch square baking dish. 
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices in a medium bowl.
• In large bowl beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in eggs and applesauce. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined, then stir in walnuts.
• Pour into greased baking dish and bake until golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. COOL COMPLETELY. 
• Combine all frosting ingredients together (cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar,cinnamon and vanilla) with an electric mixer until smooth. You may need to add a little milk to make it spreadable if your butter wasn’t soft enough.
• Spread frosting evenly on top of cake. Cut the cake into any size you like. Decorate with pecans. 

Keyword Applesauce, cinnamon, Cream Cheese, spice cake

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