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What is Applesauce Cake?

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Applesauce cake is a superlatively moist dessert that can be quick to make and is a great use of applesauce. Most cakes of this type are not difficult to make and they’re usually baked in rectangular 9-inch by 13-inch (22.86 cm by 45.72cm) pans. They can be iced or eaten plain. They’re very good topped with whipping cream, a little powdered sugar or with ice cream.

You’ll find a lot of applesauce cake recipes online, and many have very similar components. They mix applesauce, eggs, shortening or oil, sugar, flour and baking powder. Many of them have one bowl or dump cake mix methods, which make them great recipes for beginning bakers.

Cake flour and eggs, two of the ingredients in applesauce cake.
Cake flour and eggs, two of the ingredients in applesauce cake.

People may add different things to an applesauce cake. Nuts and raisins are popular additions. Many cooks also prefer to add a little spice to their cakes. Cinnamon is a good choice, or you can make a wonderful harvest tasting cake with a little pumpkin pie spice. The recipes for applesauce cake are frequently easily adapted if you want to add additional ingredients or flavors with spices.

Applesauce.
Applesauce.

One variation of the applesauce cake is to make gingerbread with applesauce. By adding thick molasses, brown sugar, and ginger spice or grated ginger, you can convert ordinary applesauce cake into moist gingerbread. This is a great quick snack for kids after school, and it’s also a terrific way to introduce young cooks to baking.

One of the things most remarked about applesauce cake is that it is very moist. This can be true provided you strictly follow baking instructions. Cakes will also keep for a few days well, and the apple flavor tends to intensify. Some people find applesauce cake a little heavy. You can make the cake lighter if you use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour.

Applesauce cake is often seasoned with cinnamon.
Applesauce cake is often seasoned with cinnamon.

If you want to make a really terrific variant on applesauce consider frosting it with quick penuche or brown sugar icing. This produces a taste that is sure to be a hit because it is reminiscent of caramel apples. It should be noted though, that some people find penuche frosting a little too sweet.

Even though you can use freshly made applesauce to make this type of dessert, you aren’t limited by the season. You can buy applesauce year round. Just look for unsweetened versions or be prepared to adjust the sugar levels in your cake recipe. You can also experiment with applesauce combined with other fruit. Peach applesauce and berry applesauce make delicious cakes too.

Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent WiseGEEK contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

Learn more...
Tricia Christensen
Tricia Christensen

Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent WiseGEEK contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently working on her first novel.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

truman12

I made an applesauce carrot cake for my husband's birthday last year. It was great with a big smearing of cream cheese frosting on top.

He loves carrot cake and so do I but I find sometimes that it is too dense and dry. Between the cake and the rich frosting it can be hard to get through a whole piece. Using applesauce seemed like a good solution because it would keep the cake moist and fluffy. It worked, it had all the flavors of carrot cake with a pleasant apple undertone. I might make it again next year.

summing

I have a great recipe for a fat free applesauce cake that you would never know was so good for you. I have served it at a number of picnics and gatherings and no one guesses that it is missing the fat.

The key is the applesauce. It keeps the cake moist and flavorful so that the missing fat is not as apparent. Healthy baking can be a really hit or miss proposition but this is one recipe that works great.

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    • Cake flour and eggs, two of the ingredients in applesauce cake.
      By: atm2003
      Cake flour and eggs, two of the ingredients in applesauce cake.
    • Applesauce.
      By: rimglow
      Applesauce.
    • Applesauce cake is often seasoned with cinnamon.
      By: Natika
      Applesauce cake is often seasoned with cinnamon.
    • Ginger is a spice that adds flavor to applesauce cake.
      By: cook_inspire
      Ginger is a spice that adds flavor to applesauce cake.