The funny thing about this cake is… Rich and I both don’t like applesauce. I know, why even attempt to make an applesauce cake if you don’t like applesauce? I don’t know, but I’m glad I did because we love this cake!
In the past I was always apprehensive to make an applesauce cake because I thought it would just taste like applesauce. I mean, an applesauce cake I can take or leave, but with an applesauce cake with a ton of warm spices and cream cheese icing… Who wouldn’t like that?
Rich and I ate the whole cake in the span of 3 days. I would say that makes the cake a keeper. It would be great anytime of the year, but is especially perfect in the fall. Plus, the cake keeps extremely well covered with foil and stored in the fridge, making this cake perfect for dessert and then with a cup of coffee the next morning (or afternoon).
Spiced Applesauce Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing
For the Cake:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon all spice
1 stick butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
For the Icing:
4 tablespoons cream cheese
4 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch square cake pan and set aside.
To make the cake:
In a medium bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In a small bowl mix together cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and all spice.
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs and beat on medium-low speed for one minute. Add the applesauce and spices beat on medium-low speed for 1-2 minutes, until well incorporated. The mixture may have an odd clumpy consistency at this point, but don’t worry. Add the flour mixture and beat on low until just incorporated, about a minute. Scrap down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
Pour batter in pan, and spread evenly. Bake 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. However, start checking if the cake is done after 32 minutes. Let cake cool completely. While the cake is cooling, make the icing.
To make the icing:
Beat all ingredients in an electric mixture until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Tip: start out at low speed, and once the powdered sugar is incorporated, scrap down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and turn the mixer up to medium-high speed.
Wait to frost the cake when it is completely cool. I’ve been impatient in the past and frosted a warm cake and ended up with disappointing melted icing.
Enjoy!
This recipe was adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s Spiced Applesauce Cake.
