spiced applesauce cake
And without fail, this is my favorite month to cook, the one in which every recipe that crosses my path delights me more than the one before. Remember last week, when I was all “these scones are October on a parchment-lined baking sheet”? I was lying. Turns out, this is. Well, in a buttered square cake pan. It’s one of these cakes you should make just because you can. Just because there’s nothing not to love about a kitchen filled with the scent of freshly baked spiced cake. Or because you’re probably drowning in apples and applesauce from your apple-picking excursions and are out of ideas for them. Or because you’ve never met an application for cream cheese frosting that you couldn’t love.
I don’t spend a lot of time talking about ingredients on this site because I like to focus on the kind of recipes that work with whatever you can get, whether it’s big chain store brand or ground from organic free range fairy wings. But. Two weeks ago, I stopped by the Penzey’s spice stand in Grand Central Terminal Market just to look which as we all know is shorthand for, “Time to break out the granny cart!” I had a list of things I’ve been curious about — What does good white pepper taste like? Why does Mexican vanilla extract smell so much more heavenly? Tell me about Aleppo pepper! — but the one that took this cake from “perfect” to “transcendent” was Vietnamese cinnamon, which managed to be stronger, clearer and richer than any cinnamon I had used before. I can’t think of a better thing to treat yourself to in this cinnamon-dusted season, or a more welcome addition to the recipe below.
* He thinks his name is Gaga. We keep trying to tell him that name is taken, and that he’ll have to be called “Little Lord Gaga” instead.
One year ago: Cauliflower with Raisins, Almonds and Capers
Two years ago: Deep Dark Salted Butter Caramel Sauce
Three years ago: Pumpkin Butter and Pepita Granola
Four years ago: Wild Mushroom and Stilton Galette
Spiced Applesauce Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Adapted, barely, from Gourmet.com
This cake is extremely moist, which means it’s a rare cake that tastes almost as good on day three as it did on day one, if you can get it to last that long. It’s the kind of cake that quickly slips into your repertoire; make it on a Monday, I guarantee you’ll find another event that wouldn’t be complete without it by Friday. And then again on Sunday.
If you’re using a stronger cinnamon, such as the aformentioned Vietnamese cinnamon, you can use 2/3 of the suggested amount for a similar impact, or full amount for an extra cinnamon pop.
Drowning in apples from an orchard excursion and haven’t made applesauce yet? Here’s my favorite, easy as can be, recipe for it, subtle and unsweetened. Want another fun fall riff on this? Try pear sauce, with or without the vanilla bean, instead or a mixture of the two.
Update 11/4/11: Just made these as cupcakes and it yielded 18. They bake for 15 minutes, same temperature. Mine didn’t dome terribly much, so you can safely fill them 7/8 of the way. I would suggest doubling the frosting (I 1.6x-ed it and came up a little short), especially if you frost cupcakes in the bakery style, as in, generously. Happy baking!
For cake
2 cups (8 3/4 ounces or 250 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) salt
3/4 teaspoon (2 grams) cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (1 gram) ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 stick (4 ounces or 113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (6 7/8 ounces or 195 grams) packed light brown sugar (updated weight)
1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (about 13 ounces or 365 grams) unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup (about 1 3/4 ounces or 50 grams) walnuts (optional), toasted, cooled, and chopped
For frosting
5 ounces (142 grams) cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces or 42 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (4 ounces or 120 grams) confectioners sugar
1/2 (1 teaspoon) teaspoon cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter an 8- or 9-inch square cake pan. I had no trouble getting my cake out of a nonstick pan by just buttering it, but if you don’t have a nonstick cake pan or are a little nervous, line the bottom with parchment paper and butter that too.
Make cake: Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in applesauce. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined, then stir in walnuts (if using). The batter will look a little curdly and uneven but don’t worry, it will all bake up perfectly in the end.
Spread batter evenly in pan and bake until golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake to loosen, then invert onto a plate. Reinvert cake onto a rack to cool completely. You can speed this up, as I always do, in the fridge.
Make frosting: Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy. Sift confectioners sugar and cinnamon over cream cheese mixture, then beat at medium speed until incorporated. Spread frosting over top of cooled cake.
Do ahead: We were impressed with how well this cake kept for three days but were unable to “research” if it lasted longer. Keep frosted cake in the fridge. If you’d like to bake the cake further in advance, I’d wrap it well and freeze it until the day you need it. Leave it out on the counter to defrost and frost it up to a day in advance.
Oh, man. Deb, you read my mind. I’ve been looking for an apple cake just like this. And here it is!
AH! This is the perfect new autumn recipe! I want to make it immediately!
Could you use fresh apples instead of apple sauce?
I don’t love cake, but I do love any form of apple cake!
What a beautiful fall treat! The frosting looks sinful.
i am obsessed with apple cakes in a bad, bad way…this one is no exception! i’ll be making this this week!
It’s like autumn… in delicious form.
New York is just blissful right now! How fabulous to be able to walk for a solid 30 minutes without melting into the scorching sidewalk…amazing. This apple cake looks divine…and cream cheese frosting? On anything. Seriously, we will eat it on anything. Also must investigate this Vietnamese cinnamon…hmm…
Me and this cake have a date tonight.
I don’t think I will be able to help you with the +3 day research either!
Oh man, this is one of my go-to recipes from Gourmet. I miss it so much. It’s delicious with just a simple glaze of powdered sugar and apple brandy, too (since cream cheese doesn’t last long in my house). :)
Yes, this cake goes beautifully with our Colorado fall weather. I will take the recipe to try. Thanks, Deb.
Jacob is the cutest!
What a great Fall recipe. Did I say Fall? Wait a minute, I live in an area of the country where the seasons are hot, hotter and hottest while air conditioners hum year round. Oh to experience going to the market without the need for massive doses of hydration to stave off a heat stroke. Thanks to you, not only will I have a wonderful new recipe, I can also vicariously experience an illusory season.
This sounds so delicious, Deb! I made a big batch of apple sauce a few weeks ago, and there’s plenty waiting in the freezer for projects just like this. Mmm.
last week i tried to make apple butter, but ended up with a very caramelized deeply spiced applesauce. i’ve spent a week thinking about what to use it for – i was leaning toward swirled scones, but i think this cake would be perfect. thank you!
Penzey’s Vietnamese cinnamon is also dynamite sprinkled on apple slices for a “cinnamon red hots” treat and swirled liberally into a dish of vanilla ice-cream. Really good.
This cake sounds fantastic, then top it off with cinnamon cream cheese frosting? Heaven…
If it contains apples or pumpkin – I’m making it! :)
That just screams “fall” to me! The cream cheese icing really takes it to a new level! YUM!
Can you substitute apple butter for the apple sauce?
I go crazy whenever I visit Penzey’s too! I know what you mean about the spice and complex nuances of Vietnamese cinnamon and aroma of Mexican vanilla. With all of the great apples at the farmer’s market, this looks like a great autumn cake!
This cake is just too perfect for fall. In fact, I now have a case of major autumnal envy. Hearing about the weather turning crisp and the leaves changing colors just makes me sigh and gaze out the window at my still-green Houston trees, knowing that it’s still 80 degrees outside. I can’t wait for things to cool off! When it does and I dive into a marathon of fall baking, this cake will be first on my list. Looks gorgeous!!
Joy — Apple butter is usually sweetened, yes? So it would make for a very very sweet cake. If you’ve got apples laying around, applesauce generally only needs to cook for 20 to 30 minutes…
LOVE the cinnamon section at Penzeys (and well, all the other sections too).
Shall I assume that you used your homemade applesauce when you made this (or did you sneak in store bought)?
Do you think this cake would work as cupcakes?
Looks fantastic – would also be great for a Rosh Hashanah dinner…
My god, this looks absolutely delicious. I can’t have dairy, so I would need to substitute Earth Balance (vegan butter) or shortening. Which would be best?
Rebecca — Yes! Meant to add that. I thought this cake would make SPLENDID cupcakes. You will be the hit of the pumpkin carving party. :)
I also think this has excellent potential for a fall layer cake. Bake two layers round and at least double the frosting.
It looks delicious, Deb!! I will be making this tomorrow, I can’t wait to try it with honey crisp and pink lady apples. Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you for mentioning Penzeys…they are from my hometown and I’m constantly singing their praises, hoping to convert more people to good spices. I will be adding this cake to the week’s plans – as soon as we finish up the pumpkin cake I made yesterday! I love fall!
Oh man. I will certainly have to make this soon.
I canned apple butter a few weeks ago, which is very close in consistency to apple sauce, I wonder if that would work as a substitute…
Oh, and New York + fall = perfect! My favorite place to be during my favorite time of the year. Each week, just when you think the leaves couldn’t get brighter and more colorful, you step outside and get your breath taken away again! I love walking through the ramble the morning after a rain…. I miss NYC.
Yum. This reminds me of a applesauce cocoa cake I’ve made a few times for Yom Kippur break-the-fast. We have all of these apples from apple-picking, gotta do something with ‘em!
hmm. we have a nut allergy in this house.. i wonder if i could sub the walnuts for small chunks of apple?
can this cake stand alone? how much deliciousness would be lost without preparing the frosting?
if i happened to be drowning in sweetened applesauce thanks to a canning maniac, could i cut back the brown sugar and use the sweetened apple sauce? if so, where would you suggest starting?
I am with you on the Vietnamese Cinnamon. I have a Penzey’s very close to home, which is awesome and dangerous!
This looks really tasty, can’t wait to make it! I also love your Lime Yogurt Cake and it’s a staple in my repertoire! I live in one of the spice mecca’s of the world, East Africa, so I will see if we can compete with the Vietnamese Cinnamon! Ironically, I can get vanilla beans dirt cheap here, but I can’t get vanilla extract!
I am so glad you have discovered Penzeys! Every single thing they have is special, and it is not hard to splurge on spices. Lucky you to have one within a subway ride. We need to order on line. By the way, I used pear in the cake as you suggested and it was amazing….can’t imagine how it can be topped by the apple. I will have to do a side by side comparison…in the interest of research, of course.
what a scrumptious looking cake, and perfect for fall! i want a piece!
Vietnamese Cinnamon is the ONLY way to go. In fact, even though there’s no cinnamon in this cake, I think I’ll add some next time because I can’t get enough of the stuff: http://darbyoshea.wordpress.com/2010/10/25/october-cake-craze-pear-ginger-butter-cake/
How is the cake sans frosting? I’ve been looking for an applesauce snack cake for the kids lunches etc. Does this fit the bill? Or does the frosting “make” it?
Penzey’s spices are the greatest! I can’t wait to try the applesauce cake recipe.
CURSE YOU! I just made applesauce muffins last night, and I can guarantee you they are not as good as this would have been in muffin/cupcake form. They aren’t bad, but they’re definitely missing something (i.e. FROSTING).
But thank you for another use for my applesauce which we rarely seem to use as actual applesauce. Go figure.
I love that this requires such simple and basic ingredients. Fall is the best time of year for deliciously warm comfort food!
Wow, I cannot wait to try this cake! To me, there is nothing better than apple cake and cream cheese frosting…except maybe pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting…
Oh, you just made me miss NY soo bad. My family & I moved to FL over the summer and you are correct, there is nothing in the world like fall in NY!! The cake looks spectacular too!!
I made this last fall and it came out dry (sad face). Maybe it is because I made my own applesauce, or, more likely, because I have a tendency to bake cakes to death. Yup, probably the latter.
This looks beautiful, just the kind of cake I love. I wish you’d posted it in the summer when my mother’s English apple trees were drunk heavy with fruit, but I’d make a cake like this any time, any day. I’ll be back!
October really is the most perfect time to be in nyc!! I’ve been wondering what dessert I should make for my inlaws on sunday and this is very tempting!
I started my butter softening as soon as I saw this recipe. I made some dynamite applesauce this weekend, and I thought it would be perfect in this cake. It is slightly sweetened and has cinnamon and allspice in it already, but I just cut the sugar back to 1/2 cup and put in just the ginger and a little more cinnamon. (I left out the cloves–I wasn’t sure about cloves and allspice together.) The batter tasted great and it’s in the oven now! I didn’t have any cream cheese, so I’m making a powdered sugar glaze. Perfect for my day off!
Sharon — It’s very good without the frosting, and not very sweet.
Emily — There’s cinnamon in this cake and the frosting.
No fall weather here either but the cake sounds wonderful especially with my favorite icing!
Deb, I just visited Penzey’s in Massachusetts when I was there a few weeks ago. I couldn’t leave without the wonderful cinnamon you mentioned. It makes such a difference – and I’ve found every excuse to use it as often as I can. Thanks for the recipe!
I stocked up on all my Fall baking ingredients (including more pounds of cream cheese than I care to admit) with the hopes of recipes like this one. And I’m excited to invest in the Vietnamese cinnamon.
I love my W-S Gold Touch pans. How great are they?! *said in my best Ina Garten “How easy is that?” impression* I’m looking forward to her new release tomorrow!
I am a firm believer in Penzey’s. Their cinnamon is what won me over for life. Thanks for spreading the word about them! :)
Also, I agree-cream cheese frosting knows no bounds!
April and October are the months I tell everyone to visit the east coast. The weather is perfect for site seeing and the colors of the trees are magnificent. It’s the onlly time I like to go visit my home town in MD and neaby DC.
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This cake looks so homey and cozy! It just doesn’t take anytime at all to cook down some apples for this or for any meal as a side dish. The pectin in the apples gives baked goods such a nice springy/sturdy texture and enough moisture that you don’t need as much fat to get the same moistening power and/but without the richness.
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I keep trying to see you in Jacob..but I keep seeing more of Alex in his looks. Maybe next time?
The frosting look amazing. Just amazing. Nothing I’ve ever seen, eaten or made before. Gorgeous for a dark and cozy fall night!
Wonder if you could swap pumpkin puree for the applesauce?
I have lot of homemade applesauce at home and can’t wait to use it for this recipe!
Little question: I’ve heard it is possible to substitute applesauce for the fat requirement (oil or butter) in a cake recipe in efforts to make it healthier. Since this recipe already calls for applesauce and butter, would it be possible to substitute more applesauce for the butter or would that mess too much with the crumb?
What a great looking cake!
I absolutely love spice cake. And I’ve been looking for a fail-proof applesauce recipe. Imagine my joy at finding both in the same place :)
I just made these as cupcakes + frosting (obviously a slight variation) for my one year old’s birthday this weekend. Devoured by all!
Looks delicious! What other types of apples would you recommend for the apple sauce?
Deb – this looks amazing. Cream cheese is my passion! Also – that pic of your little one is too sweet. Those curls and sparkling eyes are just beautiful!!!
I have to agree with you on the Vietnamese cinnamon. I was given a jar of amazing cinnamon from a family friend and it makes a significant difference in recipes.
Btw, congratulations on your InStyle mention.
So, I normally hate when people make posts like this (“I made your recipe, but I changed…”) but hopefully someone will find this helpful. I was short on a couple ingredients, so I made the following changes:
Applesauce: I didn’t have any, but I did have a few old-ish Granny Smiths laying around. Peeled, cored, and chopped 3 1/4. Set the 1/4 aside. With the remaining: boiled in a bath of 6 cups water, 2 tsp sugar until soft. Cooled under cold water. Used the cooked apples and the 1/4 uncooked.
Butter: I was short 1/4 of a stick, so I added 2 tsp vegetable oil for fat and made sure to fold the egg whites in at the end for lift.
I also added a drop of almond extract and a dash of nutmeg to the cake.
Anyway, the whole thing came out wonderfully. I was a little afraid of the Granny Smiths not being a sweeter apple like a Fuji, but it turned out fine to my tastes.
i absolutely agree with you about october in nyc! best time to be here 100%
OMG…Thank you thank you…I was looking for something like this!!! <3
I almost ate my screen. No big deal.
Looks amamazing!
Yum yum yum. My husband brought home half a peck of apples last week and I’ve been wondering what to do with them – this will be perfect! Especially since I’ve gotten the applesauce thing down pat with baby J. My only quibble is with the frosting – my go-to recipe is:
one block of cream cheese
one stick butter
one cup confectioner’s sugar
one teaspoon vanilla.
So much easier to measure, and perfectly creamy. I will try with the cinnamon, though.
I have been looking for something just like this! Would these make good cupcakes?
Penzey’s originated Wauwatosa, near Milwaukee, WI, where I’m from. The original store is a small, almost shed that looks unassuming. Entering it, you’re overwhelmed with a spicy aroma and it’s almost headache inducing. On the shelves stacked 5 or 6 high on the walls, are giant glass jars of spices and herbs. You grab one, take it to Mrs. Penzey in the front, and she fills a small glass jar for you. If you’re younger, she shakes vanilla sugar (try it, honestly, it’s addictive) into your hand and asks you to try to figure out what it is. My mom’s had Saigon cinnamon (I think it’s the same that you found) for the last 10 or more years. I don’t even think about other cinnamon as legitimate anymore.
If I didn’t have half a sheet cake of birthday cake and an entire apple pie sitting on my kitchen table, I would totally make this. Your son is absolutely adorable. It’s ridiculous. SO CUTE.
I’m not great with conversions, but I would think this might make a good loaf cake, too… ?
You had me at cream cheese frosting.
A-guh, this looks delicious… I so want in on some of this.
Apple cake!? I just might have to make this for my daughter as her one year old cake – I was looking for something yummy, but not TOO yummy. ha ha!
I just bought some applesauce. Really it is supposed to be for a healthy snack but a spiced applesauce cake sounds a tad bit better!!
I’m moving to New York in August and your description of fall literally made me squeal! Thank you!!
that cake looks so yummy. there’s nothing like apples & spice to make it feel (and smell!) like fall.
Penzey’s Vietnamese cinnamon is FREAKING AMAZING. It really is. It’s insanely good in cinnamon rolls.
I love Penzeys and just put in an order. Not cinnamon, because I’m not out of the store stuff yet to justify buying the good stuff, but all of the other things I live on (cumin, I’m looking at you).
Oh this looks wonderful! I recently made an apple cider muffin recipe that used grated apples and really liked the texture it gave. I wonder if that would work in this recipe – maybe with a little buttermilk or apple cider to add moisture?
Omg, penzey spices are amazing. That Vietnamese casia smells like cinnamon candy, best cinnamon I’ve ever had!
Oh my GAGA, the frostingggg. :)
very excited about the versatility of this cake…as i was reading your post i was thinking cupcakes & layers…
little lord gaga…just adorable…what’s his halloween costume?
A friend got me a Penzey’s baking kit with cinnamon, nutmeg, two kinds of vanilla extract, and a tube of vanilla beans (and it came with a bunch of bay leaves in the package too). It turned me into a convert. You have to try the vanilla, it’s amazing.
Oh heavens. I know what I’m baking this week!
Question: Can anyone offer an alternative to the cream cheese frosting? I do not care for it but love cake and would like a special frosting of some other type. Thanks!
Hooray! I was looking for the perfect fall-ish cake-y / cupcake treat to bring to my nephews + niece on halloween! I can’t wait to make these this weekend. THANK YOU!
Yes, Penzey’s Vietnamese cinnamon is incredible. I take my litle jar with me when I go to Ted’s diner to sprinkle on my thick french toast! (The white pepper is fab too, and I put it in just about close to everything…..) The Penzeys live a couple blocks away from me. Just nice folk. My son is a special education student and Penzey’s allows the school district to conduct a job training program at their big warehouse here in Wauwatosa. I always know when my son has been working there – he smells wonderful when he comes home!
droooling. put cream cheese frosting on just about anything and i’ll like it, but applesauce cake is trumps!
I am still waiting on fall but I will bake applesauce cake soon, after we finish the gingerbread. Love the Penzey’s spices, have been ordering the addicting cinnamon for years and then they opened a store in Dallas – I love that place. Your Jacob is such a happiness child.
This is one of my favorite simple cakes! I was just thinking about this recipe earlier today and how I ought to make it in the next week or two. I use homemade cinnamon applesauce.
Also I always called my grandfather Gaga. I couldn’t pronounce grandpa as a kid. Very cute.
I don’t have a square pan, could I bake this in an 8 inch round cake pan?
Oh HELLS to the yeah, Vietnamese cinnamon. I brought back so much of it last time I went to Vietnam. Powdered and curls (for pho-making, natch). I am SO EXCITED to try this recipe with it now!
Deb, I generally make my own applesauce from Rome apples. It’s a bit chunky. Would you recommend pureeing it first?
I’d think that apple butter would be a fine substitute for applesauce here, if one cuts back accordingly on the sugar and adds a small amount of water. Spice futzing optional.
We are die-hard fans of Penzeys because of their quality and price – not to mention that we have lived close to their stores for several years. In fact, I made a special cinnamon sugar for Christmas gifts a few years ago with Penzeys’ goods: vanilla and two kinds of cinnamon mixed into brown and white sugars (with a pinch of salt to balance). Friends and family raved about it.
Our latest habit has been their Arizona Dreaming, a salt-free seasoning that we use quite frequently.
I had all the ingredients in and a day off, so I made this tonight! It’s amazing! This is the first recipe I’ve tried from your site though I’ve been reading it for a while.
My guy: “This cake is GREAT!”
And there you go.
I’m only home in New York for a week in November and I’m completely overloaded with recipes from this site I need to attempt (full disclosure: I’m an amateur college student cook but hey – it’s fun trying). This is definitely in the top tier of the list!
Thank you not only for the recipe, but for the link to Penzeys! I just ordered $50 of spices. I’m so excited! I live in a small town in Oklahoma, so you can imagine my choices are limited to say the least. A small jar of cardamom is $11 at Wal-mart! Your suggested cinnamon was on my list, as well as cardamom (ground and pods), brown mustard seeds, garam masala, star anise, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, whole coriander, whole cloves, smoked paprika, sweet paprika – I’m in heaven!!
I love the smell of Penzey’s! There are a couple of stores in the Minneapolis area, but since we only get there two to three times a year perhaps the aroma of this cake baking would do for now.
-Brenda
first time commenter, long-time reader! first and foremost deb, you have possibly the cutest baby known to mankind. thank goodness i don’t own anything that cute, because i’d never get any work accomplished, due to all of the cheek-squishing i’d be doing. secondly, and more food-related, i wondered if you had any suggestions for another cake that would go well with this delectable cinnamon-cream cheese frosting? i’d eat it by the spoonful, for sure, but i’d like to make myself a birthday cake next week, and just thought i’d ask for your pairing ideas. thanks for all the recipes, hilarious posts, and adorable pics of your baby!
Yum my kind of cake. Cream cheese frosting makes everything taste better!
cannot wait to make this. and ny in october is perfect, you’re totally right about that.
I will definitely try this cake next week. I make a similar frosting, but add a tablespoon of local honey to it and a bit more cinnamon. Delicious enough to eat on its own.
NYC is simply one of my favorite cities anytime of year. I always feel like I am standing in the middle of the world! Autumn is a beautiful time of year, to open the windows, let the cool air in and cook like you never cooked before :-)
SaraQ — I don’t see why you can’t use chunky sauce. If it is all chunks, of course, I might puree it a little.
cutiefoodie — You could make this cake into a layer cake!
Monica — You can use an 8-inch round but a 9-inch round is actually closer in volume.
Although I am a passionate baker,but coming from Europe, I have never heard about this cake until now. But what a coincident ! My son brought today the same recipe from school,with the exception of Vietnamese cinnamon,of course. I guess I have no choice,but try it soon.
My grandma has a similar recipe to this and I LOVE it! This looks amazing.
After reading this, I immediately went out and bought everything I need to make this cake – I was so taken with it. Unfortunately tonight’s dinner ended up being cereal, BUT, it’s on the docket for tomorrow!
I just finished making applesauce with Johnagolds when I saw your recipe. Needless to say, I made the cake immediately and sent it with the rest of the family to Monday Night Football at a friend’s house. What better pairing in the fall? Football and applesauce cake. Yum!
BTW, your Mom’s Apple Cake is terrific, too. Both cakes will have top billing around here this fall.
That cream cheese frosting looks exquisite!! Well, the cake does, too, but the frosting looks especially good. Perfect fall treat!!
@Thumper (#89) – I’d try a brown sugar frosting. This one over at Annie’s Eats looks pretty good: http://annies-eats.com/2008/10/30/pumpkin-cake-with-butterscotch-filling/.
Penzeys is just so addictive, I can drop so much money in that store!
Looks delicious! We just made chevre at home I think I’ll combine it in the frosting.
Question- you wrote for the frosting: 1/2 (1 teaspoon) teaspoon cinnamon, did you mean 1/2 tsp if Vietnamese and a full tsp if regular cinnamon? I saw the recipe’s head note suggesting to to use 2/3 of the cinnamon amount if using Vietnamese but this is 1/2. I’m a little confused.
from the cookery — I mean to use less than what is listed if you’re using a specialized cinnamon. (I assume people use ordinary ingredients.)
Just made this with pumpkin puree instead of applesauce. Amaaaazing. Astoundingly moist!
Oh dear. I’ve almost always been intimidated by baking, but this is one where I really want to just jump in and start baking! That simple block of moist cake, that droopy swirl of cheese frosting that’s holding it together so regally … gobsmacking.
The recipe looks awesome. But really? The killer was that smile, with the dimples showing through. What an awesome picture of your little guy.
ho HO!! we just so happen to have 400 gallons (kidding. sort of) of homemade apple sauce in the deep freeze, AND a trip to Penzey’s on the week’s agenda.
That cinnamon is the bomb, isn’t it? Yeah, no idea why, but theirs is not to question why, just, you know, inhale.
oh, yum.
I agree, NYC is great in the Fall!!
Being an avid reader of both yours and certain other Parisian-dwelling writer’s blogs, I read your entry whilst thinking about who ele had mentioned Vietnamese Cinnamon lately….Not meaning to appear rude of course, it just made me smile …
..and if you liked the Penzey’s cinnamon, you will LOVE the “baking spice”.. a blend of 2 kinds of cinnamon, aniseed, allspice, mace and cardamom..all those sweet spice overtones , I use it sometimes instead of cinnamon..(especially in streusel toppings) and people go crazy not knowing exactly what the taste is, but loving it. The store in Grand Central is nice to have, but as others have said.. you really need to go to Wisconsin and sail the mother ship… every time I visit, I come back suitcase full..try the double strength vanilla.
Oh, this both looks and sounds fantastic! Hands down, fall is _the_ season for spice cake, which is only one of its many charms. Thank you, as always, for sharing! :)
Love NYC in the spring and summer. Winter too cold (that is why i left East Coast) summer too smelly :) But your cake is awesome looks soooo good.
This looks so dreamy and delicious. My boyfriend LOVES anything with apples/apple sauce so I have a couple questions – If I want to make this in a round pan, what size would you suggest? And do you think a spring form or bundt pan would work?
I am at my first year at college right now and missing New York so much. Your post had me missing everything I love about my home–the leaf-carpeted sidewalks slick with recent rain, the crispness of the air, the sight of small children in bulky backpacks filled with freshly sharpened crayola colored pencils. Also my oven, and my spice cupboard, and the Union Square farmers market, and everything else necessary to truly make this cake.
Nevertheless, we’ll find out this weekend whether my dorm kitchen is up to the challenge, because this applesauce cake is most definitely getting made!
Oh mY GOODNESS!! Al these deliciously applely things have got me SO inspired!! If i didnt have to go to school tomorrow I would stay up all night baking them but unfortunately education calls.):
oh and speaking of inspiration the fabulous monkey cake has inspired me to make a chocolate monster cake (modled off of it) for my little brothers 4th b-day next week! I can’t wait!!
Oh yum. I must make this. When fall comes around I start to bake more.
It’s like you read my mind!
I was looking around for apple cake recipes but am not a fan of the chunky ones. This is perfect, with cream cheese frosting to top it all off. Am going to bake two round layers with more frosting in between. *grins*
Hi Deb, I’ve got to be your biggest fan from India! The minute your latest post pops up, I am in the kitchen trying it out! Getting all the ingredients here is always a challenge….but i love to experiment! That brings me to Cream Cheese – what can i use to substitute it – yoghurt? Cottage cheese? Please throw up some ideas!
Mmm, I can just about smell this through the computer!
Baking is just soooo satisfying, isn’t it?
Living in the northern hemisphere for the first time and think I’m finally getting what REAL apples are all about… this cake looks amazing. And seriously, how much personality is squeezed into that little man? Makes my ovaries go pitty-pat.
I wish I could be there! In Rome, fall=rain. So does winter and spring for that matter. And I wouldn’t know where to apple pick around here! I’ll have to check out Penzey’s next time we’re home!
Oh.my.goodness.I need to make this before berry season arrives. Sending this from Sydney Australia where the weather today was 26 deg (76) Get.a.move.on Lorraine!
An applesauce cake recipe with LOTS of apple – looks great!
Gorgeous photos!
Well you said you wouldn’t believe me, but October in the mountains of North Carolina has got to be better! All you described, plus towering blankets of fiery color everywhere you turn! ;) Maybe you need to come visit Asheville to see!
The apple cake looks outstanding–so moist and I love that thick layer of cream cheese frosting! Gorgeous!
I ADORE Penzeys and am so glad you gave it a plug here. Their smoky salt is spectacular on popcorn (and even on watermelon for a really cool contrast), their Greek seasoning makes turkey burgers into something worth eating, and their Chili 9000 is possibly the best chili powder mix I’ve ever tried. Thanks, Deb.
Oh, goodness. This looks and sounds AMAZING.
OK, as I was reading the post approaching the cinnamon rave, I was hoping you were going to introduce the gorgeous Vietnamese spice!
Have you tried a sprinkle onto your palm just to taste it on the tip of your tongue? It possesses a sharp yet delightful sweetness.
Want even more fun for your taste buds? Go ahead and get the Indonesian cinnamon as well, and have a taste comparison…figure out where you would add each one…ahhh…
the subtle pleasures of flavors…
And, yeah, that Mexican vanilla is absolutely divine!
Thanks for offering foodie indulgence – I love this stuff!
Spiced applesauce cake…. now your talkin’ ;)
Yummm!! DH’s birthday is coming up and he loves spice cake with cream cheese frosting. Not sure I can wait almost 2 weeks to make it!!
what a great way to use up my homemade applesauce!
This looks great! Can I double it and use a larger rectangular baking pan? Or how about a springform pan?
This cake looks amazing! It’s seasonal and perfect for a Halloween dinner party. I love baking with applesauce instead of oil too. It’s so much healthier. Thanks for sharing :-)
Oh man, I have a Penzey’s spices where I live. I should bike over there and grab some of the vietnamese cinnamon (and also replace some other things in the kitchen). This looks so delicious, and between that and the apples the fruit stand next door has, it’s going to happen soon.
I’m pretty excited to make this today. Even though I can’t frost half of it because the boyfriend refuses to eat ANYTHING with cream cheese in it… Grumble.
Thank you so much for the Do Ahead little section at the end. It is so nice to know how to store and how long the things will last. This cake looks lovely. I just made your mom’s apple cake, but in muffin form…. kind of hard to get out of the muffin pans, but the cake is super moist and the addtion of the orange juice was lovely. I will have to try this apple cake out as well…loving the fall as well.
Thanks
I am making these tonight!
I grew up on an apple orchard in VA and 2 weekends ago my sister got married. My mom and granny made apple sauce for the reception and I have quarts of delicious homemade applesauce in my freezer. It is so good, but I’ve been thinking about whether I could make some of it into cupcakes to bring into the office and share. (I’ve found that cupcakes seem to be easier to share with people than cakes in my office at least) Deb, it’s like you read my mind with this recipe!
I have very fond memories of an applesauce cake my grandmother used to make, but it didn’t have frosting. I never made hers, but this sounds like the same spices. Speaking of spices, I just made a trip to Penzey’s here in Santa Monica and spent 15 minutes smelling the cinnamons. Ended up with the Penzey’s mixture. I couldn’t decide! Last time I bought the Chinese, I think. The black pepper I bought is so strong, you have to be careful. But the best thing I’ve gotten there (other than cinnamon) is their cumin and cumin seeds. Much fresher and stronger than an Indian market!
So, of course as soon as this was posted I ran right out to the grocery store to grab the ingredients. I have a quick question….is Saigon Cinnamon the same as Vietnamese Cinnamon? My store had Saigon (which is what I purchased), but not the other.
I just finished making and freezing about 15 cups of apple pie filling which is already sweetened. Could I use that in place of the applesauce and cut back on the brown sugar? The filling is made with brown sugar. I can’t wait to try this as cupcakes. You’re recipes are always wonderful.
I like the idea of the Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting. I plan on keeping the one around for a few other cakes too, yum!
It must be serendipity I was just looking through my Penzeys catalog and getting ready to place an online order and decided to check my email first. I have been using their China Cinnamon and will now try the Vietnamese. Penzeys has been my primary source for spices for years I highly recommend.
It’s such a please to read what you and little Jacob have been up to. I haven’t tried Vietnamese cinnamon, but I’ve got some amazingly potent Sri Lankan cinnamon. Have you tried it? If you could draw a comparison, that would be great!
I was just thinking about making an apple dessert and this looks perfect! I have a bunch of apples left over from orchard picking. This looks so good with the cream cheese frosting. Can I use diced apples or should I make applesauce for the recipe?
I made the applesauce from the Smitten Baby site and will make the cake today. Good thing the recipe doesn’t call for more applesauce, because I can’t keep my spoon out of it! I will never understand why anyone would want to add sugar to applesauce, using a good apple delivers such naturally sweet results. I used half honey crisp and half pink lady. AMAZING!!! Even warm, it was delicious, like apple pie without the crust.
Hi Deb,
I made a version of this similar to the one in Simply recipes and the flavors in the applesauce spice cake is delicious. Two thumbs up!
Hi Deb –
I am a big fan of Penzey’s and agree that their Vietnamese cinnamon is worth the trouble of ordering online! I can definitely taste a difference…
Now did you actually ask the experts at Penzey’s about Aleppo pepper? Because I’ve that that stuff in my cabinet for a while and am dying to use it!
Hi Deb
How many cups of applesauce does your First Applesauce recipe yield? Eyeballing how many apples are rolling around in the fridge and trying to figure out how many cakes I can make….hmmm…Thanks!
Jacob is absolutely adorable!!! I need to make this cake. I have apples galore. The icing sounds so good.
This sounds amazing. Can’t wait to try it!
I agree, Penzey’s spices are the best! I just wished I lived near a store.
It’s always a toss-up as to what is more beautiful…your desserts or Little Lord Gaga…but he wins every time! Seriously adorable!! We’re planning on coming to NYC in Dec – would love to meet the little Lord in person!? And you’re definitely right about Vietnamese cinnamon – Bern brought me back a vat of it from Vietnam on his last trip – it was almost worth the price of his ticket! This is going into my “to make” pile – gosh, I hope I live long enough to make everything in there! xo, Nan
This cake looks delicious. I am on a real Autumnal apple mission, keen to bake as many appley treats as possible. This is definitely next on my list.
Just made this!! Its super yummy although I did not have any cloves so I added a little pumpkin spice and i only had a cup of apple sauce so I added some oil. I think for me I’d like a little more spice but the cloves may have taken care of that and homemade applesauce would have been lovely but jarred is what I had in the house. I got really worried about the curdled look but when I read on was reassured!!
Thanks deb here in Chicago today with 50 mile an hour winds we didn’t have much to do so my little helper and I have a yummy post nap treat!
Beth — I completely messed up when I was measuring it but About.com tells me it will yield about 4 cups. Which, obviously, means you’ll have to make this cake at least twice.
I have never had apple cake and now I’m definitely going to make some. Looks amazing!
Took the suggestion from Dale (#118) and used canned pumpkin since that’s all I had in the house. I substituted two tbs. olive oil/two tbs. canola oil for half the butter. With your mom’s apple cake in mind, which only uses oil, next time I’ll try it without butter. I thought it might not be sweet enough so I added an extra 1/4 cup sugar. No other substitutions. It’s moist and delicious with a strong pumpkin flavor. I’m going to give it a powdered sugar glaze since it could use some more sweetness (and to keep my promise to my doctor to cut back on the butter and cream cheese.) The house smells sooo good!
Deb! You are feeding my Penzey’s obessesion! Not good! Well, ok, very good – fantastic, actually. But as it is I have more Penzey’s jars than I know what to do with and I keep ordering more. But I’m going to stop whining now because we all know I’m going right home to order Vietnamese cinnamon! And when it arrives I will make applesauce cake.
Oh, and by the way – the Penzey’s Aleppo pepper? Awesome! Perfect for yogurt-marinated chicken kebabs. I even like it for roasted carrots – sounds weird, tastes great!
I have been looking for THE applesauce spice cake. This just may be it. I’ve also been meaning to purchase some Vietnamese cinnamon, since it’s what everyone seems to be going “gaga” over recently. I am curious as to why it also seems that everyone takes their cake out of the pan? I have always left mine right in the pan it was baked in. I must’ve learned to bake the hillbilly way. : ) I mean, it probably does cool faster out of the pan (and now that I think about it, I always take breads out of the loaf pans for this reason), but how do you store the cake once removed from it’s pan?
Wow! What a wonderful dish. My thing might be fitness; but I have a soft spot for certain dessert dishes! Excellent Post!
This is appreciated
“I don’t spend a lot of time talking about ingredients on this site because I like to focus on the kind of recipes that work with whatever you can get”
What a great looking dessert. What are your thoughts on a layer of sliced apples in this cake? It looks so light and moist! Will it hold up to this addition?
Having just foolishly purchased pounds and pounds of gorgeous CT farmer’s market apples with absolutely no idea what I would do with them or when on earth I would find the time (second week back to work after maternity leave), I now have a solution.
I. Must. Make. This. Cake.
With homemade applesauce.
Tonight.
Time/sleep be damned! This cake sounds SO yummy and simple…
this looks divine! but what’s not to love about anything with cream cheese frosting?… :)
Thanks for your stroke of genius, France! (#174)
How about baking some apple slices (just like the ones in the apple cheddar scones!), and spiraling them over the cream cheese icing?!?
It’s gotta be gorgeously delicious!!!!
Everyone rocks on this site!
Did anyone try the springform? or a regular 9″ round pan? Please report back!
I knew I had to make this immediately after seeing the recipe. I made them as cupcakes last night and they were a HUGE hit at the office today! Definitely a go-to recipe for fall!
This takes me back as this was one of the first cakes I ever made and I can almost taste it from your great picture. Yumm. One of those comforting desserts. I’m going to make this later in the week. Thanks!
Quick question for you: your baked goods always seem to appear evenly cooked and legitimately golden brown like they should be. Our oven has gone to oven heaven and we’re looking into a new one. Would mind sharing what kind of oven you have and/or any recommendations? Ours is a oven with gas range on top. I know this is probably an odd question, but any recommendation would be great.
Thanks for the great recipe!
Okay, so I’m a few minutes away from turning this into a coffee cake with that sort of yummy cinnamon sugar layer in the middle. Possibly including toasted hazelnuts chopped up in there as well instead of the walnuts. I’ll let you know how it goes! :) And I’ve also been thinking about how to incorporate chocolate into this. No need, I’m just an addict.
Perfect!. Can’t wait to try this. I love Dutch apple cake as well but the chunks of apple have a tendency to sink and leave the bottom of the cake a little soggy. This looks lush.
oh this is getting made pronto like…
Dear Deb,
I am feeling especially smitten this week. I made Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic the other night and it was heavenly. I don’t think I’ve ever had chicken so juicy and flavorful… I’m salivating as I type about it. I also made Winter Squash Soup, and it was a perfect complement to the start of 6 straight months of rain that the PacNW will be dumping on me. (6 months is me being optimistic). Then yesterday, I saw this recipe while I was at work, and I couldn’t go home and NOT make it. My boyfriend ate it for dessert and then again for breakfast. Even my roommate, who has a phobia of cooked fruit, was in love. Tonight after work, I’m going to carve a pumpkin and try not to polish off the rest of the cake in one sitting. Thanks for reminding me why I still love fall (despite all that rain!)
Cheers,
Cupcakes
This cake came together like a dream and was utterly blissful smelling while in the oven! I can’t wait to dig into our dessert tonight! Thanks for the post, Deb!
One of the grocery stores I go to has a really great bulk spice section. I’ve noticed Vietnamese cinnamon there before, and will have to try it now! Definitely wouldn’t mind trying it with this cake…looks and sounds divine!
Just curious–my hubby is not a fan of cream cheese frosting but LOOOOOOVES applesauce. Do you have any suggestions for a substitute frosting that might be yummy??
Just pulled mine out of the oven. It smells amazing…and the batter was pretty delicious too.
I made this into mini cupcakes today and they are perfect!
My mom’s favorite cake is applesauce cake and I can’t wait to make this for her as a nice surprise. Thanks, Deb!
I made this cake today (without the icing) and its vanished already! Over the past few months I’ve made quite a few recipes from your blog and absolutely love each one of them. Thank you so much! :-)
Cheers,
Praj
fabulous!! and funny to see your 1 and 2 years ago posts… i’ve made the cauliflower dish (loved) and just posted a version of the salted caramel sauce (amazing)!!
oh yummy! i just recently finished making a bunch of applesauce, so i will definitely have to try out this recipe with it!:)
I am, in fact, drowning in apples right now, so this looks perfect!
Love Penzey’s Vietnamese Cinnamon! Making this cake this weekend!
Made this last night and liked it very much. I found all the flavors not intense enough though, so will increase them all next time. And is there any way of making the cream cheese frosting a little thicker and not so sweet?
I’m also unbelievably grateful that you put the weights in: thanks so much.
Made this with your applesauce yesterday.
Both proved to be a HUGE success in the house with the kiddos. We’re eating it sans frosting – this way we can pretend it’s a bread and have it for breakfast. ;)
Coffeecake was a success. And it’s even better this morning :)
Everything on here is fantastic; keep up the good work!
Thank you!
This is just what I needed. I will also second the Penzey’s Vietnamese cinnamon. It is unbelievable, as is the dutch cocoa. I love that store. I spend way too much money every time I visit.
By the way, your baby makes me want another one. Just a little. I’m sure it will pass!
God Deb….I wanna marry you ;)
Oh fantastic! I am making this one!And thank you for the Vietnamese cinammon tip. How exciting. I grew up in Greece where cinnamon is often used in meat dishes. I wonder what Vietnamese cinammon would do to my pasta sause!:)
You know, in my 7-ish years of living in NYC, I think I have enjoyed this October the most. The weather has been absolutely delicious.
This recipe looks divine. Now, I just have to decide whether to make it or pumpkin bread pudding or pumpkin cupcakes for my pot luck tomorrow night! Which do you think is most likely to be a crowd-pleaser?
Kat — Haaa. I have probably the cheapest G&E oven on earth. I live in a rental. I don’t choose these things. Also, it’s 2/3 the size of a standard oven. That said, some ovens seem to top-brown better than others. When I had one that did not, my trick to make sure the “tops” got cooked were to put it on the very top rack towards the end; the heat that bounced off the roof of the oven seemed to help. Other trick: Keeping it on a lower or middle rack and putting an empty baking sheet over it. It seems to have a similar heat-bouncing effect.
Sabrina — No reason you cannot bake it in other pans. It will work just fine.
I was in New York last week and I totally agree. Especially loved the fall market at Madison Square. Also, thanks for mentioning Kalustyans way back when (chana masala post?)–their spice collection was amazing and I finally found amchoor powder!
oh geez. now i have to decide between the pumpkin cupcakes with maple cream cheese frosting and these for my Scary Movie Party on Friday. any votes are wecome! thanks deb.
I read this recipe Monday, and just had to bake it. My husband’s birthday was Tuesday, and he gave me a half-hearted “okay… applesauce cake sounds kind of weird, but go ahead if you want” to make it as his birthday cake. My cooked fruit-phobia husband adored it. Thanks for a great fall cake that I think has just become his new go-to birthday cake. :)
Wow! I made this cake last night and wasn’t particularly fond of it. Cut it into squares, packed it up in Tupperware and brought six pieces to work…I ate one at work and the flavor was not only better but the spices had intensified. My husband is going to be thrilled when he comes home tonight to find this. Spice cake is his favorite. It’s also extremely easy to make and I will definitely add this to my repertoire.
I iwll try to make this…sound really good!!
Do you think I can use the same recipe with pumpkin sauce intead of applesauce?? Just asking :)
I used to live in the city! I loved going to the farmer’s market in Union Square on the weekends. Cooking with apples is fantastic this time of year. Well done :)
I had been wanting to make this, and I also needed a creative cupcake idea for a friend’s birthday tomorrow, so I decided to kill two birds with one stone and made spiced applesauce cupcakes… I baked them at 375 for 15 minutes(ish) and they turned out really well! Great recipe- super moist, and I love the spices! Yet another Smitten Kitchen recipe I will most certaintly come back to.
I love this recipe & plan on making it soon. I’m curious as to how you adapted the original recipe from the Gourmet site. I’ve made that cake before & after just glancing at your recipe it doesn’t seem different at all. Can you explain the adaptation(s)?
Thanks!
Hi Annie — I noted that the recipe is “barely” adapted from Gourmet. Their recipe works almost perfectly as originally written. That said, I tweaked a bunch of things. I noted how curdly the batter will look, because it freaked me out. I suggested a parchment paper lining because I used a nonstick pan and it almost stuck. I reduced the baking time because both times I made this, it was done at 35 minutes, not the 40 to 45 that were suggested. I also converted the measurements to grams and ounces, and added a bunch of headnotes like how long the cake should keep, how you can make your own applesauce or pear sauce and how to use a more intense cinnamon. Hope that helps.
Yes, that does help. I did notice the “barely” after I left my comment. Sorry! I will definitely make the changes you suggest & look forward to making this delicious cake for my family. Thank you.
No problem. I never know how much detail to go into about changes, without sounding excessively OCD. More or less, I’m adjusting recipes to what I experienced, giving you heads-up where I wished I had them. On a good recipe. On a bad one, I nearly throw it out before writing you a better one. :)
New York has definitely redeemed itself after an awful summer. I think I need to seek out the Vietnamese cinnamon you described.
Deb, can you recommend a dessert wine that would be good paired with this cake?
I made this cake yesterday . . . it is simply divine! Believe it or not, it’s even better the next day . . .can’t wait until tomorrow! I didn’t have unsweetened applesauce on hand but had regular cinnamon applesauce. Amazingly enough, the cake didn’t turn out too sweet. Hubby loves cinnamon so I figured the extra cinnamon wouldn’t be a bad thing. Thanks Deb for a keeper . . . also I really enjoy seeing your curly haired, dark eyed, totally ADORABLE Smitten Kitchen Manager!
Can you substitute a vegetable oil for the butter in the cake? I was thinking of putting more applesauce in and maybe 1/4 cup of oil?
Ah-mazing. You were right, I’m already scheming for “excuses” to make this cake ASAP. I made your applesauce for the first time as well and fell in love with my first taste of homemade sauce. I didn’t have ground ginger on hand (but I do now for my next batch) so I subbed in nutmeg and it was wonderful. I also cooked it in a well greased 8X8 glass pan and served it in the pan to no ill-affect since the family practically devoured it in one sitting.
G- If you don’t want the frosting as sweet, I made it with 8oz of cream cheese because I love the tang. I always add the sugar gradually and sample while I whip so it doesn’t get too sweet, but I found 1 cup to be perfect for this recipe. To put a little more volume into it, just leave it in the fridge for a bit and give it another whip before you frost.
First of all…a Penzey’s STORE? I get the mail-order catalog…but a store! That sounds dreamy!
I made a cake almost exactly like this last night – Instead of the applesauce it had pumpkin, though. The rest of the recipe was very similar and looks the same when done (with that lovely pillowy “duvet” of cream cheese on top!). I would think a person could swap applesauce for pumpkin in this recipe come Halloween night for a nice baked treat!
I made this cake last night in a loaf pan and it sank in the middle after taking it out of the oven. Any suggestions to prevent this from happening again? I haven’t tasted it yet because I made it for friend, but it sure smelled good in the oven.
Thanks Deb, I made this today!
Apple Sauce Cake is always my request for my birthday cake. It is absolutely my favorite cake :) Thanks for this recipe variation!
I made this cake yesterday for my birthday. My husband offered to make it himself, but since the only dishes in his culinary repertoire are boxed macaroni and cheese and an interesting dish called”boy scout stew”, I lovingly nixed the idea.
Anyway, the cake was utterly delicious. Deb, thanks for this recipe that made a perfect birthday even more perfect(er).
Thanks for this recipe Deb! My 4 yr old son announced the other night that today was party day at his preschool and could I please make something yummy to eat for it. So I whipped this up – making it gluten free – added in 1 c brown rice flour and 1 c bob’s mill gluten free flour mix, doubled the baking powder and soda and added 1 tsp xanthan gum – oh and used pear sauce in place of the apple sauce (filled my slow cooker with pears and a titch of water and cooked for a day – yum) and this cake was amazing (I picked crumbs out to taste). The cinnamon in the frosting is genius. I’m hoping there will be some left when I pick up my shark this afternoon but I think that might not happen – may have to make one just for us at home.
I made it. I replaced the cream cheese with mascarpone, and i’m not 100 happy about how the frosting came out (it did not have the spreadable, creamy consistency that you would expect), but it tasted great. The cake is to die for. We won’t be able to research if it keeps well.
Hi Deb! I made this with just a few changes: increased the cinnamon and ginger, used dark brown sugar instead of the light, and used rosemary brown butter applesauce in place of straight applesauce. I made it twice now, and posted about it today: http://bit.ly/d41c75
Deb, thank you for this! I needed cupcakes, but I am not usually a frosting fan. They’re all cloyingly sweet such that I scrape 95% off and then eat the cupcake. I added some allspice and nutmeg to the cake batter, and jacked the Vietnamese cinnamon a smidge. In the frosting, I also jacked the vanilla and the cinnamon such that my frosting was tinged/no longer white. The flavor was sublime. Not overly sweet, perfectly creamy and light, and it pairs perfectly with the apple-spice flavors in the cake.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I made this today with some applesauce I made earlier in the week. I added a little maple syrup to the frosting in place of some of the sugar. It was fabulous!! I was taking dinner to a friend and shared half with her. I’m guessing the rest will be gone tomorrow. A big hit with grown-ups and little people, alike. Thanks for another great recipe.
Just came out of the oven–smells delish!!
After trying this with pumpkin two days ago, I decided to give it a go with bananas since we still don’t have applesauce in the house, and my bananas were beyond sad. Swapped butter for oil–1/4 cup olive and 1/4 cup canola. I left out the cloves and upped the cinnamon. It’s a winner! My only change if making it again with bananas would be to cut back on the sugar because I think it’s a little too sweet. Instead of cream cheese frosting, I plan to give it a glaze made with powdered sugar and milk. For the walnuts, which I love, but my husband dislikes because of their texture, I have a trick. After putting them in a baggie, I gently pound them with a mallet until they are well-flattened. Then I add them to the flour mixture and give it a whisk. Lots of flavor without the chunks. Next time, I’ll make it with applesauce–promise!
Hi
Thank you for adding the alternative weights to your recipes. I am an American living in Europe so although I do have my American measuring cups and spoons for my American recipes, I found using my kitchen digital scale for weighing ingredients more accurate (and also UK and European recipes are in ounces and grams).
With that said, I made your cake this morning. The 2cups of flour that you have as 250gms, weighed in at 325gms on my scale, and at 11.5oz, not 8.75oz as in the recipe. Also, 1/2 tsp is closer to 2gms and 3.4tsp is 3 gms. The rest worked out fine. I hope this helps your other fans living outside the US.
The applesauce was great – my first batch.
Also, I replaced the butter with 1/2c of oil.
The cakes is sitting on the table now, looking beautiful and I am expecting it to taste as good as it looks.
Steph in London
Oh for heaven’s sake, there were already 4 other apple recipes on this site I’ve been meaning to try. I’ll just add this to the list :)
So so good! I made it last night, and I think that this is something I’ll make again. Perhaps with the addition of shredded coconut next time…!
Looks wonderful!! I’m going to try to double this recipe to make cupcakes today. It looks like one recipe fits easily into a 8 or 9 in. sq. pan, but I’m thinking that with 4 cups of flour it might make more than 24 cupcakes? I’m happy to report back if anyone is interested in the results!
Made this last night and it’s fantastic. Can’t wait to try it today–from other comments, it sounds like it will be even better. I think this is one of those cakes you can modify endlessly without managing to destroy it. My applesauce has cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest, and a pinch of salt, and I didn’t find the spice balance in the cake to be off at all. Next time I’ll try it with 1/2 whole wheat flour (or perhaps some oats!) and sub canola for the butter.
Hi Deb,
This looks great! I was wondering if you could suggest how much to cut down the brown sugar in this recipe. I have a gorgeous homemade applesauce I purchased at a local orchard, but it is sweetened. I’d hate to ruin a good recipe by making it too sweet!
I am curious to try this with vegan ingredients (shortening, egg replacer, soy cream cheese) for my son, who has severe dairy and egg allergies. I’ll let you know if it is edible — my last egg-free attempt went straight into the bin!
I just made this and it is unbelievably delish! I couldn’t even wait to put the frosting on before I ate a piece! So good. Thank you for the wonderful recipes.
YAY! I’ve been wanting a recipe that will highlight that spicy Vietnamese cinnamon and I’m making this RIGHT NOW. Just got back with 5 lbs of apples from Union Sq and I’m so excited. ps: My other favorite thing from Penzey’s is their Mexican Vanilla. They say it’s best in cooking and chocolaty things, I think, but I like it in everything. Thanks for this Deb.
I’m so excited to make this, but I do have a question. The list of ingrediants for frosting reads “1/2 (1 teaspoon) teaspoon cinnamon”. I’m confused – is that a typo and the 1 teaspoon is supposed to be a weight? Or is it meant to say that it’s up to us how much cinnamon to put in the frosting? Thanks!
I made this last night and it turned out spectacularly! My applesauce was pretty heavily spiced already (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, dash of cayenne), so I skipped all but a pinch of cloves. The applesauce had raisins, as well, which worked out well in the cake. I didn’t frost it – all the better to eat for breakfast this morning! Thanks!
Deb, This is the best website ever.
This cake was absolutely delicious, as are all of your recipes, so far. And I sprinkled the cinnamon on top instead of mixing it in to the icing. It was cute! It tasted great with half wheat flour, too. And my boyfriend demands it in layer cake form next time for a better cake to icing ratio in each bite. :)
I made this for my 2 year old’s birthday cake. He is an applesauce loving fool. He’s still gobbling it up and making his yummy sounds. Thanks for the recipe!
Just made it, LOVE it. I am now a smitten kitchen believer.
Thanks for the recipe – very tasty! As a blog rookie I hope it’s okay I linked your recipe/site to my blog.
I literally had some people on the way over to help me make cheddar apple scones when you posted this new recipe (we had just gone apple picking the day before). So I threw on some apples for applesauce and when they got here I said, “Surprise! We’re making cake too!” It was great. I have to say that the scones were my favorite, but everyone else preferred the cake…it was gone in 24 hours.
Amazing amazing amazing. One of the best things I have ever made. This coming from someone that believes all desserts should contain chocolate. I did not change a single thing – it was perfect. I even used your applesauce recipe (never made applesauce from scratch before), although it was really pear-applesauce since I didn’t have enough apples alone. I am still eating the leftover applesauce, which is also delicious. I had gone on vacation a week or so ago and had to freeze a bunch of apples and pears so they wouldn’t spoil while I was gone and they worked perfectly for the applesauce. I am already trying to come up with a reason to make it again, and I still have half the cake left.
Oh – and I used a glass 8×8 dish which seemed to make a pretty deep cake, and it took about 45 minutes to cook all the way through. And I buttered it (with no parchment) and it didn’t stick at all!
Delicious!!! I made them into cupcakes and they are amazing. The only change I had to make was to use a gluten free flour mixture as I recently found out I have celiac disease. I have been playing around with different flour mixtures and as baking with celiac is a little scary (as is the whole disease to be honest), but this sounded so delicious I just had to try and it you couldn’t even tell it was made with a gluten free flour mixture. Thanks for the great, as always, recipe! Happy Halloween!
Made this today and LOVED the cake. The frosting was too sweet for me (and this is from someone who normally eats just frosting from a cake) so next time I’ll sift some powdered sugar on it and call it a day…
This cake welcomes in fall! I made your homemade applesauce recipe for this cake and my girls polished off the remaining applesauce before the cake was even in the oven. Thanks, yet again, for sharing!!
So I love that Smitten Kitchen cooks seasonally – but when you live on the other side of the world it does make life interesting! Although, lets be honest, given my rather dismal baking attempts for date, I think I might need to start at the beginning! So my question Deb is what is the very easiest and most impossible to screw up cake on Smitten Kitchen?
Made this cake for a Friday night get together and it was a major hit all around – kids, parents, grandparents! Thanks for another great recipe. Love your blog and can’t wait for the book!!!
Just pulled it out of the oven and it smells delicious! But my frosting doesn’t look right. It’s not as light as yours and it’s very runny. Help?
made this for a halloween party last night. turned out beautifully and the icing was scrumptious!
Applesauce: Jonagold and Braeburn. Mucked about with the recipe: 1/4 cup whole wheat, replaced some of the butter with 1 Tbs olive oil, only 1 1/4 cup applesauce as it was very wet. Added a quarter-cup chopped dried apples. Decided to sprinkle the walnuts over the top, to give a finished look, and realized halfway through that I was supposed to frost it! (I so seldom make an iced cake that I totally forgot, despite having the cream cheese softening.) The cake came out high, light, and nicely structured (a relief after several wet and sticky cakes), with a pleasant spice tinge, but not very apple-y. I am accustomed to apple cake & apple bread with chunks of apple, and I guess I missed this. Adding a tablespoon of apple brandy or cider, cooking the applesauce more so it’s drier and I can use more, adding more dried apples all might bring out the apple flavor. Right now maybe I’ll try whisking up a little bit of the cream cheese frosting with a touch of that brandy and see how that works on a slice or two.
Thank you for this recipe! Going in the ‘keep forever’ file, as is the applesauce – both of which I made over the last few days. I made cake into cupcakes, which yielded 14 large cupcakes. Only thing I ‘changed’: I doubled the frosting because I’m a frosting person (when it comes to cupcakes). It was piled high, and I had some leftover. Thank you for a perfect halloween weekend treat for my family and me!
Yum yum! Made this cake for the first time, and it certainly won’t be the last. We loved everything about it. Adding it to my ever growing collection of smitten kitchen recipes that are always winners. Thanks Deb!
I believe the cinnamon typo corrected should be- 1/2 tsp (1 gram).
@ Jenny, my frosting is the same way. I came here looking to see if any comments about that…
Jenny — My frosting wasn’t particularly thick, actually. But if it is too thin, just pop it in the fridge for a bit to let it set up better.
Kat — This is definitely up there. The cake is forgiving.
I made this yesterday and it was extremely well received (one of our guests even left with a big chunk of it in a tupperware). I had some for breakfast this morning and thought it tasted even better than yesterday. Am already thinking up excuses to make it again – thank you!
I made this cake on Saturday night and it is pretty mich gone already. My husband and his best friend loves it. The cream cheese flosting is fantastic and I will use it in place of all other cream cheese flosting recipes.
Deb-if I want to make this in a 9×13 pan would I just double the recipe?
Nice recipe – nice result! Made my own applesauce with Galas and very liberal splashes of black cherry bourbon and OJ. All in had in the larder was Australian candied ginger; a bit of knife work reduced it to very tiny flakes. Made it Halloween day and serving it to the work crew on Dia de los Muertos. Thanks for a good site.
Yum! First time visitor and was lured in by the spice cake recipe and all the pleased comments. My cake is baking away as I post, frosting ingredients await, but alas I will not be cutting into the cake until tomorrow evening. With all the comments about the flavors deepening over time I decided to make this a day ahead. Am looking forward to licking the beaters however when I put the frosting together. Have added this blog to my feed, here’s to future deliciousness, thank you!
I took it to a Halloween party and it was a total hit..love it and am going to make it again soon..
Hello
I’m wondering if anyone has any thoughts on my making cupcakes out of this? Any reason why it wouldn’t work?
Thanks
Klely
Deb, I made two of these cakes, one for family and one for my son’s middle school teachers catered lunch. My house smelled heavenly and the cake is so crazy good I am making another one tonight. Thank you for a wonderful site!
I made the cake last night and am hoping that it will last in our house for 3 days! I’d love to hear your thoughts on Kelly’s comment regarding making cupcakes out of these.
now I know exactly what to do with all my homemade apple sauce. Cake!
Hi Deb – I have been enjoying recipes from your site for almost a year, so first of all, thanks for such an entertaining, user-friendly and cook-friendly website. Like many others, I first look for Jacob’s latest photo; he is so adorable!
I have used “Saigon” cinnamon for the last 3 years in all my baking and cooking. It makes cinnamon bread that is outstanding; so rich, sweet and cinnnamon-y! I first found it at Costco (now I see it in many stores) but it is very reasonably priced at the big box places compared to the site you referenced. Just an FYI for the more budget-minded consumer…
You were right! I made this on Saturday and found an excuse to make it again today. I added the walnuts this time but didn’t get to taste since it was the perfect welcome to the neighborhood cake for new family just moved in.
Making this cake into cupcakes — I mention in comment #27 that I think these would make excellent cupcakes. That you’ll be the hit of the party. But don’t take it from me, looks like a few commenters (179, 190, 211, 229, 249, 257, wow) already tried it!
Maria — Just double the recipe.
This cake is really easy and really awesome. A new fall staple to be sure. 8×8 glass pan worked perfectly. Trying it in layer cake form next time. More to love. Fanned 5 or 6 thin slices of apple on the top for aesthetics.
Deb!! This was awesome, awesome yuminess! My husband pretty much ate the whole cake by himself. I even made homemade applesauce, using your recipe, with my farmers’ market apples. A perfect fall recipe! Next time, I’m making this recipe as cupcakes and taking it to my kid’s classroom.
My frosting stayed runny, but man is this cake ever good! So moist and soft and absolutely delicious! I’ll be making it again for sure! Thank you Deb!
Made this on Monday to take to a friend’s house for dessert on Tuesday. Followed directions except that I did not have any cloves on hand, subbed nutmeg. Cake baked just fine at thirty five minutes and easily came out of pan. Oh, and I did add a chopped Granny Smith apple to the mix. made a cream cheese frosting that another post had included, adding in the cinnamon (to die for). The cake had a lovely crumb but I found it a little lacking in flavor and thought it was slightly dry. Definitely thought it needed more apples. Will try again. (Kept in fridge, frosted, overnight.)
I usually go for a slice of pie over a slice of cake. You may just change my mind, once I try this cake. It looks delicious.
Made this gluten and egg free. Used a combination of brown rice flour, tapioca starch, and potato starch, along with adding 1 tsp of xanthan gum. I did not adjust the baking powder and soda like a previous commenter did – I didn’t find it necessary. In place of the 2 eggs, I used 1 egg equivalent of flaxseed sub and 1 egg equivalent of Ener G Egg replacer.
The cake needed to bake slightly longer than in the recipe, but it rose well and had a great crumb and texture. It stayed good for 3-4 days.
Overall, a GREAT cake for being gluten and egg free – the applesauce helps it maintain great texture.
I made this cake tonight… ate while it was cool enough to frost, but still slightly warm. Heavenly! It was an easy cake that turned out perfectly!
OMG I just made this cake today and it was Da Bomb! My family loved it. I have been feeding my family your recipes for a little over a year now and you are a goddess of real good and often fancy food (that I can make). I Use the cream biscuit recipe to make pizza every friday ( it might sound thick but we are Chicagoans that is how we like it). Just want to say thank you for making me look like I was born to cook good food.
I made this cake twice this past week… once with the frosting and once without. Both amazing, tons of compliments. I used homemade applesauce (for those of you who haven’t yet, please make homemade applesauce, you will never go back!!) My favorite was eating this cake for breakfast with my coffee! Thanks so much for posting, this will become a fall in NYC staple for me.
Deb- would you double it as well for a 2 layer cake or is this enough? Thanks.
Awesome recipe, thank you so much for sharing this with us! :)
I do have a question though—is it possible to substitute the butter with more applesauce or will that compromise the cake entirely?
I made this cake last weekend and it was delicious; I kept slicing little pieces with the thought that i wasn’t eating much of it. Did you know that six little pieces makes two big pieces? Yeah, me too.
They sell the Vietnamese cinnamon a Kalustyan’s. We did a taste test and everyone agreed that the normal store-bought cinnamon tasted like dirt in comparison!!
Hi Deb! I just made this with 100% white whole wheat flour and it tastes awesome. Thanks for bringing autumn to our kitchen!
Thank you so much for this recipe. I am working on my Thanksgiving menu and was thinking about this cake as a side dish (sans frosting, of course). We’ll have 7 kids at dinner under the age of 9 and I thought this might be a nice treat for them. What do you think?
This cake was just okay for me. After reading your praise about it, I was so excited. You see, the baked apple and cheddar scones you posted were AMAZING – I’ve made them 3 times. I love the tartness of the apples and the subtle cheese flavor and texture. You made it seem like this would be even better. So, of course, I had to make it.
The cake is good, don’t get me wrong, I just expected….more. it’s very cinnamon-flavored and I found the cinnamon overpowering the apple. Also, I found the icing a little too sweet. Maybe next time I’ll skip the icing all together and add even more nuts (I’m a firm believer in nuts in baked goods).
I made this Friday, and we loved it all weekend (breakfast, tea & dessert after dinner)! While the icing was too strong on day 1, by day 4 (I had my last little square after lunch today), it was perfect – adding a bit of extra moisture and sweetness… Next time, I’ll leave off the icing and only ice it on day 2 or 3 (if I haven’t already gobbled it all up).
This was delicious! So moist and forgiving! Thanks so much for sharing it. I made the applesauce from a mix of Fujis and Granny Smiths, and that’s amazing, too — I’m actually eating it as I type.
can’t wait to make it – thanks for the recipe and the inspiring fotos! and damned if i didn’t just stock up on bulk cinnamon yesterday, and was scratching my head again as to what the difference is between the 4 different choices of cinnamon are… oh well, i’ll try vietnamese next time…
Made this tonight. It was the perfect treat on a cold, rainy, fall evening. I’m new to your blog but do believe I will be a regular reader! Thanks for the recipe.
I love apple cakes but this one looks especially delicious. I don’t think it will last the three days here either!
I made this as cupcakes for Halloween and dyed the frosting orange. The kids at our Halloween party loved them!
Last night I was looking to do some baking and I decided to make this again, but this time convert it into a “bread”. I changed the flour to Whole Wheat Pastry Flour and used 1/2 cup light muscovado sugar and 1/2 cup dark muscovado sugar instead of traditional brown sugar. Then, I baked it in a loaf pan for an hour.
It is a bit more crumbly than the original version, but it was still delicious and I felt good enough about it to serve it to my kids for breakfast this morning. Yum!
Letitia — I’d double it for a tallish birthday cake-style cake.
On account of peoples’ “dry” comments, I added about 2 tablespoons of oil. I made it into cupcakes. They were PERFECT, moist, flavorful, delicious.
This cake was amazing. I didn’t even adjust the recipie for altitude and it was tasty right out of the oven with no frosting. Then my husband made the frosting the next day and it was even better (or as he said: “this changes everything…” read: “now this is good and not some weird hippy/healthy baked thing”). It was still delicious on the third day too! Thanks.
How long should I cook this recipe if I want to make cupcakes?
Thanks!
I cannot bake. The last time I attempted a “from scratch” cake it tasted like day old bread and to make things worse, it was for someone’s birthday at work! Thankfully I am hard headed and don’t give up on things easily. I read this recipe and thought “Ok, maybe I can do this one”. Well, I did it and it was DELICIOUS!! Am serving it at Thanksgiving this year (hopefully my success was not freakish luck the first time) and you have restored my reputation in the office from “remember when she made that bread cake” to “oh my gosh, will you please make this cake again!!??” Thank you!
I made this as cupcakes- making the applesauce with whatever type of apple I had from the farmer’s market (Nittany, probably). The apple sauce was great. I will be making that again, for sure. The cake though, I would recommending upping the spices quite a bit if you’re just using regular old grocery store variety spices. I found the frosting more than overwhelmed the flavor of the cupcake, though the cake was moist and decent on its own. But I think this was a good base recipe and I hope to try variations on it in the future!
Finally had time to make this cake! It was perfectly sweet, moist and spiced. My 8 yr old won’t eat nuts so I sprinkled some on top of the frosting, leaving a small area nut free for him. Can’t wait to have dessert tonight! Or perhaps I’ll enjoy some as an afternoon snack….
Also, with all this talk of spices I looked at the Penzey’s website and was surprised to learn there is a store about 10 minutes away! Who knew? My holiday baking will never be the same.
OK. This is what did it. A three-year smitten lurker, follower, fanatic, secret publicist, and THIS is what finally got me to post: the Best Everyday Cake of All Time. I have made this cake 3 times in the past 2 weeks and can’t get enough. Cut some of the sugar and added a splash of maple syrup, doubled the vanilla and cinnamon, and served it warm with the frosting deliciously gooey. I love, love, love your recipes, writing, and general outlook on life, and I finally had to add my voice to the chorus. Thank you for everything!
Oh my. I have to add the 300+ comments to say that this cake is insanely delicious, moist, and easy to make. I used homemade sweetened applesauce in the cake so I cut the sugar down to 3/4 cup instead of a full cup. I also halved the cinnamon since my applesauce already had cinnamon. I was concerned that my cake would be too sweet so I decided not to make the frosting. For anyone wondering if the cake is any good without the frosting, it is! I am glad I didn’t frost the cake (and this says a lot because I usually love cream cheese frosting). The subtle sweetness and spice of the cake is perfect on its own. One of my favorite cake recipes on this site!
OK, I seem to be one of the few people (if any?) for whom this did not work out so well. I think, after looking at my mom’s applesauce cake recipe, that this one isn’t as forgiving (less sugar, more eggs) in terms of bake time, and I wasn’t super vigilant, so what I got was dry. I also wonder whether the applesauce I used made a difference– it wasn’t homemade, just store brand unsweetened. So maybe, if you’re using that kind, be sure to use plenty of applesauce and add a little extra sugar. And don’t bake it a second too long.
The spice taste is great, though, and I used coriander instead of cloves.
From the image itself, this spiced applesauce cake looks definitely delicious. I bet it’s even mouth-watering when I start to bake it. Geesh!
I made this Friday for my “I’m not cooking thanksgiving dinner” dinner. It was a piece of you know what to make. I think many applesauce cake recipes tend to be rather heavy and oily, but not this one. It strikes a nice balance between refined cake and spicy-cozy fall dessert. I think I will try this again using almonds and cardamom….maybe for my “I’m not cooking Christmas dinner” dinner!
What would you think about penuche frosting? I’ve never known how to pronounce it, but I love it on spice/applesauce/nut cakes in the fall.
I am currently making this again for my early Thanksgiving feast tomorrow, and I just want to say how impressed I am with this recipe. The first time I used the recipe, I made a bundt (it’s got a hole in it!) and the ratio of cream cheese icing to cake was PERFECT. My applesauce, however, was so bland that it almost tasted like pumpkin bread, so I made my own for this go around. I have high hopes (and a tasty breakfast from the 1/2 c. of leftover applesauce!). I would like to add my thanks for the gram equivalences since I am ALSO an American living abroad and doing the conversions myself stinks (and I didn’t have any problems with them).
This cake is awesome!! I just made it, I added some fresh ground nutmeg because I love nutmeg but no other changes and it came out perfect!!
If I made this cake into cupcakes, would there be enough for a group of 24 people? or should I double the recipe? Thanks!
I’m going to try this recipe tomorrow! I just discovered your site a few days ago, and I love your writing and your recipes. I’m probably the only person I know who doesn’t swoon over cream cheese frosting (or cream cheese in general), but a long-time favorite of mine is spice cake with a quick caramel frosting. I think I’ll double the recipe and make TWO cakes–one with the cinnamon cream cheese frosting (which everyone I know will adore) and one with the quick caramel frosting (for me!). Thanks so much!
I’ve made this twice now – first as directed, in the 8×8 pan; today, in mini-bundt cake forms for Thanksgiving guests (I don’t make pie, I leave that to my mother-in-law). Both times, it has turned out absolutely delicious and perfect. I *know* I need to make homemade applesauce, just one of those things I haven’t made because no one in the house except for me likes applesauce so it’s an effort vs. enjoyment thing, but the organic applesauce I used added a nice flavor. The cinnamon is straight from Savory Spice Shop in Denver, though, so it’s definitely the real thing. My husband, who does not eat cake, keeps sneaking pieces of this one, so I know this is a keeper! I’ve been following your blog for a long time, and I love your explanations and your photos!
Just popped the batter into my oven. If the cake tastes as good as it did on the spoon, we’re in good shape.
Made this for Thanksgiving today. Actually, I made 2 – one for each Thanksgiving we are going to today! My apt smells like heaven!
I just made this and it was amazing! The recipe is going straight into my recipe binder. Thanks for sharing such a great cake!
@ Jenny #278, did you use “light” cream cheese? That’s actually a different kind of cheese that may have behaved differently.
I’ve made this cake twice and it has proved a huge hit both times. I don’t have an 8×8 pan, so I have made it in a round 9-inch pan, which has worked out just fine. It has the perfect texture and perfect combination of flavors. And it’s so easy! I’ve been wishing for a one-bowl cake that makes this kind of impact.
This cake is moist (hate that word) and delicious! The frosting is definitely something I’ll use on other spice cakes. I had to use allspice instead of cloves and it was awesome. I will definitely will make it again.
Deb, thank you so much for giving the ingredients in weight as well as volume – it saves so much time for us non-US cooks in checking what volume of which ingredient is what weight. I really appreciate it. Will make this delicious-looking cake with my son tonight!
so I’ve made this cake three times (twice in the past week, for office parties). it is absolutely delicious, and its one of the quickest cakes to throw together. Another great one deb!
A friend recently sent me this recipe from gourmet and I made it one weekend. It is definitely the perfect spice cake for a cool autumn day. I made some slight changes too, but it was only to add more spices (why not?). And the frosting, don’t even get me started on the frosting!
Deb, I made this with a mixture of white & muscovado sugar as it was all I had, & it added a real toffee edge to it. I made it without the frosting & it was still heavenly. I’ve been asked to bring it to a family gathering as an alternative Christmas cake for those who don’t like dried fruit & I think that’s a great idea!
First recipe to make from your website. I could wax rhapsodic about it for quite some time, but I’ll just make this simple and say that it was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS and oh-so-moist. Thank you!
This cake was so good on Thanksgiving it deserves a round two. Baking it (again) as soon as my mother’s out of the kitchen from cooking Christmas breakfast.
De-lurking to say that if your intention is to get other people to pick up a pan and cook, you have succeeded. The applesauce cake is now out of the oven and cooling on the stovetop (to spec, 8×8 pan, 48 mins baking time), and my husband is now pacing the kitchen and hovering like an expectant father.
The cake turned out wonderfully, and was as moist and flavorful on day 3 as on day 1. The cake will certainly satisfy any sweet tooth as-is, but the cream cheese frosting is delicious and takes the recipe over the top. This is a really gratifying find. Thank you!!
Made this last night! It is wonderful!!! Definitely a keeper!! :)
Great recipe! I made it for my son’s 1st birthday cake and it was loved by all!
I Love this cake. I think I have made it about 20 times since it was posted. This might sound strange, but it is really good if you use whiskey instead of vanilla in the cake and the frosting.
Well the kitchen has been smelling yummy as the cake has been baking. It is now cooling down on the side and the frosting is made. Here in Turkey we have a Kreme Peyniri, which is a light cream cheese with a yogurty texture and taste, so I have used this along with 5 x 5g sachets of sugar powder, (icing sugar), and the cinnamon. Cannot wait to sit down later this afternoon, with my cup of tea and piece of cake. I would definately like to add this to my blog and will be sure to mention you site. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
This cake was absolutely wonderful!! My daughter said it looked like oatmeal before it baked (which she is not a fan of) but in the end she ate all the cake she could stomach. I will be using this recipe again in the near future!!! Thanks for the great recipe.
I made this for a last minute event last week. It is a great cake that can be made without a trip to the store, love the convenience and the flavor! It was definitely a success.
Hey Deb! So fun fact, if you dial the butter and sugar way down, increase the applesauce, and swap 3/4 of the white flour for whole-wheat flour, these make pretty delicious muffins. I didn’t frost them, just sprinkled a little extra cinnamon and sugar on top before popping them in the oven. Perfect mid-afternoon snack. Thanks!
I made this last night after whipping up some homemade applesauce from some apples that had been in the fridge for a while. It is quite tasty! The icing is amazing as it is, but next time, I might increase the amount of spice in the cake to give it a bit more oomph. I will definitely be making your applesauce recipe again too!
Made this for mother’s day (we celebrated today instead of tomorrow) The icing is divine! It’s exactly like Cinna-bon frosting! The cake was quite fabulous!! This recipe is also nice and simple
I found this recipe and it looks delicious. Last year I made lots of apple butter from the Anna apples on my neighbor’s tree. I still have two jars of it left over. Now that the apples are ripe and falling off the tree this month, I wondered if I could use some of last year’s apple butter instead of applesauce to make your cake, leaving out the spices, of course. The idea intrigues me- what do you think?
I made this last night and it was wonderful! Not too sweet, the perfect finish for a fall day. Thank you!
Also made this tonight. YUM!! Made it with some homemade applesauce we had leftover. I used Ceylon cinnamon, so I used the whole teaspoon in the frosting… Made a lovely brown colored frosting, but delish!
This adapted well to all white whole wheat flour in place of the all-purpose, and to freshly-made (from local Golden Delicious and MacIntosh) applesauce. I used Vietnamese cinnamon in both cake and frosting. If I hadn’t left the butter out too long in a warm kitchen before whipping it, the cake would’ve turned out nearly perfect. Ah, well. It was densely delicious and satisfying.
I failed at making red velvet cake and had a bowl of cream cheese icing sitting in my fridge for a week before I came across this recipe. I looooooved this cake! It was very easy to make. It’s so moist and dense that it takes along time to eat, but that’s not really a complaint. Next time I want to try cooking up chunks of apple or pear (or both!) to see how that goes.
Was looking for a cake for a workmate’s birthday today so I made this and read am very delighted with the outcome. Perfect cake in my estimation….don’t care for frosting so when I pulled it out of the oven (35 minutes for me), I poured maple syrup over the top and spread with an offset spatula. Love it and I’m looking forward to your cookbook….don’t buy many but will be adding yours to my small collection, for sure ! thanks Deb…
Operation Applesauce Cake was a hit. Made this today for my friend’s dad’s birthday and the whole crowd was pleased. I used fresh ginger and decorated the top with candied walnut. Thanks Deb for a new fall edition, this one might also make it to the Thanksgiving table
I made this last year and loved it then. I’ve been meaning to make it for the last two weeks, and finally gave in tonight. A warning in case anyone else tries this (I did skim the comments, but didn’t see it mentioned): if you double it and try to bake it in a 9×13 pan, it may overflow. Mine didn’t, barely. This could have in part been due to using one of my wet strips (which keep the outside of the pan cooler to allow the cake to bake more level), but when I checked on it at 20min, the batter was at the top of the sides. It did stop there, thankfully, but next time if I double it I’ll take a bit out and make a few cupcakes with it. As it is, I have a very level box shaped cake! Also, I found the frosting a little thin (like some of the other commenters), but what I did was turn the mixer up to high and let it whip for a few minutes. That made it a bit thicker/fluffier, and easier to spread.
Love your site. Just made this cake with homemade NH apple applesauce, and it is delicious – exactly what I was looking for. Thanks!
This has become my “go-to” cake because it’s so easy and it’s always a hit. It makes a GREAT bundt cake, that looks and tastes delicious with a thick vanilla bean cream cheese frosting.
Ashley, Did you have to double the recipe to be the correct volume for a bundt pan? Did you cook it for one hour?
I made these as cupcakes and everyone sighed with satisfaction with each bite… hoping to make a bundt version tomorrow for a 10 year old’s birthday. Also I sub goat cheese for cream cheese because we don’t do cow’s milk here. Thanks for a fantastic recipe!
I modified the frosting by using just 1/3 cup of confectioners’ sugar and it was just the right amount of sweetness for me. My cake cracked/split on top (which is typical for me) but I used the frosting to cover the imperfections.
made this last night and it was delicious.. you know when you taste the batter and cannot wait to try the finished product?? i licked the bowl clean and could hardly wait the 35 minutes for it to be done! just perfectly simple and cozy for a sunday night.
I made this as a birthday coffee cake last night and topped it with cream cheese frosting (store-bought, unfortunately, since I don’t have a mixer and didn’t want to do it all by hand) and the sauteed apples from your lemon-ricotta pancakes. It was absolutely delicious. (And I have realized that coffee cake makes an awesome breakfast!)
hello, would you consider making it with oil instead so it is more like a banana bread? I know it is a bit sinful to not use butter, but I don’t have enough in my house right now. thanks
Oil should be just fine, and will make the cake extra moist.
Hi Deb,
I just recently made this cake for the third time, this time using a scale. Just out of curiosity I measured my ingredients in cups (which I know is extra work).
There is no way 1 cup light brown sugar could possible weigh 218 grams – in your latest post for gingersnaps the light brown sugar (1/2 cup) weighs in at 92grams which is the accurate amount.
This cake has tasted great all three times I made it, but I did find it confusing and somehow misleading when I made it.
Hi Annika — You’re so right. I realized at some point in the last few months that my weight (I’ve pre-weighed most ingredients, keep their weights on file) for brown sugar sounded off. When I reweighed it recently, I got closer to 196 for a cup. I’ll edit this now.
Third year (or second? time flies) in a row I’m showing up to Thanksgiving dinner with this cake. Classic.
I made this for Thanksgiving dinner & it was so good! I am eating my third piece today…at least I’m counting it as lunch? I am slightly ashamed.
Also served this for Thanksgiving, and it was wonderful. In a nod to moderation, I made the frosting with reduced fat cream cheese (not no fat, but lower fat) and it came out great.
i tried your recipe and loved it. and it almost is as good a one my great grandmother makes but puts sour cream in it. i was just wondering if you knew what i can subsitute sliced apples for applesauce. i have a recipe i want to try but do not have apples avaliable to me. okay at 4 dollars a pound. i do. that is why i was asking to see if you knew this could be done or whati might can do. it takes 4 Apples and that is 8 dollars. for those and they lack that wonderful fresh taste. yes these are cold storage apples. and i live in alaska where fresh ones have come and gone,
wow – this cake is delicious!
Love having a bottle of applesauce in the fridge – gives me a perfect (*cough* i mean, sporadic) excuse to make this cake. In the oven now – can’t wait!
It was a little too applesaucy for me but my husband and son loved it! My frosting wasn’t white, though….maybe it was the type of vanilla I used? Not sure.
Subbed a couple allergy friendly ingredients to make this gluten, soy and dairy free. We loved it! Delicious.
Also, I ended up making a sort of glazed with some Earth Balance soy free, So Delicious Kefir, powdered sugar and cinnamon. YUM!
I’ve made this recipe as muffins/cupcakes twice now with excellent results — but wait: I made changes to accommodate my ridiculous dietary restrictions. So here’s what worked: I substituted 2 T canola oil for all of the butter and increased the applesauce to 1 3/4 cups and no frosting. This makes them ultra low in fat (you could reduce it even further by substituting 4 egg whites for the 2 eggs); the texture is a bit spongy (which is typical for ultra low fat baked goods) but the taste is wonderful. Everyone in my family loved them — they didn’t even want me to try making it again with all of the butter. So for anyone out there who can’t digest much fat, this worked deliciously!
Thanks for another wonderful recipe. I made it for my son’s 2nd birthday and it was delicious!
I’m making this in honor of the beginnings of fall!
I’ve just frosted and tasted a piece of this cake, and it’s delicious. Mellow flavours, but delicious. I’m moving to another country in two weeks and currently trying to bake my way through all the ingredients in my cupboard – this made a good dent! Between this and your strawberry summer cake (which I made a few days ago – it barely lasted a day), I’m very popular at the moment ;)
Deb,
After your honey cake I am moving on to this one. How much oil do I use to substitute 1 stick of butter?
Good grief, apologies. Two delurkings in one day_ Madness I say. You ‘random’ button eats my free time and I love it!
What to do if this cake is all I have ever wanted from cake (and therefore possibly all food and maybe, just maybe, life) but I have an irritating live’with boyfriend who hates cinnamon, can taste even the smallest amounts and goes around with a homemade t-shirt toxic exposure mask around his face if I cook with it. What to do- I need this cake! xx
Anna — 1/2 cup.
Wow!
Couldn’t stop eating this. My family loved it.
I put a dash of Cardamom in with the spices… and candied some walnuts to sprinkle on top. Found out I was sorta brilliant. Took it to a whole new level. Thanks for the amazing and yummy recipe. I give it 5 stars!
Thank you for adding the cupcake addendum, and for saving my guests overdone applesauce cupcakes! xxx
WOW! I made these and they are AMAZING. I brought them to work (to an office of 8, save 3 for me) and they were demolished before noon. The frosting is to die for, I couldn’t stop eating it out of the bowl! I’m going to make the pumpkin cupcakes next, but I’m going to use this frosting recipe and sub maple extract for vanilla.
Just canned 110 pounds of apples this weekend. I have applesauce coming out of my ears. Literally: I found some in my ear. So glad to have an applesauce cake recipe from this site!
I’ve made this cake several times in both cake and cupcake forms, and it was always demolished very quickly. This weekend I’m going to try it as a 2 layer round as a birthday cake for my aunt. One question I had is in your frosting ingredients (I’ve always just used 1/2 tsp cinnamon, but looking at it again, I was wondering). It says: 1/2 (1 teaspoon) teaspoon cinnamon. Was that meant to be: 1/2 teaspoon (1 gram) cinnamon?
Going to have to try this cake. Apple cakes are the best because they stay so moist.
I love Penzey’s Tung Hing cinnamon, but I’m going to have to try the Vietnamese one too. Hard to use other cinnamons after you try Penzey’s!
Oh my word, is this cake ever delicious. It turned out of the pan beautifully which is no small feat in my kitchen. The flavors really speak to the season. My youngest son thinks that this cake should replace the pumpkin pie at our Thanksgiving table!
Great recipe! Can’t wait to try it tonight. P.S. I noticed that you didn’t have this recipe under your ‘Apple’ category, just so you know :)
Do you think you could double and bake as a sheet cake for a crowd ?
I made this cake yesterday and frosted it this morning. It is so declicious! I really appreciate that you showed photos of it with just the frosting on the top. Loved the cinnamon in the frosting.
Found this a little too dense and chewy for a cake. Anyone else have this issue? Wonderful flavors and seasonings though!
LOVE this cake. Most of my family doesn’t eat eggs (though I love ‘em to death) and so I tried making this eggless. I substituted about a cup of greek yogurt for the eggs and it’s turned out great every time I’ve made it! It’s a little more like a cake-y bread than a cake, and it doesn’t stay quite as fluffy for the whole 3 days, but with that delicious frosting it doesn’t usually last that long. Delicious.
Made my first applesauce from this cake (so easy)!! Anyways, this cake is delicious, and I love the cream cheese icing. The first time, I baked in the 8×8 and subbed half of the flour for oat flour. Big hit. The second time, I used all purpose flour, but doubled it for 2 layer cake (9″ round). I doubled the frosting, and it wasn’t enough for the sides. It was well received as it should have been, but I think this cake is a little dense for a 2 layer cake. Next time, I’ll stick with the single 8X8 or maybe some cupcakes.
Made this with Cup4Cup gluten free flour – seriously, so delicious.
Great recipe! I didn’t have enough applesauce so I added 1/2 cup of grated carrots and fresh ginger. I also added raisins and sunflower seeds. Delicious! I think I’ll try it with some grated beets next time.
Deb, if I use apple butter, what is a reasonable amount of sugar to use? I was thinking I’d scale it back to 1/3 of a cup?
Coral — I’m not sure it’s a good swap. Apple butter is very very very sweet, and not wet/bringing moisture like applesauce.