Luscious Applesauce Delight Cake Recipe: A Sweet Homemade Treat
When baking an irresistible applesauce delight cake, every home cook dreams of creating a moist, tender dessert that sparks joy.
This incredible recipe blends warm spices with sweet, fruity notes for a truly memorable treat.
Seasonal apples offer a rich foundation that makes each slice extraordinary.
Soft crumbs mingle with gentle cinnamon undertones, promising pure comfort in every bite.
The cake emerges from the oven with a golden-brown exterior that hints at the delectable interior waiting to be savored.
Wholesome ingredients combine to craft a dessert that feels both nostalgic and exciting.
Grab your mixing bowl and let’s bake a cake that will become an instant family favorite.
Tools to Bake a Moist Applesauce Cake
Large mixing bowl: Essential for combining dry ingredients and creaming butter and sugar.
Medium mixing bowl: Perfect for whisking flour and spices together.
Whisk: Crucial for evenly mixing dry ingredients and blending wet ingredients smoothly.
Specific pan size needed for baking the cake.
Measuring cups and spoons: Precise measurements ensure recipe success.
Electric mixer or wooden spoon: Helps cream butter and sugar to light, fluffy consistency.
Toothpick: Checks cake doneness by testing center for moist crumbs.
Cooling rack: Allows cake to cool evenly after baking.
Sifter or fine-mesh strainer: Optional for dusting powdered sugar on top.
How to Make Applesauce Cake From Scratch
Warm Kitchen Preparation Creating a welcoming baking environment with a preheated oven at 350°F and a lightly greased loaf pan.
Fragrant Spice Blend Combining flour with a delightful mix of warming spices like cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves that promise rich, comforting flavors.
Butter Magic Transforming butter and sugar into a fluffy, creamy base that becomes the heart of this delectable treat.
Moisture Magic Adding beaten egg and smooth applesauce to create a luscious, tender cake texture that speaks of homemade comfort.
Gentle Mixing Carefully folding dry ingredients into the wet mixture, ensuring a light and delicate cake structure without overmixing.
Baking Perfection Allowing the cake to bake until golden and a toothpick comes out clean, filling the kitchen with irresistible autumn aromas.
Sweet Finishing Touch Letting the cake cool slightly and optionally dusting with a delicate shower of powdered sugar for an elegant presentation.
Spices and Add-Ons for Fall Flavor
Fold in chopped walnuts or pecans to introduce a delightful crunch and nutty depth to the soft, moist cake.
Drizzle a simple vanilla or maple glaze over the cooled cake for an indulgent, sweet finish that complements the spiced applesauce base.
Swap some of the applesauce with pumpkin puree during fall months for a festive variation that captures the essence of autumn baking.
How to Serve Applesauce Cake with Extras
Sprinkle Sweet Powdered Sugar Magic: Dust the top of the cooled cake with a delicate layer of powdered sugar, creating a beautiful white contrast against the golden-brown cake surface and adding a touch of elegant sweetness.
Pair with Creamy Companions: Serve thick slices alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream to complement the warm spices and enhance the cake's rich, comforting flavors.
Create Cozy Breakfast Moment: Transform this cake into a delightful morning treat by toasting a slice and spreading a thin layer of butter or cream cheese, perfect for enjoying with a hot cup of coffee or tea.
Dress with Caramel Drizzle Delight: Enhance the cake's flavor profile by drizzling a smooth caramel sauce over each slice, adding a luxurious touch that highlights the apple and warm spice notes.
Storing That Moist Cake Without Drying
Slice and Serve Smart: Cut cake into individual portions before storing to make grab-and-go snacking easier throughout the week.
Refrigerate Right: Store cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, maintaining its moist texture and delicious flavor.
Freeze for Future Enjoyment: Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe bag to keep fresh for 2-3 months, perfect for unexpected sweet cravings.
Room Temperature Revival: Let frozen or refrigerated cake slices sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving to restore soft, tender texture.
Quick Recipe Overview
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Calories: 278 kcal
Servings: 9
What Goes Into Applesauce Cake
For Dry Ingredients:
All-Purpose Flour: The backbone of the cake, providing structure and tender crumb with its protein-rich composition.
Ground Cinnamon: Warming spice that adds depth and autumnal character to the cake's flavor profile.
Allspice: Offers a complex, slightly peppery note that enhances the overall warmth of the dessert.
Nutmeg: Brings a subtle, sweet-woody essence that complements the applesauce perfectly.
Ground Cloves: Adds a rich, intense aromatic touch with its deep, slightly sweet undertone.
Salt: Balances and amplifies the other flavors, creating a more rounded taste experience.
Baking Soda: Crucial leavening agent that helps the cake rise and achieve a light, airy texture.
For Wet Ingredients:
Unsalted Butter: Provides richness, moisture, and helps create a velvety smooth cake texture.
Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the cake and contributes to its golden-brown caramelized exterior.
Egg: Binds ingredients together, adds structure, and helps create a smooth, cohesive batter.
Applesauce: Introduces natural sweetness, moisture, and a subtle fruity essence to the cake.
For Finishing:
Powdered Sugar: Optional elegant topping that adds a delicate sweetness and beautiful visual finish to the cake.
Moist applesauce delight cake brings classic comfort to dessert tables with rich, spiced flavors. Warm cinnamon and tender crumb invite sweet memories of home-baked goodness you’ll savor.
Ingredients
Scale
1 cup (200g) sugar
1 ¾ cups (217g) all-purpose flour
1 cup applesauce
½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg, beaten
1 ½ tsps cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp cloves
1 tsp baking soda
Instructions
Preparation Setup: Warm the oven to 350°F (175°C) and lavishly spray a 9-inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray, ensuring complete coverage.
Dry Ingredient Fusion: Whisk flour, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl until perfectly integrated and free of lumps.
Butter-Sugar Transformation: Utilize an electric mixer to cream butter and sugar, whipping until the mixture achieves a luxurious, pale, and airy consistency with pronounced volume.
Wet Ingredient Integration: Blend the beaten egg into the butter-sugar mixture, then gently fold in the applesauce, ensuring a smooth, unified batter with consistent texture.
Batter Completion: Delicately incorporate the dry ingredient mixture into the wet ingredients, folding with minimal manipulation to prevent toughening, stopping when no flour streaks remain visible.
Baking Process: Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, smoothing the surface with a spatula, then position in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted centrally emerges completely clean.
Cooling and Finishing: Allow the cake to rest in the pan for 10-15 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling, optionally dusting with a delicate veil of powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
Spice Selection Matters: Choose fresh, high-quality ground spices to ensure a robust, aromatic flavor profile that elevates the cake’s taste.
Butter Temperature Tip: Ensure butter is softened at room temperature but not melted, creating the perfect creamy texture when mixed with sugar.
Mixing Technique: Avoid overmixing the batter after adding dry ingredients, as this can develop gluten and create a tough, dense cake texture.
Moisture Magic: Use unsweetened applesauce for a moist, tender cake that doesn’t become overly sweet or soggy.
The French Culinary Institute (now part of the International Culinary Center)
Program: Classic Culinary Arts
Focus: An intensive curriculum rooted in classical French techniques, artisanal bread production, and contemporary culinary methods.
Michael Rivera is a seasoned chef and culinary instructor based in San Francisco, CA. Trained in Classic Culinary Arts at The French Culinary Institute, he refined his skills in Michelin-starred kitchens, mastering classic French techniques and artisanal bread baking.
Passionate about making gourmet methods accessible, Michael co-founded thatsmyhome.com to share his expertise through interactive online lessons and innovative, plant-based recipes. He loves blending traditional techniques with modern ideas, encouraging home cooks to enjoy the art of cooking in a relaxed, fun environment.
Michael Rivera
Co-Founder & Culinary Instructor
Expertise
Education
The French Culinary Institute (now part of the International Culinary Center)
Michael Rivera is a seasoned chef and culinary instructor based in San Francisco, CA. Trained in Classic Culinary Arts at The French Culinary Institute, he refined his skills in Michelin-starred kitchens, mastering classic French techniques and artisanal bread baking.
Passionate about making gourmet methods accessible, Michael co-founded thatsmyhome.com to share his expertise through interactive online lessons and innovative, plant-based recipes. He loves blending traditional techniques with modern ideas, encouraging home cooks to enjoy the art of cooking in a relaxed, fun environment.