Amish Applesauce Cake is a soft, spiced snack cake made with two cups of applesauce, butter, white and brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves and allspice, with chopped walnuts and raisins folded in. It bakes in a 9 x 13-inch pan in about 40 minutes, or in a bundt pan in about 55, and it cuts into 20 pieces. It doesn’t need frosting: a dusting of powdered sugar is enough.
How to make it: Cream the butter with both sugars, beat in the egg and the extra yolk, then mix in the applesauce and milk. Stir the flour, leaveners, salt and spices together in a second bowl, add them to the wet mix on medium-low speed, and fold in the nuts and raisins. Bake at 350°F until a toothpick shows only a few dry crumbs.
Why You’ll Love It
- Pantry ingredients: applesauce, flour, sugar, butter and warm spices you probably already have.
- One pan, a crowd: a 9 x 13-inch pan gives 20 pieces.
- No frosting needed: dust it with powdered sugar or serve it plain.
- It keeps well: covered on the counter for 2 to 3 days, and it freezes for up to 2 months.
Ingredient Notes
Applesauce: 2 cups. It gives the cake its moisture, natural sweetness and apple flavor, and it helps the cake stay moist for days. Homemade or store-bought both work. Unsweetened applesauce is the safest choice; skip flavored or very sweet kinds so the sugar and spice stay balanced.
Butter: 1/2 cup (1 stick), softened, for richness and a tender crumb.
White and brown sugar: 1 cup of each. White sugar sweetens and helps the top brown; brown sugar adds more moisture, depth and a hint of molasses.
Egg plus one yolk: the whole egg binds the batter, and the extra yolk adds richness.
Milk: 1/2 cup, for a softer, more tender texture.
Flour and leaveners: 2 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, 1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder.
Spices and salt: 2 teaspoons of cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon each of ground cloves and allspice, and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. The spices bring warmth that goes with the applesauce.
Walnuts and raisins: 1 cup of chopped walnuts (pecans work too) for crunch, and 1 cup of raisins if you like them.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg plus 1 yolk
- 2 cups applesauce
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 cup walnuts, chopped (or pecans)
- 1 cup raisins, optional
How to Make Amish Applesauce Cake
1. Heat the oven and prepare the pan. Heat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan, or grease and flour a bundt pan.
2. Cream the butter and sugars. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter. Add the white sugar and brown sugar and beat well.
3. Add the egg. Add the egg and the extra yolk. Mix well.
4. Add the applesauce and milk. Add the applesauce and milk. Mix.
5. Mix the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves and allspice.
6. Combine wet and dry. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on medium/low speed until incorporated. Do not overmix.
7. Stir in the nuts and raisins. Stir in the chopped nuts and the raisins, if using.
8. Bake. Pour the batter into the greased pan. Bake until a toothpick comes out with only a few dry crumbs: about 40 minutes for a 9 x 13-inch cake, or about 55 minutes for a bundt cake.
9. Cool and serve. Let the cake cool. Dust the top with powdered sugar or top it with your favorite frosting, or serve it plain.
The Secret to a Soft, Even Crumb
Three small habits matter more than anything else here:
- Mix gently. Once the flour goes in, mix on medium-low only until you can’t see dry flour. Overmixing makes a tougher cake.
- Pull it at the right moment. Start checking a few minutes early. You want a toothpick with a few dry crumbs, not wet batter. A perfectly clean toothpick is fine too, but don’t wait much past that.
- Let it cool before cutting. A fully cooled cake slices cleanly. If you plan to glaze it, pour the glaze on while the cake is still slightly warm so it soaks in.
9 x 13 Pan or Bundt Pan?
The same batter works in both. The difference is time and handling:
- 9 x 13-inch pan: about 40 minutes. Spray the pan, bake, cool, and cut the cake right in the pan. This is the easy choice for a potluck.
- Bundt pan: about 55 minutes. Grease it well, then sprinkle flour or sugar into the greased pan. After baking, let it rest about 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a large plate; it may take a minute to slide out. Cool it completely, then dust it with powdered sugar or drizzle it with caramel glaze.
A bundt pan can stand in for a tube pan as well; just keep an eye on the time.
Does It Need Frosting?
No. This cake has plenty of flavor on its own, and most people serve it plain or with a light dusting of powdered sugar. If you want a topping, you have a few choices:
- Brushed brown sugar glaze: microwave 2 tablespoons of butter with 1 tablespoon of dark brown sugar for 1 minute, stir, and brush it over the cake.
- Caramel glaze: simmer 1/4 cup of unsalted butter, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla and a pinch of salt for 2 to 3 minutes, then pour it over the slightly cooled cake. For another caramel idea, see this homemade caramel cake.
- Cinnamon cream cheese frosting or buttercream: both work if you want a richer cake. A frosted cake belongs in the refrigerator.
Variations
- Pecans instead of walnuts: same amount, or leave the nuts out.
- Dried cranberries: use them in place of the raisins.
- More spice: add a little nutmeg or cardamom, or a bit more cloves and allspice.
- Frozen cherries: a popular add-in folded into the batter.
- Fresh apple: for more apple texture, some bakers fold a peeled, diced apple into the batter.
Storage & Make Ahead
Room temperature: Cover the cooled cake, or keep pieces in an airtight container, for 2 to 3 days.
Refrigerator: In an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze it for up to 2 months. You can also freeze single pieces in an airtight container and take out a few at a time. Thaw at room temperature. If you plan to glaze it, freeze the cake plain and glaze it after thawing.
Warming a piece: Microwave a slice for about 20 seconds, or simply eat it at room temperature.
Make ahead: Bake it a day early and keep it covered at room temperature.
What to Serve With It
Serve a warm piece with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon. It’s also good in the morning with a cup of coffee, or on a brunch table with fresh fruit.
If you’d rather bake with fresh apples, try this easy cinnamon apple cake or the apple pecan cake with caramel glaze. For a loaf, there’s Amish apple fritter bread, and for the fastest apple dessert, make a 3 ingredient apple pie cake. Want another nutty dessert for the same table? Bake a pecan pie dump cake.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Amish applesauce cake different from other apple cakes?
Applesauce is the base of the batter instead of chopped fresh apples. Together with brown sugar and a mix of cinnamon, cloves and allspice, it gives a soft, spiced cake that doesn’t need frosting.
What is the secret to a perfect applesauce cake?
Mix the dry ingredients in only until they disappear, bake just until a toothpick shows a few dry crumbs, and let the cake cool before slicing.
Does Amish applesauce cake need frosting?
No. A dusting of powdered sugar is plenty. A brown sugar or caramel glaze, cream cheese frosting or buttercream are all options if you want one.
Can I freeze Amish applesauce cake?
Yes. Wrap it in plastic wrap and then foil and freeze it for up to 2 months. Thaw it at room temperature.
What type of applesauce is best?
Unsweetened applesauce is the best choice, homemade or store-bought. Sweetened applesauce also works; avoid flavored kinds.
Final Notes
Bake it on a Sunday and snack on it all week. Keep the powdered sugar handy, and if you try it in a bundt pan, tell me in the comments how it turned out.
Amish Applesauce Cake
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter 1 stick, softened
- 1 cup white sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg plus 1 yolk
- 2 cups applesauce
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 cup walnuts chopped; pecans work too
- 1 cup raisins optional
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan, or grease and flour a bundt pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter. Add the white sugar and brown sugar and beat well.
- Add the egg and the extra yolk. Mix well.
- Add the applesauce and milk. Mix.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, cloves and allspice.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on medium/low speed until incorporated. Do not overmix.
- Stir in the chopped nuts and the raisins, if using.
- Pour the batter into the greased pan. Bake until a toothpick comes out with only a few dry crumbs: about 40 minutes for a 9 x 13-inch cake, or about 55 minutes for a bundt cake.
- Let the cake cool. Dust the top with powdered sugar or top it with your favorite frosting, or serve it plain.
