The Secret’s in the Sauce: National Applesauce Cake Day!

Searching for a baking project? Consider National Applesauce Cake Day on June 6th for your inspiration. Scents of cinnamon and apple will remind you of the holidays, you won’t spend too much on ingredients, and it’s wonderfully delicious.

You can make the cake with or without frosting. It’s tasty no matter what. The pictured cake was made with the walnuts mixed into the frosting, but you can always bake the walnuts (or raisins) into the cake itself. Applesauce cake is flexible to your whimsy. I recommend using coconut flour, which is loaded with nutrients and contains less carbs. The flavor blends in nicely, and the prevailing belief is that it’s a healthier alternative to regular flour. You will be doing your tastebuds and your body a favor.

An historical aside…applesauce cake was promoted as a patriotic dessert during World War 1 because applesauce was easy to produce and affordable for customers. Also, it used fewer expensive materials such as eggs, butter, and sugar. The economical cake made its debut into cookbooks in the 1910s. In today’s cake world, applesauce cake is still very popular, and after stocking up on essential baking items it is still pretty lean on the pockets. Enjoy!

Ingredients (Cake):

2 cups all-purpose flour or coconut flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 stick unsalted butter (softened)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce

Optional: 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted, cooled, and chopped [Use walnuts for cake guts, frosting spread, or squirrels – your choice!]

Ingredients (Frosting):

5 ounces (142 grams) cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Prep:

Use the middle rack

Preheat oven to 350°F

This recipe was used with a 9″ Springform Non-stick Pan, but an 8″ or 9″ square cake pan works just as well.

Butter the pan all around.

Cake Makin’:

Pour flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices into bowl #1 and whisk thoroughly.

In bowl #2, beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy.

Add eggs to bowl #2 one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add applesauce to bowl #2 and beat.

Mix bowls #1 and #2 together and beat at low speed.

Optional: Stir in walnuts or raisins.

Note: The batter will look slightly uneven, but that is okay.

Pour batter into pan and pad it down until it looks even.

Bake about 35 to 40 minutes until it is golden-brown.

Stick a wooden pick or a stiff noodle into the center to see if it comes out clean.

Important: Let the cake cool for 15 minutes, especially if you are going to be frosting it (the frosting will get oober sticky from the heat).

Get it outta there! Chisel around the edge with a knife to loosen. Then, invert it onto a plate.

Reinvert the cake onto a rack to cool down even more (place in the fridge to speed up the cooling process).

Getting Frosty:

Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until smooth.

Pour confectioners sugar and cinnamon into cream cheese mixture.

Optional: Pour toasted walnuts or raisins into mix.

Beat at a medium speed.

Spread frosting over top of cooled cake.

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