Old Fashioned Applesauce Cake

Some of the best recipes come from the most worn-out cookbooks.

I found this one in a spiral-bound church cookbook at a yard sale for fifty cents. The page was stained with butter and the corner was dog-eared.

Someone had clearly made this applesauce cake a lot.

I took it home and baked it that same weekend, mostly because the ingredient list was so short I figured I had nothing to lose.

One layer. No frosting. Just a warm, spiced cake with a ridiculously tender crumb from all that applesauce.

My wife took a bite and said it reminded her of something her grandmother used to make. That's the highest compliment a cake can get in our house.

I've made it for breakfast with coffee, for dessert with a dusting of powdered sugar, and as an afternoon snack straight from the pan.

It works for all of those.

No layers to stack, no frosting to fuss with. Just a simple, honest cake that's ready in under an hour.

What's not to love?

What Makes This the Best Applesauce Cake

This cake hits every mark without trying too hard.

• Moist and tender crumb from the applesauce. A full 1 ½ cups of applesauce goes into this cake. You can actually taste the apple, and the moisture it adds is unmatched.
• Warm spices throughout. Cinnamon and nutmeg give every bite that cozy, old-fashioned flavor.
• Simple one-layer cake. No stacking, no leveling, no crumb coat. Just pour it in and bake.
• Optional walnuts and raisins. Add them for texture or leave them out. The cake is fantastic either way.
• Perfect with just powdered sugar. No frosting needed. A light dusting right before serving is all you need.

Applesauce Cake Ingredients

Everything here is a basic pantry staple. That's what makes this cake so easy to pull together on a whim.

• All-purpose flour (1 ¾ cups). Standard flour, no special varieties needed. Gives the cake structure without making it dense.
• Baking soda (1 teaspoon). Reacts with the acidic applesauce to give the cake a nice rise.
• Baking powder (1 teaspoon). Extra lift for an even, fluffy crumb.
• Ground cinnamon (1 ½ teaspoons). The primary spice. It's what gives the cake its warm, nostalgic aroma.
• Ground nutmeg (¼ teaspoon). Just a touch. It deepens the spice without overpowering the cinnamon.
• Salt (½ teaspoon). Brings out all the other flavors. Don't skip it.
• Unsalted butter (½ cup, softened). One stick. Creaming it with the sugar creates a lighter, more delicate crumb than oil would.
• Granulated sugar (1 cup). A moderate amount. The applesauce adds natural sweetness too, so you don't need a ton.
• Egg (1 large, room temperature). Binds everything together and adds richness.
• Unsweetened applesauce (1 ½ cups). This is what makes the cake special. Use unsweetened so you can control the sweetness.
• Vanilla extract (1 teaspoon). Rounds out the spice and apple flavors.
• Chopped walnuts (½ cup, optional). Adds a nice crunch. Pecans work too.
• Raisins (½ cup, optional). Classic addition that adds chewy, sweet pops of flavor.
• Powdered sugar, for dusting. Just enough to make it look pretty on the plate.

How to Make Applesauce Cake

This uses the traditional creaming method, which gives you the lightest, most tender crumb.

Step 1: Prep

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Grease and flour a 9x9 inch square pan. A quick spray of baking spray works great too.

Step 2: Whisk the Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

Step 3: Cream the Butter and Sugar

In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.

This step matters. Properly creamed butter traps air and gives the cake its lift.

Step 4: Add the Egg and Wet Ingredients

Beat in the egg until fully combined.

Add the applesauce and vanilla and mix until smooth. Don't worry if the mixture looks slightly curdled at this stage. That's normal.

Step 5: Fold in the Dry Ingredients

Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet and stir until just combined.

Do NOT overmix. A few small lumps are fine.

Step 6: Add Mix-Ins

If using, fold in the chopped walnuts and raisins by hand.

Step 7: Bake

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake at 350°F for 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Step 8: Cool and Dust

Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then either serve from the pan or turn out onto a rack.

Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

Recipe Tips

These small details help you nail it on the first try.

• Room-temperature butter and eggs. Cold butter won't cream properly, and cold eggs can cause the batter to curdle. Set them out 30 minutes before you start.
• Don't overmix after adding flour. Stir until just combined. Overmixing develops gluten and makes the cake tough.
• If your applesauce is very watery, reduce to 1 ¼ cups. Different brands have different consistencies. Thick applesauce works best.
• Test doneness at 40 minutes. Start checking early. Overbaking dries out the cake and no amount of applesauce can save it.
• Let the cake cool completely before slicing. Warm cake crumbles more easily. For the cleanest cuts, let it cool fully or even chill it.

Variations and Substitutions

The base recipe is timeless, but here are some fun ways to change it up.

• Add a frosting. Cream cheese frosting is classic. Caramel frosting is so good. Or try a simple brown butter frosting if you want something truly special.
• Spice variations. Add ¼ teaspoon allspice, ¼ teaspoon cloves, or ¼ teaspoon ground ginger for deeper warmth.
• Mix-ins. Dried cranberries, chopped pecans, or even chocolate chips all work.
• Oil swap. Replace the butter with ½ cup vegetable oil for an even more moist, denser texture. You'll skip the creaming step and just whisk everything together.
• Gluten-free. Use a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend.
• Fresh apples. Add 1 cup diced apple to the batter for extra texture and apple flavor.

How to Store Applesauce Cake

This cake keeps exceptionally well because of all the moisture from the applesauce.

• Room temperature. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a cake dome. Stays fresh for 3 days.
• Refrigerator. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Especially important if you've added cream cheese frosting.
• Freezer. Wrap the cooled cake tightly in plastic wrap, then in a layer of foil. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or in the fridge overnight.
• Powdered sugar note. If you plan to dust with powdered sugar, wait until right before serving. The sugar dissolves into the moist surface if you add it too early.

Serving Tips

This cake works for dessert, breakfast, or an afternoon snack. It's genuinely that versatile.

• Warm with vanilla ice cream. The cold ice cream melting into the warm, spiced cake is to die for.
• Room temperature with coffee or tea. This is how I eat it most often. It's the perfect companion to a strong cup of coffee.
• Dusted with powdered sugar. Simple and elegant. Add it just before you serve so it stays visible.
• With whipped cream. A lighter alternative to frosting that still feels like a treat.

Give it a try!

Recipe

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Old Fashioned Applesauce Cake

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 9 servings

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter softened (1 stick)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg room temperature
• 1 ½ cups unsweetened applesauce
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup chopped walnuts optional
• ½ cup raisins optional

Instructions

Make the Cake

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9x9 inch square baking pan.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
• In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.
• Beat in the egg until combined. Add the applesauce and vanilla and mix until smooth.
• Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined. Fold in walnuts and raisins if using.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Notes

• Room-temp butter: Set butter out 30 minutes before baking for proper creaming.
• Applesauce consistency: Use thick, unsweetened applesauce. If yours is watery, reduce to 1 ¼ cups.
• No frosting needed: A dusting of powdered sugar is all this cake needs. Add it just before serving so it doesn't dissolve.
• Storage: Room temperature for 3 days, refrigerator for 5 days, or freezer for up to 3 months.
• Optional frosting: Cream cheese frosting, caramel sauce, or brown butter frosting all work beautifully.