Applesauce Cake Recipe
A delicious applesauce spice cake made with applesauce, raisins, spices, and walnuts then powdered sugar icing is drizzled over the top.

Recipe updated: April 3rd, 2024

This applesauce spice cake is a sweet and moist cake that is made with applesauce, raisins, and spices. The cinnamon, cloves, and chopped walnuts make this spice cake amazing. And then, after it’s done baking in the oven, powdered sugar icing is drizzled over the top of it to make it even more amazing! We love powdered sugar icing, especially on top of sugar cookies or coffee cake! So delicious!

A loaf of applesauce spice cake.

In brief, about fifty years ago, the neighbor lady living next door to us made an applesauce spice cake for my husband and me. She made the applesauce cake in one of those little disposable aluminum foil loaf pans. It was “out of this world” delicious… so I asked her for the recipe, and she was nice enough to give it to me. So now I am passing it on to you. Enjoy!

🔪 Key Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup of shortening
  • 2 cups of granulated white sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 and 1/2 cups of applesauce
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon of table salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1/2 to 1 cup chopped walnuts – or chopped pecans (optional)
Ingredients for applesauce spice cake.
Ingredients for applesauce spice cake.

👩‍🍳 How to Make Applesauce Spice Cake

These step-by-step instructions are accompanied by detailed photos for enhanced clarity and guidance.

Step 1. Preheat the Oven

The first step is to preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2. Prepare the Wet Ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, using a spatula or spoon, mix 1/2 cup of shortening together with 2 cups of sugar and 2 eggs.

Shortening, sugar, and eggs intermixed together.
Shortening, sugar, and eggs intermixed together.

Step 3. Add the Applesauce

Then, mix 1 and 1/2 cups of applesauce together with the shortening, sugar, and egg mixture. You can substitute unsweetened applesauce if you prefer a bit less sugar content. Either way, it will not affect the taste.

Applesauce is added to the shortening, sugar, and eggs.
Applesauce is added to the shortening, sugar, and eggs.

Step 4. Prepare the Dry Ingredients

In a different large bowl, add 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour together with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon of cloves, 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Whisk together flour, salt, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and baking powder until thoroughly blended.

Flour, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and baking soda in a bowl.
Flour, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and baking soda in a bowl.

Step 5. Combine the Dry Mixture with the Wet Mixture

Add the dry mixture (the flour mixture) to the wet mixture (the applesauce mixture). After that, thoroughly stir the ingredients together, forming a cake-like batter.

Tip: You can use an electric mixer or stand mixer if you prefer, starting at low speed. Then gradually increase to medium speed. And finally to high speed until the mixture is well blended.

The flour mixture is added to the applesauce mixture.
The flour mixture is added to the applesauce mixture.

Step 6. Add the Raisins

Add 1 cup of raisins together with the applesauce batter and mix thoroughly with a spatula or spoon, but not the electric mixer. We don’t want to mush up the raisins.

Tip: If you love raisins as I do, you can add another half of a cup now.

Add the raisins to the applesauce batter.
Add the raisins to the applesauce batter.

Step 7. Fill the Loaf Pans with Applesauce Batter

Spray two loaf pans with nonstick spray all around the inside of the pans so the bottom and the sides of the cake won’t stick. We used something similar to these loaf pans for baking the applesauce spice cake.

Note: We added walnuts to one of the loaf pans. However, if everyone in your family likes walnuts or pecans, you can put them in both of the loaf pans now.

Then, pour batter equally into each of the loaf pans. You can place parchment paper in each loaf pan before pouring the batter in them if you prefer to do so. If you use parchment paper, you do not have to spray the loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.

Put the applesauce batter into loaf pans.
Put the applesauce batter into loaf pans.

Step 8. Bake for 40 Minutes

Finally, place the loaf pans in the oven and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes of baking, you can do the toothpick test. First, insert a toothpick into the middle of the applesauce cake, then pull it out to check for doneness. The toothpick should come out clean.

Applesauce cake baked at three hundred and fifty degrees Fahrenheit for forty minutes.
Applesauce cake baked at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Step 9. Drizzle on Some Icing

And last but not least, you can make powdered sugar icing in a medium bowl as we did and drizzle it over the top of the finished applesauce spice cake. We made the icing on the thin side so it would have a drizzling effect to it.

Applesauce spice cake with icing.
Applesauce spice cake with icing.

🌟 Recipe Variations

  • You can also add chopped pecans to this recipe.
  • If you don’t have any shortening in the kitchen, you can substitute 1/2 cup unsalted butter or 1/2 cup vegetable oil.
  • You can add a teaspoon of vanilla extract.
  • Make it a fruit cake by adding your favorite fruit, maybe dried cranberries or diced apples.
  • You don’t have to use loaf pans. You can use a bundt cake pan or round cake pans.
  • You can even make muffins instead by using a muffin pan. The total time, or baking time, may need to be adjusted by a few minutes. Just check for a golden brown color on the top of the muffins and insert a toothpick in the middle of the muffin close to the end of the baking time.
  • Make homemade applesauce instead of using store-bought applesauce.
Applesauce spice cake with icing on a plate.
Applesauce spice cake with icing on a plate.

🙋 FAQs

Can You Freeze Applesauce Spice Cake?

Yes, you can freeze applesauce spice cake, but first, put the cake in an airtight freezer-safe bowl or container. It is easier to cut individual pieces and freeze them if that is a possibility for you. Put each individual piece in a separate ziplock bag, then when you want a piece of applesauce spice cake, just open the freezer door and select one or two bags. It thaws within minutes, but it is mighty tasty half frozen.

How Do You Store Leftover Applesauce Spice Cake?

I like to put certain food items in the refrigerator, and this cake is one of them. However, you can leave it out on the countertop in a covered cake container for a couple of days. After that, put it in the refrigerator for a couple more days, or freeze the rest of it.

Applesauce cake cut up into slices on a white plate.

💡 Final Thoughts

This is a fun and simple cake to make. No cake mix is used, it’s all homemade and fresh ingredients in this recipe. It tastes fantastic. With it being a super moist applesauce cake, and undoubtedly, with the icing drizzled on top, it will be a family favorite for sure. Enjoy!

Homemade frosting on the cake.

📄 Recipe Card

Applesauce Cake Recipe

Applesauce Spice Cake

Avatar for FloFlo
A delicious applesauce spice cake made with applesauce, raisins, spices, and walnuts then powdered sugar icing is drizzled over the top.
5 from 5 votes
Cost $4
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Servings 2 Loaf Pans

🫕 Equipment

🧂 Ingredients
  

For the Batter

Dry Ingredients

👩‍🍳 Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Preparing The Batter

  • Mix the shortening, sugar, and eggs together.
  • Then add the applesauce and mix again.

Preparing and Adding the Dry Ingredients

  • In a separate bowl, mix the flour, salt, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, and baking powder together.
  • Then add the flour mixture to the applesauce mixture.
  • Add the raisins and mix well.
  • If you want walnuts in one loaf pan or in both loaf pans, you can add them now.
  • Coat the loaf pans with cooking spray. Fill each pan with the applesauce batter.
  • Place in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Test the center of the applesauce spice cake with a toothpick to make sure it is done.

*️⃣ Recipe Notes

  • We used 2 loaf pans because we put walnuts in one loaf pan and not the other. You can use one loaf pan for this recipe. The applesauce cake will then rise above the rim of the loaf pan.
  • As a topping for your applesauce spice cake, try this yummy powdered sugar icing.
  • If you like walnuts, you can add up to 1 cup to this recipe. If you don’t like walnuts, you can omit them.
  • You can substitute 1/2 cup of vegetable oil instead of 1/2 cup of shortening.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Close up shot of applesauce spice cake for the pin image.

💖 More Cake Recipes You Will Love

If you like this applesauce cake recipe, we know you will love these other favorite recipe ideas of ours that we have made, tested, and devoured within days. 🙂

  • Mississippi Mud Cake – A chocolate lover’s dream! Mississippi mud cake is amazing, with so much chocolate in every bite. Loaded with lots of mini marshmallows, chocolate chips, chocolate frosting, and then chopped pecans on top.
  • White Nectarine Cake (Upside-Down) – The first layer that goes into the cake pan is the nectarines, and the second layer is the cake batter. After baking, you flip it over, and Voilà, a beautiful arrangement of white nectarines smothered in a crumble topping of sugar, cinnamon, and light brown sugar.
  • No Bake Oreo Cheesecake – A crispy Oreo bottom crust and a cream cheese mixture with crushed Oreo crumbs in it. Whipped cream, crushed Oreo crumbs, and sprinkles top off this amazing Oreo cheesecake.
5 from 5 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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