Spiced Applesauce Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...When the scent of apples and spice start wafting through my kitchen, I'm reminded of just how alluring I find this time of year to be. The other seasons have their charms, to be sure, but for those of us who love to cook, the promise of fall bounty lures us to the fields and orchards and ultimately back into kitchens that have been on hiatus for the summer. My favorite apples are now ripe and ready for the picking, so we spent some time today picking apples and plotting what to do with them once we had them home. I have a real weakness for apple desserts and this applesauce cake came to mind. It is pleasing to both the eye and the palate and it is not difficult to make. I'll go on record as saying this is my all-time favorite applesauce cake, at least for tonight. The cake was developed Andrea Albin for Gourmet magazine and it is a fantastic fall creation. The cake is moist, spicy and topped with a layer of a cream cheese icing so good that it's been known to make grown men weep. This is the kind of cake that, once tried, you'll make over and over again. It really will be love at first bite. The cake is easy to make and, on the odd chance you have leftovers, you'll be happy to know it is a great keeper. Do make sure the spices you are using are still at the peak of flavor. While spices can't go bad, they can lose their oomph and fall is a great time to replace them. I really hope you'll give this recipe a try. Here's how this cake and its icing are made.

Spiced Applesauce Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Andrea Albin and Gourmet

Ingredients:
Cake
2 cups all-purpose 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
1/2 cup walnuts (optional), toasted (see Tips), cooled, and chopped
Frosting
5-oz. cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions:
1) Move rack to center of oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8 or 9-inch square cake pan.
2) To make cake: Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in applesauce. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined, then stir in walnuts (if using). Spread batter evenly in pan and bake until golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake to loosen, then invert onto a plate. Reinvert cake onto a rack to cool completely.
3) To make frosting: Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy. Sift confectioners sugar and cinnamon over cream cheese mixture, then beat at medium speed until incorporated.
4) Spread frosting over top of cooled cake. Yield: 6 to 9 servings.

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Gale Gand's Applesauce Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I made a huge batch of applesauce this weekend. I processed most of it, but held back a few pints for fall baking. I used tart early apples for my sauce and made it a point to use little, if any, extra sweetener in its preparation. I mention that because I think this lovely, old-fashioned cake would be cloyingly sweet if it were made with a sweetened applesauce. The cake comes from the family of Gale Gand and it was featured by Gale on one of her early television programs. The recipe is straight forward, quite easy to make and the finished cake is a fall delight. It's been on my radar for a while now, and I thought this would be a perfect time to test it and use some of my unprocessed applesauce as well. Unfrosted, the cake would be a perfect addition to a box or brown bag lunch. It's also a great addition to a morning coffee or afternoon tea. It is important to sift the flour used in the cake before it is measured. I use the old-fashioned sift, spoon and level technique to keep the flour from weighing down the cake batter. It also helps to know that the creamed mixture will look curdled when the applesauce is added to it. Not to worry! Somehow, it all miraculously comes together and the finished caked will have a moist, lovely crumb and no trace of curdling will be evident. Be sure to coat the pans well. This cake is loath to leave the comfort of its pan and you may have to wrestle with it to get it to release. The next time I make this, I plan to line the bottom of my pans with parchment paper, so this won't be a concern. This cake ages well and its flavors improve if it is allowed to sit and ripen. I know those of you try this recipe will enjoy the cake. It delivers lots of flavor for a small amount of work. Here's how it is made.


Gale Gand's Applesauce Cake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Gale Gand

Ingredients:
2-1/4 cups all purpose flour, measured after sifting
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar (I used golden brown)
2 large eggs, (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup raisins (light or dark)
1 cup walnuts, chopped and toasted
Powdered sugar, optional

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease and flour a bundt pan or two 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 x 2-1/2 inch loaf pans.
2) Sift flour then spoon into measuring cups and level with the back of a knife. Mix measured flour with baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and sift again.
3) Beat butter until creamy. Add brown sugar and continue mixing. Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla, then mix until well blended and fluffy.
4) Add applesauce to creamed mixture and stir well. The mixture will appear curdled. Not to worry. Gently stir in flour mixture being sure to scrape sides of bowl and bottom of bowl to assure it is incorporated. Fold in raisins and walnuts. Pour batter into prepared pan/pans and bake for 45 minutes or until cake tests done.
5) Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn on to a wire rack to finish cooling. Yield: 1 bundt or 2 loaf cakes.

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Applesauce Spice Cakes

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This simple recipe makes one of the best applesauce cakes I've ever tasted. The cake was originally featured on Food52 where it was drizzled with a caramel glaze. I prefer to serve it with a butter cream icing or, better still, warm and naked from the oven with a scoop of good ice cream alongside. Because there are usually just two of us to enjoy a cake like this, I make cup cakes rather than a single large bundt. What's not eaten is frozen and saved for another day. The recipe for the cake as it was featured on Food52 can be found here. My abbreviated version appears below. The only change I've made to the original ingredient list is to substitute nutmeg for the allspice. My palate is especially sensitive to allspice and I replace it with nutmeg or mace whenever I can. I hope you'll give this cake a try. It is quick, easy and delicious. I know that those of you who try this will be very pleased.

Applesauce Spice Cakes...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Food52

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 large eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1-1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 10 Texas-size muffin cups. Fill remaining two cups with three tablespoons each water.
2) Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, pepper and spices and set aside. In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a standing mixer, beat eggs with both sugars until light. Mix in applesauce, oil and vanilla until smooth.
3) Using a spatula, fold in dry ingredients, being careful not to over-mix. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 25 to to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in center of cupcakes comes out clean. Cool cakes for 10 minutes before turning out. Cakes can be served warm with ice cream or frosted when completely cool. Yield: 10 servings.








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Spiced Applesauce Cake + Hard Sauce - A Twofer

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I'm briefly going to interrupt the waning days of summer in order to bring you the first of the fall desserts. Early apples have started to appear in local markets, and, while I resisted the temptation to buy them so early in the season, I was reminded that I still had applesauce from last year that had to be dealt with. I make this chunky applesauce cake at least once a year for the Silver Fox. While it's not my favorite apple cake, it's close to the top of his list of favorite fall desserts. It's a bit sweeter than suits my tastes, but lots of people love it and it is certainly worth the time and effort it takes to make. The cake is very simple to prepare and it uses ingredients that can be found in all markets , if not all kitchens. It's moist and chewy and the aroma as it bakes will drive you wild. The cake keeps for several days if well wrapped. I love to serve it warm with the hard sauce that you'll also find in today's post. I hope you will give the cake and the hard sauce a try. They are a perfect treat for sweet things who love sweet things. Here are the recipes.

Spiced Applesauce Cake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Taste of Home Magazine

Ingredients:
1 cup raisins
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
1-1/4 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup chunky applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 11 x 7-inch baking dish. Set aside.
2) Place raisins in a small bowl. Cover with boiling water. Let stand for 5 minutes; drain and set aside.
3) Cream butter, shortening and sugar in a large bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in applesauce and vanilla. Batter will appear curdled at this point. Continue on to next step where it all comes together again.
4) Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, baking soda and ginger; add to creamed mixture just until blended. Stir in walnuts and raisins.
5) Pour into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Serve with Hard Sauce recipe below. Yield: 8 servings.



Hard Sauce...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Taste of Home Magazine

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Dash ground allspice
1 cup cold water
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon rum extract

Directions:
Combine sugar, flour, nutmeg, allspice and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring, until thickened, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter and extracts. Serve with spice cake. Refrigerate leftovers. Yield: about 1-1/3 cups.








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Spiced Applesauce Cake - Smitten Kitchen
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Old-Fashioned Applesauce Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...An egg salad sandwich began the reverie that led me to this cake. My love affair with egg salad began in elementary school, soon after the second world war ended. It wasn't something that appeared on rationed tables, so this pedestrian sandwich was a real treat once eggs again became available. During the war years, eggs were precious and saved for special occasions. Popular cakes used few or no eggs and were sweetened with small amounts of sugar extended with pureed fruit or fruit syrup. Adults, as I remember it, really enjoyed this cake. It was chock full of dried fruits and nuts and had a holiday air about it that brightened those bleak times. It's probably no surprise to learn that this cake had less appeal for children. During the war years, the cake was dusted with sugar rather than frosted, but the original recipe called for a powdered sugar icing which is delicious. As you read through the ingredient list, you'll be able to see that a cream cheese frosting would also be wonderful with this cake. Purists still make the cake with homemade applesauce but a thick commercial variety can be used by those pressed for time. I know that's most of us. These days this treat falls more into the category of snack cakes. It is very easy to make and I think you'll enjoy it. Like all cakes of this type, it is better when allowed to sit a day or two and it stays moist if well wrapped. Here's the recipe.

Old-Fashioned Applesauce Cake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
Cake
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup currants
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour, divided use
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1-1/4 cups thick applesauce
Frosting:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons cream or milk

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 9-inch spring form pan. Set aside.
2) Combine raisins, currants and walnuts in a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup flour and mix well. Set aside.
3) Beat butter in bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Slowly add sugar. When incorporated add egg and mix to combine.
4) Sift remaining 1-1/4 cup flour with baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add flour mixture to batter in 3 parts, alternating with applesauce. Stir in raisin-currant and nut mixture.
5) Spoon batter (it will be thick) into prepared springform pan. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack. Remove sides of pan.
6) While cake cools, beat butter with vanilla in bowl of an electric mixer. Slowly add sugar, beating until mealy. Add just enough cream to make icing spreadable. Spread over top and sides of cooled caked. Yield 8 to 10 servings.

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