Easy Classic Applesauce Cake Recipe

This moist, warmly spiced applesauce cake comes together in about 10 minutes of prep and fills your kitchen with the best fall smell. No mixer required.

Fall baking in our house has a short list of non-negotiables, and this applesauce cake is on it every single year. It’s the kind of recipe that feels like it should be more complicated than it is — the spice blend is real, the crumb is genuinely moist, and it smells incredible while it bakes — but you’re looking at one bowl, pantry staples, and about 10 minutes of actual work before the oven takes over.

I reach for this one when I want something that feels homemade and intentional without requiring a full afternoon. It’s the cake I bring to fall potlucks, the one I slice thick for an after-school snack, and honestly the one I eat standing at the counter with my coffee before anyone else wakes up. No judgment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use sweetened applesauce instead of unsweetened?
You can, but keep in mind it will make the cake sweeter. If you’re using sweetened applesauce, you might want to reduce the sugar slightly to balance things out.

Do I have to use all the spices listed?
Nope! If you don’t have all the spices on hand, feel free to use what you’ve got. Cinnamon is the star here, so as long as you’ve got that, you’re good to go!

Can I make this cake vegan?
Absolutely! Just swap out the butter for a vegan butter substitute and the egg for a flax egg or applesauce. Yes, more applesauce in an applesauce cake works wonders!

What if I don’t have a mixer?
No problem! You can easily mix this batter by hand. Just make sure your butter is soft enough to blend smoothly with the sugar.

Ingredients

• 1 ¾ cups flour 
• 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon 
• 1 teaspoon allspice 
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves 
• ½ teaspoon salt 
• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• ½ cup butter, soft 
• 1 cup sugar 
• 1 egg, beaten 
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce 

What You’ll Need — And Why Each Ingredient Matters

All-Purpose Flour (1¾ cups) The structure of the cake. All-purpose flour gives you a tender crumb without making the cake dense or heavy. Spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off — don’t scoop directly from the bag, which packs in too much flour and can make the cake dry.

Cinnamon (1½ teaspoons) The star of the spice blend. Cinnamon is warm, sweet, and the flavor most people identify immediately as “fall.” This is not the place to be shy with it — the full amount is what makes this cake taste like something, not just something beige and slightly sweet.

Allspice (1 teaspoon) Don’t let the name confuse you — allspice is a single spice (a dried berry), not a blend. It tastes like a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, and it adds a deeper, slightly peppery warmth that rounds out the flavor. It’s what makes this taste like a spice cake and not just a cinnamon cake.

Nutmeg (1 teaspoon) Nutmeg is earthy and slightly sweet, and it works with cinnamon the way salt works with chocolate — it makes everything taste more like itself. Freshly grated is great if you have it, but pre-ground from the spice jar works perfectly here.

Ground Cloves (½ teaspoon) Cloves are intense — a little goes a long way, which is why it’s the smallest amount in this recipe. They add a sharp, warm note that gives the cake its depth. If you’re out of cloves, you can skip them, but the flavor will be noticeably flatter.

Salt (½ teaspoon) Salt in baking isn’t about making things salty. It balances sweetness, enhances the spices, and keeps the cake from tasting flat. Don’t skip it.

Baking Soda (1 teaspoon) The leavening agent. Baking soda reacts with the natural acidity in the applesauce to help the cake rise. Make sure yours isn’t expired — old baking soda is one of the most common reasons home-baked cakes come out dense.

Butter (½ cup, softened) Softened, not melted. Room temperature butter creams properly with sugar to create air pockets that give the cake a lighter texture. If your butter is too cold, it won’t blend smoothly. If it’s melted, it changes the structure of the cake entirely. About 30–45 minutes on the counter usually does it.

Sugar (1 cup) Granulated white sugar sweetens the cake and works with the butter during the creaming step to build the structure. The applesauce adds natural sweetness too, so the cup of sugar hits the right balance without being cloying.

Egg (1, beaten) The binder. One egg gives the cake structure and helps everything hold together without making it heavy. Beat it in a small bowl before adding it so it incorporates evenly.

Unsweetened Applesauce (1 cup) This is the ingredient that makes the cake. Applesauce adds moisture, sweetness, and a subtle apple flavor — and it does it without adding a lot of fat. It also reacts with the baking soda (because of its natural acidity) to help the cake rise. Use unsweetened so you can control the overall sweetness. Store-bought is completely fine. If you want to amp up the apple flavor even more, use cinnamon applesauce.

How To Make Applesauce Cake

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a standard 9×5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper and give it a light spray of cooking spray. The parchment makes it easy to lift the whole cake out cleanly once it’s cooled.

Start with your dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and baking soda. Whisking (rather than just stirring) makes sure the leavening and spices are evenly distributed throughout the flour so you don’t end up with pockets of baking soda or uneven spice. Set this bowl aside.

In a larger mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy — about 2 minutes by hand or 1 minute with a hand mixer. This step matters: you’re not just combining them, you’re creating air. That air is part of what makes the cake tender rather than dense. The mixture should look pale and slightly fluffy when you’re done, not just combined and grainy.

Add the beaten egg and mix until incorporated. Then add the applesauce and stir until smooth. The batter might look slightly curdled at this point — that’s fine. It comes together once the flour goes in.

Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. This is important: don’t overmix. Once the flour is in, stir only until you no longer see dry streaks. Overmixing develops the gluten and makes the cake tough instead of tender.

Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan, smooth the top with a spatula, and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Start checking at 50 minutes by inserting a toothpick into the center — it should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. If it comes out with wet batter, give it another 5 minutes and check again.

Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then use the parchment to lift it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar before slicing if you’d like — it adds a little sweetness and makes it look like you really tried.

Tips for the Best Applesauce Cake

Measure your flour correctly. Spoon it into the measuring cup and level it off with a straight edge. Scooping directly from the bag compresses the flour and you’ll end up using too much, which makes the cake dry and dense.

Your butter must be softened, not melted. If you forgot to take it out in advance, cut it into small cubes and let it sit for 20 minutes. Or microwave it in 5-second bursts — you want it soft enough to press a finger indent into, not shiny or liquidy.

Don’t open the oven door before the 50-minute mark. Every time you open the oven, temperature drops and you risk the cake sinking in the center. Set a timer and leave it alone.

The toothpick test is your best friend. Ovens vary — some run hot, some run cool. Start checking at 50 minutes. A few moist crumbs on the toothpick are fine; wet batter means it needs more time.

Cool completely before slicing. I know. But if you cut into it hot, the crumb hasn’t set yet and your slices will fall apart. 30 minutes minimum on the rack before you touch it.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5. It actually tastes better on day two once the spices have had time to settle and deepen.

This cake freezes beautifully. Wrap cooled, undusted slices individually in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for a couple of hours and dust with powdered sugar right before serving.

Standout Tips

Want a glaze instead of powdered sugar? Whisk together 1 cup powdered sugar with 2–3 tablespoons of milk and a splash of vanilla until smooth, then drizzle over the completely cooled cake. A cream cheese glaze (cream cheese, powdered sugar, milk, vanilla) takes this into dessert territory.

Boost the apple flavor: Use cinnamon applesauce instead of plain, or add ½ teaspoon of apple pie spice on top of the existing spice blend for extra depth.

Add mix-ins: ½ cup of raisins, chopped walnuts, or pecans stirred into the batter before baking adds texture and makes this feel more substantial. Fold them in right before pouring into the pan.

Make it a sheet cake: Pour the batter into a greased 8×8 inch square pan and reduce the bake time to 30–35 minutes. Check with a toothpick starting at 30. This is great for potlucks because it’s easier to cut and serve than a loaf.

FAQs

If you make this applesauce cake, I want to hear about it. Drop a comment below and let me know how it turned out — and if you added anything to it, tell me that too. Some of my best recipe upgrades have come from what you all try in your own kitchens.

And if you’re on Pinterest, save this one now so you have it when fall rolls around and you need something that makes the whole house smell like a hug. It’s one of those recipes you’ll find yourself coming back to every single year.

Happy baking!

Here are a some more yummy apple recipes to try:

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