Applesauce Spice Cake

Some recipes just feel like they belong in a cozy kitchen on a cool fall afternoon, and this old-fashioned Applesauce Spice Cake is one of them.

This recipe came from one of my old cookbooks, where the original Spice Cake recipe has a little variation tucked underneath for turning it into an Applesauce Spice Cake. Of course, that was the version that caught my eye!

It’s a simple 9×13 cake filled with cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger, with applesauce added to make it wonderfully moist. There are no fancy ingredients and no complicated decorating involved. In fact, I don’t think this cake needs frosting at all.

It’s the kind of cake you can cut into squares, dust with a little powdered sugar if you’re feeling fancy, and serve with a cup of coffee or tea.

❤️ Why You’ll Love This Applesauce Spice Cake

There’s a lot to love about a simple, old-fashioned cake like this one.

Granny Says: This is the kind of cake that doesn’t need much fussing. A dusting of powdered sugar and a cup of tea are plenty.

• It’s easy to make. Everything comes together in one bowl before going into a 9×13-inch pan.
• It uses simple ingredients. You probably have most of them in your pantry already.
• It’s full of cozy fall spices. Cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger give it that wonderful warm spice-cake flavor.
• The applesauce keeps it moist.
• It doesn’t need frosting. That makes it easy, less expensive, and just right for an everyday treat.

👩‍🍳 Let’s Get Baking!

Granny Says: No buttermilk in the fridge? You don’t need to buy a whole carton for this recipe! Add ¾ teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup, then add milk to make ¼ cup total. Let it sit for 5–10 minutes before using. It may look a little curdled—that’s perfectly normal!

If you’re forever discovering you’re missing an ingredient halfway through a recipe, Ella Claire & Co. has a handy printable ingredient substitution list you can tuck inside a cupboard door.

How to Make Applesauce Spice Cake

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F and greasing a 9×13-inch baking pan.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.

Add the buttermilk, applesauce, softened butter, shortening, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed until everything is combined.

Increase the mixer speed to high and beat for 2 minutes.

Add the eggs and beat for another 2 minutes.

Pour the batter into your prepared baking pan and spread it evenly.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Let the cake cool on a wire rack.

Once it’s cool, you can leave it completely plain or give the top a light dusting of powdered sugar.

Then cut yourself a square. Putting the kettle on is highly recommended.

Granny’s Tips

Don’t overbake it. Start checking the cake around the 30-minute mark. Applesauce helps keep it moist, and we certainly don’t want to bake all that lovely moisture right back out of it.

Let the butter soften first. Since the butter is beaten directly into the other ingredients, softened butter will incorporate much more easily.

Keep the topping simple. I really don’t think this cake needs frosting. A little powdered sugar makes it pretty without covering up all those warm spice flavors.

This is a good pantry cake. Flour, sugar, spices, shortening, vanilla, and applesauce are all inexpensive ingredients that are easy to keep around. That’s one of the things I love about these old-fashioned recipes.

🥣Variations

• Add nuts: Chopped walnuts or pecans would be delicious if you’d like a little crunch.
• Add raisins: If raisins belong in spice cake at your house, stir some into the batter before baking.
• Make it extra pretty: Dust the cooled cake with powdered sugar just before serving.
• Serve it warm: A slightly warm piece would be awfully good with a little butter melting into it. Not that I’m trying to influence you.

🧺 How to Store Applesauce Spice Cake

Once the cake is completely cool, cover it tightly or transfer individual pieces to an airtight container. Store it at room temperature for a couple of days or refrigerate it for longer storage.

Can You Freeze Applesauce Spice Cake?

Yes. Wrap individual pieces well and place them in a freezer-safe container or freezer bag. Then you can pull out a piece whenever you need a little something cozy with your afternoon tea.

If you’re planning to freeze the cake, wait to add the powdered sugar until after it has thawed.

🍰 Serving Suggestions

This is exactly the sort of cake I like for an afternoon treat with coffee or tea.

It would also make an easy dessert after a cozy fall dinner, and because it isn’t covered with a thick layer of frosting, I wouldn’t object one bit if somebody decided that a square of applesauce cake counted as breakfast.

There are apples in it. I’m just saying.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

• Can I use sweetened applesauce? Yes. Sweetened applesauce should work, although it will make an already sweet cake a little sweeter. Plain unsweetened applesauce lets the spice flavor shine through.
• Does applesauce spice cake need frosting? Nope! This cake is moist and flavorful enough to stand all by itself. A light dusting of powdered sugar is plenty if you’d like to dress it up.
• Can I make applesauce spice cake ahead of time? Yes. In fact, spice cakes are often lovely after they’ve had a little time for all those flavors to mingle. Bake it a day ahead, let it cool completely, and keep it tightly covered until you’re ready to serve it.
• Can I freeze it? Absolutely. Freeze individual pieces so you can thaw just what you need.

🍞 More Cozy Recipes You’ll Love

If you love simple, old-fashioned treats like this one, you might also enjoy:

• Easy Homemade Pumpkin Bread
• Zucchini Bread
• Honey Oatmeal Chews
• Old-Fashioned Snickerdoodle Cookies

☕ Pour Yourself Another Cup of Tea…

Continue your cozy journey…

• Browse The Recipe Index in Granny’s Cozy Kitchen
• See life behind the scenes at Birdsong Cottage in the Cozy Homemaker Journals
• She shed makeovers and DIYs

Sometimes the simplest recipes are the ones I end up loving the most. No layers, no decorating, and no mile-long ingredient list. Just a good old-fashioned cake that makes the kitchen smell wonderful.

If you make this Applesauce Spice Cake, I’d love to hear what you think. And tell me—are you on Team Powdered Sugar, or would you insist that a cake isn’t properly dressed until it has frosting?

Until next time, may your home be cozy and your teacup full. 🫖