Applesauce Cake (Old-Fashioned)

This Old-Fashioned Applesauce Cake can be easily prepared in one bowl and the cinnamon buttercream frosting is also nice and quick. This is an egg-free and dairy-free recipe so ideal for vegans, those with egg or dairy allergies, and for anyone who loves budget-friendly baking. Our applesauce cake is moist, fluffy, light and warmly spiced, so is perfect for the autumnal and winter seasons. Applesauce cake has notes of delicious carrot cake as well as gingerbread cake and is reminiscent in texture to a British coffee cake, so if you like those flavours and textures you'll likely enjoy this applesauce cake.

Cake:
all-purpose flour, unbleached (280 g)
1½ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
granulated sugar, or caster sugar (225 g)
smooth applesauce or apple purée (300 g)
butter (142 g)
2 Tbsp. milk
walnuts, or pecans, chopped (45 g)
raisins, or sultanas, dried cranberries (45 g)
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground allspice, or pumpkin pie spice
¼ tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. sea salt

Frosting:
butter (85 g)
Monk Fruit Sweetener with Erythritol (Powdered) (225 g)
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Garnish:
3 Tbsp. walnuts, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4). Grease the baking tin with butter and line with parchment paper. Arrange an oven rack in the middle of the oven.

Add all the cake ingredients - flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, spices, salt, raisins, walnuts, applesauce, butter, milk and vanilla - to a mixing bowl. Stir everything together until thoroughly mixed.

Scoop the cake batter into the cake tin and level the surface a little.

Bake for 45-60 minutes, start checking at the 40 minute mark, as yours may be ready sooner.

The baked cake will be brown, risen, firm, and a skewer popped in will come out clean.

Leave to cool in the pan for about 10-15 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

Make the Frosting:
Either sprinkle with confectioners' sugar or prepare a cinnamon buttercream frosting.

For the butter cream frosting add the margarine, icing sugar, cinnamon powder, vanilla and one Tbsp. of water to a mixing bowl.

Using an electric hand whisk whizz the ingredients together for 1-2 minutes until thick and easy to spread over the cake.

Spread the frosting over the cake and sprinkle a few chopped walnuts over to finish.

Makes 9 servings.

Cook's Notes:

Applesauce cake can be stored at room temperature within a cake container for 3-4 days. Wrap in baking paper if preferred for additional freshness. If your house is very warm it may be best to store within the refrigerator.
Unfrosted cake can be frozen for 3-4 months, well wrapped. The frosted cake can also be frozen but the icing texture may be affected.
If a simpler topping is preferred then just sprinkle confectioners' sugar over the applesauce cake.
Omit the raisins and walnuts if preferred.
Dried cranberries are a nice replacement for the raisins.
Homemade applesauce can be used for this cake, simply stew chopped apples with a little water until they are very soft. Mash well or purée with an immersion/stick blender. Shop bought applesauce such as Colemans, or shops own brands of applesauce can also be used but if they are chunky or diced then blend the sauce before use.
Health shops/wholefood stores often sell apple purée which is just 100% apples and compared to applesauce it is not too expensive.
For the different spices if you do not have the individual ones available then just use 3-4 tsp. of: either mixed spice powder, apple pie spice mix, or pumpkin pie spice mix. Or replace the cloves or nutmeg for extra mixed spice, etc.