Applesauce Spice Cake with Caramel Icing

Applesauce spice cake with caramel icing is full of warm spices making it the perfect cake for fall. Cinnamon, ginger, allspice and cloves are paired with applesauce and topped with a decadent caramel icing. Serve it at your holiday gatherings, bring it to potluck or share it with your family. No one will be able to resist this scrumptious cake!

This is my grandmother’s applesauce spice cake recipe so it’s an old-fashioned applesauce spice cake. I did some modernizing by swapping out the shortening for butter and substituting half the white sugar with brown sugar. Otherwise, the recipe is the same as my grandmother used to make. Oh, and I added a caramel frosting. I mean, why not?

Make the applesauce spice cake

Ingredients & Substitutions

• All-purpose flour: The base of the cake.
• Cocoa powder: Adds a slight richness, very mild chocolate back notes and slightly darker colored cake. This is in the original recipe so I left it in, but I’m thinking you could make the cake without cocoa powder. If you try it without, let me know in the comments how it worked!
• Cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg: All the warm spices compliment the apple flavor.
• Baking soda: A leavening agent that helps the cake to rise and makes the cake light and fluffy.
• Salt: Flavor enhancer. Leave it out if you’re using salted butter.
• Butter: I used unsalted butter. If you’re using salted, you’ll have to adjust or omit the added salt in this recipe.
• Sugar: I used a combination of 1/2 cup of light brown sugar (either light or dark will work) and 1/2 cup of white sugar. You can use all brown sugar or all white sugar if you prefer.
• Unsweetened applesauce: You don’t want to add any more sweetness to the cake by using sweetened applesauce.
• Eggs: I used large eggs.

Step by Step Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.
• In a large bowl sift together the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, salt cocoa powder, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and nutmeg). Stir well to make sure all the ingredients are well incorporated. Set the bowl aside.

• Using a stand mixer or a large bowl and hand mixer cream together butter and sugars until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs and applesauce and beat until well incorporated.
• Add half of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until just incorporated.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the remaining flour mixture. Mix together making sure not to over mix the batter.

• Pour the batter into your prepared baking dish and bake in the center of the oven for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool.

Make the Caramel Icing

Ingredients & Substitutions

• Butter: I use unsalted butter. If you’re using salted, omit the salt in this recipe.
• Brown sugar: I used dark brown sugar because it has a deeper caramel flavor than light, but light would work just fine.
• Whole milk: For extra creaminess.
• Vanilla: Enhances the other flavors.
• Salt: To enhance the sweetness.
• Powdered sugar: Is the structure for this icing.

Step by Step Instructions

• In a medium saucepan, melt together the butter and brown sugar over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
• Bring to a gentle boil and let boil over medium heat for 4 minutes.
• Add the milk and heat until just boiling. Remove from heat.
• Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt.

• Using a whisk, mix together until smooth. You can also use a hand mixer to get all the lumps out so the icing is smooth.
• Frost the cooled cake with the caramel icing.

Expert Tips

• Sift the powdered sugar – Sifting the powdered sugar will get rid of lumps, making the frosting smooth. It’s much easier to sift the sugar before you mix it in. If you don’t sift, there may be lumps and you’ll need to use a mixer to smooth out the frosting.
• Thin out the frosting – If the caramel frosting it too thick, add more milk a little at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

How to Store Applesauce Spice Cake

I store the cake in the baking dish with plastic wrap on the counter for 2-3 days. If you don’t feel good about that, store it in a sealed container or in the baking dish with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.

If there’s any left over (rarely) I’ll wrap each piece individually in plastic wrap, put the pieces in a freezer safe plastic bag and store them in the freezer for up to 3 months. When I want to eat a piece, I’ll let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight, or I’ll just pop it in the microwave and defrost it.

You can also make the cake ahead of time and freeze it unfrosted. Let the cake cool completely. Once cooled wrap the cake in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. When you’re ready to frost it, remove it from the freezer and let defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then frost it.

More Apple Recipes You’ll Love

• Spiced Baked Apples with Walnuts and Cranberries
• Turkey Apple Sage Breakfast Sausage
• Apple Jalapeño Chutney
• Pumpkin Havregrynskugler (Danish Oat Balls)

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