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Amish Applesauce Cake

Recipe by Evelyn Marcella Rivera

A dense, moist spice cake made with a full cup of applesauce and warm spices. No frosting, no glaze, no decoration. The top bakes into a thin sugary crust and the spices carry the whole thing.

  • Total Time1 hour 25 minutes
  • Yield12 squares 1x
  • DietGluten-Free, Vegetarian

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat and prep: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×9 inch baking pan, or line it with parchment leaving overhang on two sides for easy lifting.
  2. Whisk the dry ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and salt until the spices are evenly distributed with no streaks.
  3. Cream the butter and sugar: Beat the softened butter and sugar on medium-high for 3 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each. Add the vanilla and mix briefly.
  4. Alternate applesauce and flour: Add about a third of the flour mixture and mix on low until barely combined. Add half the applesauce. Repeat, ending with the last third of flour. Stop mixing the moment no dry streaks remain. The batter will be thick.
  5. Bake: Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 35-42 minutes, until the top is deep golden brown with a thin crackly crust and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Start checking at 35 minutes.
  6. Cool and serve: Cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before cutting into squares. The cake is good slightly warm and even better at room temperature the next day. No frosting needed.

Notes

  • Use unsweetened applesauce. Sweetened applesauce pushes the cake toward cloying since there is already 1 1/2 cups of sugar in the batter. The cake improves overnight as the spices settle in. Store covered at room temperature for 3 days or refrigerated up to a week. It also freezes well, wrapped tightly, for up to 2 months.
  • (can be Gluten Free if you use crispy rice cereal instead of pretzels, or omit both, and use gluten-free white chocolate and peppermints.
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 40 minutes
  • Category: Dessert, Snack
  • Method: No-Bake
  • Cuisine: American, Amish

Nutrition

  • Calories: 265
  • Sugar: 26
  • Sodium: 210
  • Fat: 9
  • Saturated Fat: 5
  • Carbohydrates: 44
  • Fiber: 1
  • Protein: 3

Find it online: https://blesseddish.com/amish-applesauce-cake/