Applesauce Cake is perfectly spiced and flavorful, topped with an easy cream cheese frosting. Bake this cake with simple ingredients, all in one bowl!
Easy Applesauce Cake Recipe
This cake couldn’t be easier to make; it’s all mixed together in one bowl with a wooden spoon. You’ll only need a mixer if you choose to make the frosting. While the frosting adds a great touch, the cake is delicious on its own.
It’s made with a few simple swaps:
- No white flour: We use ground oats instead.
- No butter: We’re swapping the butter for coconut oil.
- Less sugar: This applesauce cake has less sugar compared to most cakes.
- Chopped pecans: These add great texture and nutrients.
- And, of course, there’s applesauce in the cake (more on this below)!
Ingredients
- Unsweetened Applesauce: Use unsweetened applesauce to control the sweetness. You can even make your own applesauce.
- Coconut Oil: Measure after melting and cool before adding to mix to prevent cooking the egg.
- Egg: Binds the ingredients together and helps the cake rise.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds more flavor.
- Brown Sugar: Lightly pack the brown sugar to measure accurately.
- Baking soda & Baking Powder: Make the applesauce cake rise and become fluffy. Check for freshness.
- Ground Cinnamon, Allspice, and Nutmeg: Adjust any of these to your personal preferences.
- Oat Flour: Blend regular oats into a fine flour or buy oat flour in baking section at your local grocery stores.
Quick Tip
To make this cake gluten-free: Check ingredient labels for any gluten processing. Even small amounts of gluten can be harmful to those with celiac disease.
How To Make Applesauce Cake
- Combine wet ingredients: Applesauce, melted and cooled coconut oil, egg, brown sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
- Add dry ingredients on top: Baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, salt, oat flour, and pecans. Mix well.
- Transfer batter into a parchment-lined 8×8-inch pan and bake.
- Cool completely at room temperature.
- Prepare the cream cheese frosting while the cake cools. Frost the cake once cool and sprinkle with crushed pecans if desired.
Applesauce Cake FAQs
Does Applesauce Change The Texture Of Baked Goods?
Applesauce adds moisture, sweetness, and fresh flavor to the cake, making it extra moist and tasty.
What Does Applesauce Replace In Baked Goods?
Applesauce adds moisture, sweetness, and fresh flavor to the cake, making it extra moist and tasty.
How To Make Oat Flour?
To make oat flour, blend quick or old-fashioned oats in a food processor until powdery. Ensure no whole pieces remain. Measure the flour after grinding.
Storage
Store the cake at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap. It’s best within 1-2 days.
For longer storage, freeze un-frosted pieces for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature and then frost.
More Apple Recipes:
- Applesauce Bread made with better-for-you ingredients
- Healthy Apple Muffins
- Salted Caramel Apple Pie Bars
- Apple Crumble reader favorite recipe!
- Apple Almond Muffins flourless and healthy
Applesauce Cake
This Applesauce Cake is spiced to perfection and topped with a simple cream cheese frosting. Whip it up in one bowl with healthy ingredients for a delicious treat!
Equipment
- Baking pan 8 x 8-inch
- Parchment paper
- Hand mixer
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 cup coconut oil melted and cooled, see note 1
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 cup oat flour blend up old-fashioned oats
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans optional
- 1/3 cup raisins optional
Optional Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
- Chopped pecans optional, for topping
Instructions
- Set out cream cheese to warm to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper or the cake will not come out easily. Melt coconut oil and let cool to room temperature (see note 1).
- In a large bowl, stir together applesauce, melted and cooled coconut oil, egg, vanilla extract, and brown sugar until smooth.
- Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg to the bowl, then add oat flour (see note 2). If using, add chopped pecans and raisins. Mix until combined and smooth.
- Pour batter into the lined 8×8 pan. Bake for 28–33 minutes or until a fork inserted comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely before frosting.
- In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese and vanilla extract with a hand mixer until smooth. Add salt. If you'd like a tangier or soft frosting, only add 1-1/4 cups powdered sugar. For a sweeter, thicker frosting, add closer to 1-3/4 cups. Gradually add desired amount of powdered sugar, beating between additions, until the frosting is smooth and creamy and to your desired consistency. Add a bit of milk if too thick.
- Frost the cooled cake evenly. If desired, top with chopped pecans.
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: The coconut oil needs to be melted, but if it’s hot, it will get chunky when added with other cold ingredients. Give it time to come to room temperature before adding it with the other ingredients.
Note 2: Make oat flour by blending (or pulsing) old-fashioned oats or quick oats in a blender or food processor until they resemble flour. Blend well so you don’t have any large oat chunks in the cake. Measure oat flour after blending and not before.
Storage: Store cake at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap. Applesauce Cake is best enjoyed within 1–2 days. Freeze (un-frosted) pieces for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature and then frost. Frosted cake doesn’t freeze and thaw well.
Nutrition
Serving: 12pieces | Calories: 329kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 210mg | Potassium: 163mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 41g | Vitamin A: 56IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can I Use Canola Oil Instead Of Coconut Oil? Thank You.
I haven’t personally tested it, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work
This was very moist and wholesome tasting. I will make again because it’s quite healthy.
Glad it was enjoyed 🙂
Will this recipe work as cupcakes
Sorry I haven’t tried it as cupcakes!
Can you make this cake in a 6 inch pan (or split the batter between two 6 inch pans) to make a smaller cake? Should I adjust the bake time?
I’m sorry I haven’t tested this cake in different size pans. I’m sure you’d need some sort of baking adjustment but I don’t know what to recommend without experimenting myself. Wish I could be of more help!
I just made this cake and wow! Perfect for evening snack with tea!! I swapped sugar with stevia and omitted the oil so it was pretty low cal. Thank you!!
Yay! So glad you enjoyed! Thanks Emilia! 🙂
OMG! My favorite cake. Very moist and filling! Since I got an air fryer for Christmas, I put a dab of avocado oil on my chopped pecans and a pinch of salt, stirred and roasted in air fryer for 75 seconds. Sprinkled on top of icing. SO SO GOOD!
What a great tip for the pecans! So glad you love this cake! Thanks so much! 🙂
This cake is lovely! I subbed the coconut oil for vegetable oil, added chocolate chips, and topped with a chocolate glaze—and omgoodness, yum! This is the first “healthy” cake recipe I’ve tried and have truly enjoyed. Thanks so much for the recipe!!
I am thrilled to hear this! Thanks Lindsay! 🙂
Hi! I’m thinking about using this recipe for my daughter’s first birthday cake in January. Do you think it would work to make in a round pan and frost all over? Any tips?
Delicious! I used olive oil and half the brown sugar and it came out perfect.
So happy you enjoyed this Applesauce Cake! Thanks Rachel!
Just made it and it is very good. Just the cake by its self is good and moist. I made it almost sugar free using zylitol and a tiny bit of date syrup. Yum yum. I will be making this again and again.
I am so happy to hear Anna! Thanks so much for your comment! 🙂