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Amish Applesauce Cake

Amish applesauce cake with a dense, moist crumb made by folding applesauce into a spiced batter with raisins and walnuts. Baked in a 9x13 pan until the toothpick test is clean, then cooled and lightly dusted with powdered sugar.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 330
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

dry ingredients
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp cloves
  • 0.5 tsp allspice
  • 0.25 tsp nutmeg
  • 0.5 tsp salt
wet ingredients
  • 0.5 lb unsalted butter, softened Use softened butter for easy creaming.
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
add-ins and topping
  • 1 cup raisins
  • 1 cup walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped
  • 0.5 powdered sugar for dusting Dust lightly after the cake cools completely.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prep and preheat
  1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease a 9x13 baking pan.
  2. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and salt together.
Mix the batter
  1. Beat unsalted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  2. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract until smooth.
  3. Stir in unsweetened applesauce and mix until evenly combined.
  4. Fold in the flour mixture until just combined, stopping as soon as no dry streaks remain.
  5. Fold in raisins and walnuts or pecans, spreading them through the batter.
Bake and finish
  1. Bake at 350F for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
  2. Cool completely before serving.
  3. Dust with powdered sugar for dusting right before serving.

Notes

Pro tip: Don’t overmix after adding the flour—fold until just combined to keep the crumb dense and moist. Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate up to 5 days. Freezing is yes: wrap slices tightly and freeze up to 2 months, thaw overnight in the fridge. For a dairy-free swap, use a 1:1 plant-based butter stick in place of unsalted butter.