One-Bowl Applesauce Cake

5 from 1 vote

Serve this applesauce spice cake for a cozy breakfast or an easy fall dessert!

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword applesauce cake, applesauce cake recipe, applesauce spice cake, easy applesauce cake recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 50

Cooling Time 2

Servings loaf (about 12 slices)

Calories 285kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour an 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pan or spray with nonstick baking spray; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together oil and sugar until combined. Add the applesauce, eggs, and vanilla extract; whisk to combine.
Sprinkle salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger over mixture and stir until well blended. Add flour, stirring just until combined. Be careful not to over-mix or your cake will be tough. Fold in the walnuts.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50-60 minutes. Do not overbake.
Remove from the oven, unmold from the pan, and cool completely on a wire rack before glazing.

In a small bowl, whisk together confectioners sugar, 2 tablespoons of milk, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt until a thick, pourable glaze comes together. If the glaze seems too thick, add more milk, one teaspoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency. If the glaze is too thin, gradually add more sugar.
Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake. Slice and serve.

Start with room temperature eggs and applesauce, which will blend together more easily.

Use store-bought applesauce (unsweetened or sweetened is fine), or make your own applesauce at home when time allows.

Do not over-mix the batter. It should come together so that everything is combined, but then stop stirring! Mixing too much will result in a dry, dense loaf.

Check your cake early, as mine is always done by about the 50-minute mark. Baking it too long can cause it to burn on the edges or dry out in the center.

The total baking time will vary depending on the type of loaf pan that you use. A dark metal, nonstick pan cooks the cake faster, so it will likely be done within 45-50 minutes. By contrast, a lighter metal pan, a glass pan, or a ceramic pan can easily require up to 60-65 minutes of baking in a 350°F oven. You can tell that your loaf is cooked through when you insert a toothpick or long stick deep into the center of the cake and it comes out clean.