Old Fashioned Applesauce Cake
Moist and tender, this Old Fashioned Applesauce Cake recipe is an absolute gem! Walnuts and raisins add texture, and it pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee or tea.
“I have made this cake at least a half a dozen times so far….my husband inhales it…all good stuff, I use only ½ c sugar.” -Beth
I had a few recipes bookmarked for an Old Fashioned Applesauce Cake, but as soon as I tasted this one, I halted my efforts to test any additional recipes. It is an absolute winner!
It’s soft and moist, with tender raisins and crunchy walnuts. It has just the right amount of cinnamon, and you can actually taste the applesauce. The recipe is from a 1970s cookbook called, “A Taste of South Carolina”.
In my mind, this qualifies as a “snacking cake”—something to nibble between meals. It’s nicely sweet (but not too sweet!) and pairs perfectly with a cup of coffee or tea.
I love this cake particularly in the fall and winter, when apple recipes are their most delicious. Here are a few more classic apple recipes that I love:
- Apple Cinnamon Bread
- Old Fashioned Apple Cake
- Pumpkin Apple Bread
- Apple Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Jump to:
What makes this the best old fashioned applesauce cake?
- It uses a generous 1½ cups applesauce for an 8×8-inch cake. You can actually taste the applesauce in the cake!
- This cake is perfect for a smaller batch. Sometimes I just don’t need a whole 13×9-inch cake or a bundt cake! An 8×8-inch is just the right size.
- It’s sweet without being too sweet. I’ve seen some recipes with 2+ cups of sugar. This one uses half that amount, and I bet you could decrease it even more if you wanted.
- There’s no frosting here. It would mask that wonderful applesauce flavor, and the cake is nicely sweet without it.
- Lemon zest. I would have never thought to add it, but it perfectly complements the applesauce, raisins, and walnuts.
Ingredients
Be sure to check the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and instructions!
- You can use homemade or store-bought applesauce here, but you’ll want to use unsweetened applesauce so it doesn’t get too sweet.
- Cinnamon enhances the applesauce flavor even more.
- Lemon zest brings a nice brightness to the cake without tasting lemon-y.
- Walnuts and raisins add some texture. Substitute pecans for the walnuts, if you like, or leave them out if you don’t want nuts.
How to Make Old Fashioned Applesauce Cake
- Start by creaming the butter and sugar together.
- Add the lemon zest, egg, and applesauce, and beat to combine.
- Fold in the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon) until the mixture is just barely combined. Then, fold in the walnuts and raisins.
- Bake for 45–50 minutes at 350°F, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
More old fashioned cakes
Here are a few of my favorites, also pulled from vintage recipe books!
- Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Old Fashioned Jell-O Cake
- Pistachio Cake with Pudding Mix
- Chocolate Wacky Cake (also in an 8×8-inch dish!)
- Dr. Pepper Cake
- Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cake
- Punch Bowl Cake (another Southern favorite)
📖 Recipe
Easy Old Fashioned Applesauce Cake
Ingredients
- 1¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, softened (1 stick)
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 egg
- 1½ cups unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup raisins
- ½ cup walnuts
Would you like to save this?
We’ll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease an 8×8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.1¾ cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt
- In another bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and lemon zest until light and fluffy.½ cup butter, softened, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Add the egg and beat until smooth.1 egg
- Stir in the applesauce, then stir in the dry ingredients.1½ cups unsweetened applesauce
- Finally, stir in the raisins and walnuts.½ cup raisins, ½ cup walnuts
- Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake for 45–50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
