Easy Applesauce Cake
Sweet and moist, this easy applesauce cake has all the fall flavors you crave – apples, cinnamon, brown sugar, and vanilla – and it’s made in one bowl.
Great any time of day. It’s sweet, but not overly sugary, and the addition of applesauce and Greek yogurt means you need less oil to keep it moist. Grab a square to enjoy with your morning coffee; or nibble on a piece after dinner!
Delightfully moist crumb. And there’s rich apple flavor in every bite. Applesauce is a great ingredient to keep in your pantry – not just for this cake, but for all your baking adventures. When you use applesauce, you can cut way back on the amount of butter/oil in the recipe.
Not sure how much applesauce to add to replace the fat in your recipe? Replace half or 2/3 of the fat in your quick bread, muffin, and cake recipes with applesauce. Yes, you will detect a slightly sweet apple flavor, so make sure it partners well with the other ingredients (I haven’t found a recipe YET where it doesn’t work!).
Adding Greek yogurt also keeps this cake healthy and moist. The slight tang of the Greek yogurt also balances out the sweetness of the brown sugar and applesauce, so the cake isn’t overly sweet. If you don’t have Greek yogurt, you can use regular plain yogurt or sour cream.
Easy Applesauce Cake
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt, regular, light, or nonfat
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt (. Make a well in the center and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the applesauce, yogurt, oil, egg, and vanilla. Add the mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk until just blended.
- Transfer the mixture into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean or with little moist bits clinging to it.
- Cool the cake, in the pan, on a wire rack (cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar)
- Sift the powdered sugar over the cooled cake, cut into squares and serve.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.