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Applesauce Spice Cake reminds me of the little boxes of snack cake mix my mom used to buy when I was a girl. Moist and full of sweet spices, nuts, and raisins. So yummy!
(Post modified on 9/15/23.)
In my years growing up, my folks would have other couples over on weekends to play pitch. My mom would almost always make a batch of popcorn or homemade ice cream. Sometimes we’d bake a snack cake to go with it. Like this recipe.
Snack cakes are simple recipes, sometimes baked in square pans, and usually without any type of frosting.
The Advent of Cake Mixes
In looking back and pondering this, it seems that my mom came from a generation when quick and easy was the “in” thing to do. No longer was baking from scratch, like what her mother and grandmother did before her, sought after. Why bake from scratch when you can save yourself time and effort by buying a baking mix at the grocery store?
And it wasn’t just baking products. It extended into quick and easy meal packages. Frozen Dinners, Hamburger Helper, Spaghetti Mix Packages. This may also have been about the time when sweetened processed cereals became all the rage.
Plus, there was the advent of television commercials boasting the wonderful taste and ease of their products. So we’re roughly talking of around 1946-1966. My mom’s generation.
Where are We Today?
So, all of this leads me to ask “Where are we today?”
While “boxed” baking and dinner products are certainly still available in large numbers, I see the trend coming back for “home cooked” meals made from scratch. As proof, look at all the recipe blogs available online. Or the cooking shows on television. Or the recipe magazines being sold. And on top of that, we have an amazing variety of ingredients available to most everyone at the grocery store.
Whatever the case, I hope you will enjoy this made-from-scratch Applesauce Spice Snack Cake recipe. Here’s how to make it.
More Easy Cake Recipes to Enjoy
- Chocolate Applesauce Cake
- Chocolate Sheet Cake
- Strawberry Gelatin Poke Cake
- Spice Cake with Penuche Frosting
Ingredients for Applesauce Spice Cake
(See the full recipe at the bottom of this post.)
- butter, softened
- granulated sugar
- large eggs
- cinnamon applesauce
- all-purpose flour
- baking soda
- salt
- ground cinnamon
- nutmeg
- ground cloves
- raisins, chopped (optional)
- English walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)
Instructions for Making This Recipe
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table. Spray an oblong baking pan with baking spray.
Using a nut chopper or knife, chop English walnuts or pecans into small pieces. If desired, you may also chop the raisins into small pieces.
Our middle daughter is not overly wild about raisins, but she seems to be okay with them if they are chopped. I try to do this for any recipe that includes raisins, but do as you wish. You might also opt not to add raisins or English walnuts to this cake recipe, which is perfectly fine. Do what makes you and your family happy!
Prepare the Cake Batter
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter and granulated sugar for about thirty seconds.
Add large eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.
In a small bowl combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and ground cloves.
Add the flour to the creamed butter alternately with the cinnamon applesauce until mixed well.
Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir in the chopped raisins and nuts.
Pour cake batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Because this is such a dense cake, it may take a bit longer, depending on your oven setting. You want to be sure the center is fully cooked before removing the cake from the oven or the middle might sink. Ask me how I know!
Remove from oven and allow to cool before serving.
Serve with a dollop of whipped cream, or even vanilla ice cream!
See more Cake Recipes Here. View Applesauce Recipes Here. Browse Desserts Here.
Applesauce Spice Cake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 16 oz. cinnamon applesauce
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3/4 cup chopped raisins optional
- 1/2 cup chopped English walnuts or pecans optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Gather your ingredients so that you have everything close at hand on the counter or table. Spray an oblong baking pan with baking spray.
- Using a nut chopper or knife, chop English walnuts or pecans into small pieces. If desired, you may also chop the raisins into small pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the softened butter and granulated sugar for about thirty seconds.
- Add large eggs one at a time, mixing well after each.
- In a small bowl combine the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and ground cloves.
- Add the flour to the creamed butter alternately with the cinnamon applesauce until mixed well.
- Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir in the chopped raisins and nuts.
- Pour cake batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Serves 16-20.
Notes
This looks really good!!
Made this today! Can't wait to try it!
Hope you liked it, Shiloh. Thanks for stopping by!