Applesauce Snack Cake
"This is the best applesauce cake I've ever had, much less made! Triple Apple Action flavour and it is sooo easy to make. It is very very moist and does not dry out the next day (if it lasts that long). Variation ideas follow the main recipe and other add-ins can be folded into batter, such as nuts or raisins, although this cake is at it's best when it's at its simplest. Think Less Is More. From Cook's Illustrated September/October 2006, This recipe can easily be doubled and baked in a 13"x9" pan. If doubling the recipe, give the cider and dried apple mixture about 20 minutes to reduce and bake the cake for 45 minutes. This cake is very moist, it's best to err on the side of 'overdone' when testing its doneness. Apple juice can be substituted for apple cider, but cider is the best option. Cooled leftovers can be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to two days. Freezes very well.
Makes one 8" square cake"
photo by Dreamer in Ontario
- Ready In:
- 1hr
- Ingredients:
- 13
- Serves:
-
9-12
ingredients
- 3⁄4 cup dried apple, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1 1⁄2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2⁄3 cup sugar
- 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1⁄8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce, room temperature
- 1 large egg, room temperature, lightly beaten
- 1⁄2 teaspoon table salt
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
directions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 325°F
- Cut 16" length parchment paper or aluminum foil and fold lengthwise to 7" width; spray 8" square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and fit parchment into dish, pushing it into corners and up sides, allow excess to overhang edges of dish.
- Bring apples and cider to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat; cook until liquid evaporates and mixture appears dry, about 15 minutes, cool to room temperature.
- Whisk flour and baking soda in medium bowl to combine; set aside.
- In second medium bowl, whisk sugar and spices; measure 2 TBSP of sugar-spice mixture into small bowl and set aside for topping.
- In food processor, process cooled dried-apple mixture and applesauce until smooth, about 20-30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl as needed; set aside.
- Whisk egg and salt in large bowl to combine.
- Add sugar-spice mixture and whisk continuously until well combined and light coloured, about 20 seconds.
- Add butter in 3 additions, whisking thoroughly after each.
- Add applesauce mixture and vanilla, whisk to combine.
- Add flour mixture to wet ingredients; using rubber spatula, fold gently until just combined and evenly moistened.
- Turn batter into prepared pan, smoothing out top with rubber spatula.
- Sprinkle reserved 2 TBSP sugar-spice mixture evenly over top of batter.
- Bake until wooden skewer inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.
- Cool on wire rack to room temperature, about 2 hours.
- Run knife along cake edges without parchment to release; remove cake from pan by lifting parchment overhang and transfer to cutting board.
- Cut cake and serve.
-
Variations:
- Ginger-Cardamom Applesauce Snack Cake.
- Follow recipe for Applesauce Snack Cake omitting cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; whisk 1/2 tsp ground ginger and 1/4 tsp ground cardamom into sugar in Step 3; measure 2 TBSP sugar-spice mixture into a small bowl, add 1 TBSP finely chopped cyrstallized ginger and set aside for topping in Step 5.
- Applesauce Snack Cake with Oat-Nut Streusel.
- Follow recipe for Applesauce Snack Cake through Step 2; in Step 3, measure 2 TBSP brown sugar, 1/3 c chopped pecans or walnuts, and 1/3 c old-fashioned or quick cook oats; work in 2 TBSP softened unsalted butter by rubbing mixture between fingers until fully incorporated; pinch mixture into hazelnut-sized clumps and sprinkle evenly over batter before baking.
Questions & Replies
Got a question?
Share it with the community!
Reviews
-
This is very tasty! I did NOT make it as written, because I also came upon recipe "applesauce-cake-397636". Exact same ingredients in the same quantities, but the directions said simply "Mix." I appreciated the details with this posting, especially because I wanted to double it. I simply mixed all the wet ingredients together with the sugar, then added the blended dry ingredients. I wanted apple pieces in the cake, so I didn't do step 3 or 6 at all. And I did not double the butter, because there is so much other liquid in the cake. The resulting 9x13 cake is very heavy and wet; we love it! Delicious with Cool Whip! When I make again, I may reduce the apple cider for my own method. -
I made this as written except for substituting brown sugar for the white sugar. This is a delicious, moist, flavourful cake. We couldn't really taste the apples, maybe because of the brown sugar, but we still loved it. Next time,and we'll definitely be making it again, I'll try white sugar.
Tweaks
-
I made this as written except for substituting brown sugar for the white sugar. This is a delicious, moist, flavourful cake. We couldn't really taste the apples, maybe because of the brown sugar, but we still loved it. Next time,and we'll definitely be making it again, I'll try white sugar.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
As my nickname might imply, one of my hobbies does have something to do with bikes. The motorized kind, I enjoy endurance motorcycle riding. I'm a big fan of car racing too, particularly the European stuff, road racing, and endurance car racing, not so much NASCAR, but no offense. The Beau and I get to take his car out once in a while for autocross and basically drive like speed demons and not get in trouble. I love driving in general and am one of the few nutz who enjoys shopping for cars.
But I also love to cook. Believe it or not, my mom doesn't think I can cook. But she couldn't cook, so that's probably how she got on that track. My sister and I were latchkey kids and learned to help in the kitchen at a young age and I consider cooking a great outlet for my creative bits.
I work full time but am in school on and off part time, plus try to keep up with current events and life in general, plus teach a weekly class to my co-workers, plus just hanging out with The Beau and all our good friends. Oh and I also pet/house-sit -- I used to do it for friends but recently hired on with a "company" and am now kinda one of their contractors. I'm a dog freak but don't have a good setup for dogs, so pet-sitting is how I get my dog fix. I have a kitty, she's 18 and at her age I figure she deserves a taste of whatever's on my plate.
