Easy Applesauce Cake Recipe

Light and fluffy, this applesauce cake is flavored with cinnamon and brown sugar. Mix it right in the pot – no mixing bowl required!

Want to effortlessly bake a cake? try that easy applesauce cake! You don’t even need a bowl: just mix it right in the pan! It sounds too good to be true: but I promise it’s real. And it turns into one of the most delicious cakes you’ll ever eat. Moist and cinnamon-scented, it’s perfectly chewy and a little gooey. It has a healthy twist with olive oil and Greek yogurt, and instead of icing, there’s a sprinkling of powdered sugar. The recipe is made for a kitchen where you don’t have a lot of cooking utensils; it’s from Prep: The Essential College Cookbook by Katie Sullivan Morford. Here’s everything you need to know!

Another delicious apple recipe? Try our easy apple crumble.

To do what The Apple Cake

OK, I’ll be honest. First things first: I’m not a cake person. (Gasp, I know!) Second, Alex and I had never had applesauce pie before this recipe (double gasp!). Somehow we’ve gone our entire lives without tasting it. How could we not know that’s a thing? Here are all the reasons to make this special applesauce pie recipe:

• It’s cozy like home. There’s something so warm about saying, “Today we’re making a recipe for an applesauce cake!” It’s like making chocolate chip cookies, but a little bit healthier.
• It’s more than easy to do. No mixing bowl required! You will mix everything in the cake pan. What could be easier?
• It has a healthy spin but great flavor. This cake contains olive oil, Greek yogurt and applesauce to keep the cake moist. With such simple ingredients, one would expect the taste to be too simple as well. But it has the perfect amount of sweetness, the aroma of cinnamon and just the right amount of tart apple from applesauce.
• It works in every season. This applesauce pie has a little fall flair, you can make it anytime. We did that every season!

The Basic Steps: How To Make Applesauce Pie!

This cake is so easy it may take longer to read the recipe than it does to bake. (OK, not really: but nah!) If you happen to have some homemade applesauce on hand, this would be the perfect use! Here’s how to make applesauce pie (or check out the full recipe below):

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a buttered 8-inch casserole dish. Whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt with a fork.
2. Make a well and mix in the wet ingredients. Mix together the egg, olive oil, Greek yogurt, applesauce, and vanilla with a fork. Flatten the top.
3. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes degrees Fahrenheituntil the center is firm enough.
4. Leave the cake to cool about 1 hour at room temperature.
5. Sprinkle the cake with powdered sugarcut into pieces and serve.

Use frosting or powdered sugar!

Now you can of course top this applesauce cake with frosting if you like. We wouldn’t be offended at all! But to keep with the simple and healthy theme, we decided to use a light powdered sugar instead of frosting. This has the advantage of making this recipe even easier! Here are some topping options:

• Powdered sugar (easiest): Dust with powdered sugar.
• Frosting (festive): Make a double recipe of icing sugar glaze and pour on top. Add ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon to make it even tastier.
• Cream Cheese Frosting (Decadent): Prepare our cream cheese frosting.

Does applesauce make a cake moist?

Does applesauce make a cake moist? Yes! Adding applesauce gives the cake a rich, moist baked crumb. Applesauce is a popular substitute for butter and oil in baking recipes, an easy way to reduce overall calories. Applesauce is used for the moisture and overall flavor of this applesauce cake. Even though he only uses ½ cup of applesauce, you can taste it in every bite.

This applesauce pie recipe would be perfect for a potluck, pitch in, or barbecue. We know we’re going to add it to our pitch repertoire because As simple as that!

About the book: Prep: The Essential College Cookbook

This applesauce cake recipe is straight out of the cookbook Prep: The Essential Middle School Cookbook by Katie Sullivan Morford. Do you know someone who goes to college? This really is the perfect cookbook for beginners! This is to help students cook real meal with real Eat. It focuses on 10 core lessons for feeling good in the kitchen, leading to healthy dinners, filling snacks, and simple desserts like this applesauce pie.

This is the book I wish Alex and I would have to help us navigate ill-equipped dorms and rental kitchens! (Yes, we met in college. Day one!) This is perfect for beginners and would make a great gift or graduation gift. Get the book: Prep: The Essential Middle School Cookbook

Want easier recipes? Try these easy student recipes.

Got any leftover applesauce after making this cake?

Try our Applesauce Muffins! They mix quickly in a blender and are 100% oats (no flour). The perfect healthy snack. Or head over to one of our best applesauce recipes for using a jar! Some other favorites are applesauce cookies and applesauce bread.

This applesauce pie recipe is…

Vegetarian. For non-dairy products, use non-dairy yogurt. (And let us know how it goes!)

Looking for easy dessert recipes?

This applesauce cake recipe is truly one of the easiest cakes we’ve ever made. Here are some of our favorite desserts and pastries:

Last updated: August 2020