This easy applesauce cake with penuche frosting is a great afternoon snacking cake but also feeds a crowd, making it a great option for parties and pot-lucks too. The caramel flavor of the penuche frosting pairs well with the applesauce and warm spices in the cake, turning this simple dessert into an ideal choice for fall and winter gatherings (but, honestly, it works all year-round).
- Prep Time:
20 mins - Cook Time:
25 mins - Total Time:
45 mins
Old-fashioned applesauce cake
If a cake could be vintage, I think it would be applesauce cake. I got this recipe from my mother-in-law about 30 years ago because it was one of my husband’s childhood favorites but I think it’s been around for much longer than that. Even our 1959 edition of the Fannie Farmer cookbook has a version of applesauce cake. And now that this recipe has become a favorite with our kids, it will be around for at least another generation.
Applesauce cake is one of those desserts that is not only super easy to make, but it also delivers that cozy, comforting flavor that is so fitting for fall and winter baking thanks to the addition of warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. You can make a “standard” 9×13 cake or you can double the recipe and make a half-sheet size cake when you want to feed a crowd but want something a little less rich than, say, a chocolate sheet cake with chocolate icing.
Never heard of penuche frosting?
Although most applesauce cake recipes call for cream cheese frosting, I really love penuche frosting for this cake. Penuche frosting isn’t something you hear about very often anymore. Like the cake, it is also old-fashioned and nostalgic.
Penuche frosting (sometimes referred to as caramel frosting or brown sugar frosting) is basically a caramel sauce with powdered sugar mixed in to make a spreadable frosting. It’s that deep caramel flavor that I think pairs so well with spice cakes. It isn’t very difficult to make but here are a few tips to help ensure your success –
- Use an appropriately sized saucepan. The butter and brown sugar mixture will bubble up quite a bit when the milk is added and you don’t want the mixture to bubble over the edge of the pan. You will also be mixing in 2 cups of powdered sugar and you will want enough room to whisk that in. I use a 3-quart saucepan for this recipe.
- Don’t overcook the caramel mixture. Once the milk is added to the cooked butter and brown sugar mixture, you only need to to bring the caramel mixture up to a rolling boil and then remove it from the heat. It doesn’t need to stay at a rolling boil for very long. Overcooking the caramel will cause the frosting to be overly stiff and dry.
Applesauce Cake with Caramel (Penuche) Frosting
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 15 (2.5 x 3 inch) slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This easy applesauce cake with penuche frosting is a great afternoon snacking cake but also feeds a crowd, making it a great option for parties and pot-lucks too. The caramel flavor of the penuche frosting pairs well with the applesauce and warm spices in the cake, turning this simple dessert into an ideal choice for fall and winter gatherings (but, honestly, it works all year-round).
Ingredients
For the cake
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce, room temperature (see Note 1)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 cup raisins
For the frosting
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar (see Note 2)
- 1/4 cup whole milk
- 1 3/4– 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
For the cake
- Prep oven and pan. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 9×13 inch cake pan or a quarter-sheet pan (see Note 3). Set aside.
- Mix wet ingredients. Place butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, egg, and vanilla extract in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until thoroughly mixed, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add applesauce. Add applesauce and mix until combined. The batter will become separated and that’s OK.
- Mix in dry ingredients. Add flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves and mix again until just combined.
- Add raisins. Stir in raisins (see Note 4).
- Bake. Spread batter in prepared pan. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Let cake cool while making the penuche icing.
For the frosting
- Cook butter and sugar. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat (see Note 5). Once the butter is melted, whisk in brown sugar. Continue cooking over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add milk. Carefully pour in milk (mixture will bubble up). Bring mixture to a rolling boil, stirring constantly, then remove from heat. Cool mixture until it is lukewarm.
- Add sugar. Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until frosting is smooth and thickened (see Note 6).
- Frost cake. Spread frosting on cooled cake. Allow frosting to cool completely before cutting.
Notes
- If you can only find sweetened applesauce, then reduce the granulated sugar to 1/2 cup.
- You can use light or dark brown sugar. I usually use dark brown sugar.
- You can also line the cake pan with parchment paper instead if you prefer.
- The original recipe that I got from my mother-in-law also included an optional 1/2 cup of pecans. However, I have never included pecans when I have made this cake.
- Be sure to use an appropriately sized saucepan. The butter and brown sugar mixture will bubble up quite a bit when the milk is added and you don’t want the mixture to bubble over the edge of the pan.
- Start with 1 3/4 cups of powdered sugar for the frosting. If the frosting is too thin to spread, then whisk in more powdered sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until frosting is just thick enough to spread. If frosting becomes too thick, you can thin it out with a small amount of hot water.
- The frosted cake can be stored covered at room temperature for up to 5 days.
- This recipe doubles easily to make a 12×17 inch sheet cake.
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