Applesauce Spice Cake

Fall baking is in full swing around here, and what better to bake in October than a cake scented with apples, cinnamon, and cardamom!  Don’t worry – this isn’t one of those cakes where you substitute applesauce for butter.  There is plenty of butter in this baby – the applesauce is used for its flavor, and the final result is the perfect blend: a comfort food with grown up spices.

My little guy turned 2 at the beginning of October.  One of his favorite foods is applesauce, so after a little thought and cake-recipe-browsing, I decided that a cake made with applesauce, cardamom, and cloves sounded like the perfect balance between what a 2 year old would enjoy and what his parents and their friends would enjoy, too!

The spices come through strong and true, in a very nice way.  The apple is subtle and delicious.  We dusted the top with powdered sugar and then decorated the cake with a little circle of thin apple slices.  Vanilla whipped cream (recipe coming soon!) was the topper. 

 

Applesauce Spice Cake

• 3 c flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 c packed brown sugar
• 1/4 c honey
• 2 eggs
• 2 c applesauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

This recipe makes one 9 inch tube pan sized cake, or you can divide it between a 9 inch tart pan (not one with a removable bottom) and a small loaf pan – which is what I did.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. Set aside.

In another bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, and honey until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time. Gradually add flour mixture; beat just until combined. Beat in applesauce.

Spray desired pans with cooking spray. If using a tart pan, consider cutting out a round of parchment paper to line the bottom with, as well. Spoon batter into pan; smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (but slightly wet):

50-60 minutes for tube pan.

45 minutes for tart pan + loaf pan.

Thank you to Martha Stewart for the recipe inspiration!