Applesauce cake

This cake is awesome, period.  I made it to use up some applesauce I didn't like, and as the recipe promised, I loved it.  It's moist and flavourful, absolutely delicious.  But I definitely should have made it in the fall, it takes like fall to me with the apples and cinnamon.  Never the less I've eaten my fair share of it, but I'll definitely make it again.

The cake hold really well, even for a few days in the fridge.  It's got a moist crumb with a tangy cream cheese frosting flecked with cinnamon.  The flavour of the applesauce really does come through, when I made my applesauce last year I added cinnamon to it and on its own I really dislike it, but in this cake it gets a chance to shine.

Applesauce Cake


Ingredients:
240 g (2 c) ap flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves
125 g (1/2 c) butter, at room temperature
200 g (1 c) brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
365 g (1 1/2 c) applesauce
1/2 c chopped, toasted and cooled walnuts (optional)

Frosting:
142 g (5 oz) cream cheese, softened
42 g (3 Tbsp) butter, room temperature
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
200g (1 c) icing sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven with the rack in the middle to 350 F.  Butter an 8 or 9 inch square pan and set aside.

The Cake:
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a medium bowl.  Beat the brown sugar, butter and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until the mixture is pale and fluffy.  Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well in between.  On low add the dry ingredients until just combined, then add walnuts (if using.)

Spread the cake batter evenly into the pan and bake for 35-45 minutes until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 15 minutes then invert onto rack.  Once face side up again, cool completely.

Frosting:
Beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a medium sized bowl until fluffy.  Slowly and carefully mix in the icing sugar and cinnamon.  Beat until incorporated.  Spread the frosting over the cake.  The cake can sit in the fridge, well wrapped, for a few days without adverse effects.  Just take out the cake and bring to room temperature before serving.