Applesauce Cake With Caramel Glaze
Merrill Stubbs
Photo by Julia Gartland
- Serves
- 10
- Prep Time
- 30 Minutes
- Cook Time
- 50 Minutes
Having made a giant batch of applesauce this fall (unpeeled apples, a pinch of salt, lemon juice, and nothing else), I realized last week that what was left would probably ferment if I didn't do something with it, and quick. So, I decided to whip up one of my favorite desserts, a spiced applesauce cake. Previously, I've made a fresh ginger glaze for it that tastes delicious but sort of curdles and doesn't look all that pretty. This time, I found inspiration in a rich, sweet, Southern-stye caramel icing from Craig Claiborne's New York Times Cookbook, which I've made a few times for other cakes. But I wanted a true glaze, not an icing, so off to the interwebs I went. Imagine my delight when I came across the perfect recipe on the blog of our very own TheRunawaySpoon! I adapted the measurements slightly, as I found I needed a little less powdered sugar to keep my glaze runny enough to drizzle, and it turned out to be the perfect complement to this tender, spiced and just slightly sweet cake. Thank you, TheRunawaySpoon, for your help. Note: If you're serving this cake to demanding or hyper-observant guests (What? Did I say that?), you may want to glaze the cake right on the plate you plan to use to serve it, forgoing the rack. As soon the glaze has even the slightest chance to set, it will crack if you try to transfer the cake from the rack to a serving plate.
Ingredients
Cake
- Unsalted butter, for the pan
- 2 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
- 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon finely ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Caramel Glaze
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup heavy cream, plus more as needed
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter, cut into chunks
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar, plus more as needed
Featured Video
Applesauce Cake With Caramel Glaze
What's one of the best things you can do after hauling a bunch of freshly picked apples home from the orchard? Make a bunch of homemade applesauce, of course! Then what's the best thing you can do with all of that applesauce? Make this amazing applesauce cake, of course! This is one of our favorite fall-forward cakes that you can also definitely make with store-bought applesauce if that's what you have on hand, but homemade puts it over the top. The cake is super-easy to put together: Simply cream the eggs with sugar, add the applesauce, oil, vanilla, fold into the dry ingredients, then let the cake bake away in the oven. The glaze takes a little more accurate timing, but TheRunawaySpoon, who developed the recipe, gives great visual cues and you should have no problem getting it to the perfect consistency. It's what helps make this recipe a showstopper of a dessert. But if you don't have the time or don't feel like making the glaze, the cake is wonderful all on its own. Simply dust with powdered sugar before serving.
You'll love the taste and texture, as well as the fact it's both comforting and sweet. Per the comments, the cake is also very forgiving with spice substitutions, and many have added chopped apples to the batter, which gives it even more fall-like flavor. One even used cranberry sauce instead of applesauce to great success! Feel free to experiment with what works best for you and let us know how it turns out.
Directions
Instructions
- Step 1
Make the cake: Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, salt, black pepper, and allspice. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until light and airy. Mix in the applesauce, oil, and vanilla until smooth.
- Step 2
Using a spatula, fold in the dry ingredients, being careful not to overmix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes in the pan set on a wire rack before turning it out and letting it cool completely on the rack—make sure the cake isn't at all warm before you make the glaze.
- Step 3
Make the glaze: If desired, place a piece of foil or parchment under the wire rack to catch any drips before you start the glaze. In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, cream, butter, and salt and set over medium heat. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly, and boil for 1 minute exactly. Remove from the heat.
- Step 4
Let cool for a couple of minutes, then gradually whisk in the powdered sugar until you have a thick but pourable consistency (you may not need all of the sugar). If the mixture seems too thick, add a splash of cream to thin it out a little. Immediately pour the glaze over the cake, moving slowly and evenly to cover as much surface area as possible. Let the glaze set before serving.