Easy Applesauce Cake No Eggs Or Butter

Love baking with applesauce? Try my applesauce cookies, applesauce brownies, applesauce pancakes, and applesauce bread next. Applesauce, to me, is one of life’s magic ingredients. It’s an essential ingredient for healthy baking and is often used to replace butter and oil. It keeps baked goods moist and tender and cuts down on the sugar needed, thanks to its natural sweetness. While it is often used to replace fat, it can also be used to amp up some apple flavors, like in my fabulous applesauce cake recipe.

Why I love this recipe

Basic ingredients. My cake uses pantry staples that you probably have in your pantry right now, and no eggs or milk, either! Quick and easy. With less than two minutes of hands-on time, this cake is very much foolproof. Perfect texture and taste. Okay, I know I shouldn’t play favorites, but this cake nails the texture. It’s super moist and fluffy in the middle and has a tender crumb. It tastes like fall with a subtle apple and cinnamon flavor.

Ingredients needed

Flour. Either all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour. Baking soda and baking powder. Both leavening agents are used to give the cake some rise and fluffiness. Ground Cinnamon. A must for any recipe calling for applesauce, AND it is a fabulous Fall flavor. Milk of choice. I used unsweetened almond milk, but any milk will work. Vinegar. Vinegar is used because it curdles when mixed with the milk, and replaces the need for any eggs. I used white vinegar, but apple cider vinegar should be fine. Unsweetened applesauce. Be sure to use 100% unsweetened applesauce. Plenty of brands have added sugar, so double-check to be sure. Sugar. While white or brown sugar works, I prefer the latter as it yields a richer cake with a super moist middle. Butter OR vegan butter. To keep this recipe vegan, I used vegan butter but standard unsalted butter works. You can also use a neutral flavored oil, like vegetable oil or canola oil. Vanilla extract. A must for any good cake recipe. Vanilla frosting. Optional, but I can never say no to frosting! I used a simple cream cheese frosting. Walnuts. It is optional, but I sometimes like to toss a handful of crushed walnuts into the batter.

How to make applesauce cake

I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Arman’s recipe tips

Oven makes and models differ. It took me 20 minutes to bake my cakes completely, but you may need 25-30 minutes. Insert a toothpick in the center of the cake and if it comes out clean, the cake is ready to be removed. You can use homemade applesauce, but be sure it is completely smooth and has a thin texture. If your applesauce is too thick, simply run it through a blender or food processor. Add more fall spices into the cake batter, like nutmeg, cloves, and even a touch of ginger. If you notice the tops of the cake browning a little too quickly, cover it with aluminum foil to prevent over-cooking the outsides. If you want to make a single-layer cake, simply halve the ingredients.

Storage instructions

To store: If you don’t frost the cake, you can store the cake at room temperature. Keep it in a sealable container with a paper towel on top. It will keep well for 5 days. If you’ve frosted your cake, you must store it in the refrigerator. Cover it in plastic, and store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. To freeze: Leftover applesauce spice cake can be placed in a freezer-friendly container and stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. Thaw the cake overnight in the refrigerator.