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applesauce cake with whipped cream
Gracious Cooking

Moist One Bowl Applesauce Loaf Cake Recipe (Easy)

Applesauce Loaf Cake is a one bowl wonder that could not be easier to make. You are rewarded for your minimal effort with a plush, comforting apple cake with a crunchy sugar top.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 10 slices
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • ½ cup unsalted butter melted
  • 1 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 and ½ cups unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 and ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 and ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 3 Tablespoons turbinado sugar optional crunchy topping

Equipment

  • 1 medium mixing bowl
  • 1 set measuring cups and spoons
  • 1 Whisk
  • 1 9"x5" loaf pan
  • 1 Rubber spatula
  • nonstick baking spray
  • 1 wire cooling rack

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with a rack in the center position.
  2. Spray a 9"x5" loaf pan liberally with nonstick baking spray (the kind with flour in it).
  3. Place ½ cup unsalted butter in a medium mixing bowl and microwave until melted, about 1 minute. Put a paper towel over the bowl to prevent splatter.
  4. To the melted butter, add the brown sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine until smooth. Add egg and whisk until smooth. Add the unsweetened applesauce and whisk again.
  5. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the bowl, Fold together with a rubber spatula until the batter no longer has flour streaks in it.
  6. Scrape the batter into the loaf pan and spread it evenly in the pan with the spatula.
  7. Sprinkle turbinado sugar evenly over the top of the batter. This will form a crunchy, sugary topping in the oven.
  8. Bake your applesauce loaf cake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a cake tested inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, or with just a few clinging crumbs.
  9. Let the cake cool until you can touch the pan, then remove and cool on a wire cooling rack or a cutting board. Slice and enjoy!

Notes

It is very important to use unsweetened applesauce in this recipe. Apples are already sweet, and the extra sugar in sweetened applesauce will make the cake way too sweet.