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This applesauce cake is studded with walnuts and raisins and topped with an easy caramel icing. It’s a perfect autumn dessert, but Toronto is still cold and snowy and grey, so it still feels like November!
The applesauce cake also perfectly showcases my favourite caramel icing. Most caramel icing recipes I’ve seen call for a candy thermometer and closely watching a pot of melting sugar. That’s too time consuming and tedious for me! So here I’m sharing a quick and easy caramel icing recipe that I discovered. Using brown sugar adds the caramel flavour, while melted butter and milk add fluidity. A touch of vanilla finishes it off. I’ve used it to frost plain vanilla or white cakes so that the icing is the main attraction. It has always received rave reviews.
You can use storebought applesauce or make your own for this applesauce cake. Making applesauce is a great way to use up those mealy apples that aren’t so nice to eat raw anymore. This cake includes raisins and walnuts, but you could easily swap those out for any other dried fruit or nuts. Adding grated carrot or apple would also be nice! Using whole wheat flour instead of white flour is another option, and I’m sure you would barely notice the taste. As this cake uses cinnamon, cloves, and allspice, a change of flour would only subtly change the flavour, but still add a nice texture.
Applesauce Cake with Caramel Icing
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1/3 cup butter softened
- 1 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup applesauce unsweetened
- 1 2/3 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/3 cup walnuts chopped
- 2/3 cup raisins
For the Caramel Icing
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/8 cup whole milk
- 1 cup icing sugar sifted
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- Grease and flour a 9" springform pan.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until fluffy.
- Add the egg and and vanilla and beat in thoroughly.
- Stir the applesauce into the butter mixture.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices.
- Stir the dry ingredients alternatively into the butter mixture with the water.
- Stir in the walnuts and raisins.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Let cool before frosting with caramel icing.
For the Caramel Icing
- Place the butter and brown sugars in a medium pot.
- Stir over medium heat and cook until it comes to a boil (it should look grainy).
- Add the milk, stir, and bring the mixture back to a boil (the brown sugar should now magically dissolve!).
- Remove the pan from the heat, and add the icing sugar and vanilla.
- Beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Use the hot icing immediately to frost any cake, otherwise it will start to set.
- If the icing stiffens and becomes unusable, just put the pan back on medium heat and stir until it melts again.
- Let the icing cool and set once on the cake – it should look smooth and beautiful!
If you’ve got extra apples around, try making our Cinnamon Apple Streusel Coffee Cake.
DH is a baked goods kinda guy, so I’m saving the recipe. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
I always see caramel next to the apples for dipping in the grocery store, but never thought about caramel for cake icing. Sounds delicious!
That looks delicious! I always love that combination of caramel and applesauce. Pinned.
Love a good apple cake. And your photos are gorgeous. I want to reach right in and cut a slice!
This will take care of some of the apples that are starting to turn!!!
I love caramel icing! Pinned.
Have a great week,
Kippi
Please share in our Facebook dinner group = https://www.facebook.com/groups/879977872481600/
oh sounds so good caramel apple in form of a cake yes please
come see us at http://shopannies.blogspot.com
OMGoodness! Looks delicious!!!!
Oh my goodness! Yum!
Wow! This looks delicious and not too difficult to make. I must give it a try. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Oh my goodness me. This looks and sounds divine although my children do not like caramel but that means more for me! #ThatFridayLinky #BinkyLinky
This sounds delightful and we’ll have to give it a try! Thanks for sharing
That caramel icing looks great! Thanks for sharing with us on Fiesta Friday!
This looks so tasty, I was saying I want to try and make an apple cake and this will be ideal. #DreamTeamLinky
Caramel flavour is my favourite. This looks amazing. Pinning and happy to let you know your cake will be one of the features at Handmade Monday this week. 😀
I’m not a huge cake person but this is the kind of cake I do like. This looks incredible. I can see myself at the table, with a cup of coffee, chatting. What time should I be over? LOL – Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party. Have a lovely and safe week ahead.
That looks delish! Yum! #Dreamteam
[…] Applesauce Cake with Caramel Icing […]
Yum! it looks so good. Pinned! #MMBC
Oh my word, my mouth is watering! This looks absolutely delectable! Thanks for sharing and linking up.
Shelbee
http://www.shelbeeontheedge.com
looks amazing, thanks for sharing on craft schooling Sunday!
[…] weeks featured post is…… Applesauce Cake with Caramel Icing from Kiku […]
[…] Welcome to the first Encouraging Hearts & Home Blog Hop of May 2020! If you are a regular visitor, you know you’ll find plenty of encouragement and inspiration. If you are new, we are happy you are here – we hope you enjoy your visit to our little party! To start things off, let’s share a ‘virtual treat’ with last week’s most viewed post – Applesauce Caramel Cake with Icing. […]
This looks so delicious. Applesauce cake was one of my favorite cakes that my mom made as I was growing up. Pinned
P.S. I forgot to ask – Do you use applesauce with sugar, or natural applesauce usually? Thanks!
This uses unsweetened applesauce. I’ll edit the recipe so it’s clear for everyone, thanks!
Oh my goodness… just the thought of that caramel icing… oh and delicious cake also. Printing this recipe right now!
Thank you for sharing this recipe at Create, Bake, Grow & Gather this week. I’m delighted to be featuring your applesauce cake with caramel icing at tonight’s party and pinning too.
Hugs,
Kerryanne
[…] at A Day of Small Things and Penny at Penny’s Passion chose Applesauce Cake with Caramel Sauce from […]
caramel and apples are just meant to be a thing together and add cake and I am sold. This looks amazing! I might have to try and make it.
#pocolo
[…] at A Day of Small Things and Penny at Penny’s Passion chose Applesauce Cake with Caramel Sauce from […]
[…] my word! Doesn’t this look delicious? Dash on over to Kiku Corner to pick up the recipe for Applesauce Cake with Caramel […]
Be useful to have grams and/or ounces as US cup weights seem to differ with ingredients. It seems a cup of sugar and a cup of butter are not the same in grams. So odd
Very good!