applesauce cake with caramel glaze

Desserts

Applesauce Cake With Caramel Glaze

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.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons 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 cups unsweetened applesauce
2/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream, plus more as needed
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup sifted powdered sugar, plus more as needed

Directions

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.
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.
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.
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.