Applesauce cake is a dessert cake prepared using apple sauce, flour and sugar as primary ingredients. Various spices are typically used, and it tends to be a moist cake. Several additional ingredients may also be used in its preparation, and it is sometimes prepared and served as a coffee cake. The cake dates back to early colonial times in the United States. National Applesauce Cake Day occurs annually on June 6 in the U.S.

The preparation of applesauce cake dates back to early colonial times in the New England Colonies of the northeastern United States.^[1] From 1900 to the 1950s,^[2] recipes for applesauce cake frequently appeared in American cookbooks.^[3] In the United States, National Applesauce Cake Day occurs annually on June 6.^[4]

Applesauce cake is a dessert cake prepared using apple sauce, flour and sugar as main ingredients. Store-bought or homemade applesauce may be used in its preparation.^[5] Additional ingredients include eggs, butter, margarine or oil, raisins, dates, chopped apple, chopped nuts (such as walnuts and pecans), cocoa powder, and spices such as cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and allspice.^{[1][6][7][8][9][10][11]} Some versions include dried or fresh, finely grated ginger.^[12][13] After baking, applesauce cake is sometimes topped with an icing,^[7] frosting or glaze, such as a caramel glaze.^[12][14] It also may be served topped with a dusting of confectioner's sugar^[15][16] or whipped cream.^[17] Gluten-free applesauce cake can be prepared using rice flour.^[18] Egg-free applesauce cake can be made by using an egg substitute.

Applesauce cake tends to be moist due to the liquid content present in the apple sauce.^[8] However, using a chunky-style apple sauce can result in a cake with less moisture than from using standard apple-sauce.^[19] Letting it sit for one or two days before serving can increase its flavor,^{[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2]} as this allows time for the ingredients to intermingle within the cake.

It can be prepared using various types of cake pans, such as a ring-shaped bundt cake using a bundt pan,^[21][22] in loaf form using a loaf pan, or as a sheet cake with a sheet cake pan.^[20] Applesauce cake is sometimes prepared in the form of cupcakes.^[13][14]

Applesauce cake may be prepared and served as a type of coffee cake,^[23] which may include a sweet crumb topping.^[24] Simple versions may be prepared using prepared coffee cake mix, apple sauce, and other various ingredients.^[11] Fruits such as blueberries, cranberries and raisins may also be used in applesauce coffee cake.^[25][26][27]

• A close-up view of applesauce walnut coffee cake
• Applesauce cupcakes with icing