Applesauce Walnut Spice Cake with dates and caramel frosting is a moist, old-fashioned recipe, and one of my family’s favorite fall cakes. It’s an easy, one-bowl, sheet cake recipe with warm fall flavors great for simple dinners at home or potluck parties.
APPLESAUCE WALNUT SPICE CAKE
This cake is a quick and easy recipe that only takes about 10 minutes to mix together.
The texture is moist and soft and has just the right spices of ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and allspice.
I used to think allspice was all the spices mixed together. Actually, Allspice is the dried brown berry of the tropical Pimenta dioica tree, a clove relative native to the West Indies and Central America. It got its name in the 17th century when allspice berries were first imported to Europe since it’s said to taste like a combination of clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg. (source)
APPLESAUCE WALNUT SPICE CAKE INGREDIENTS
- Applesauce. I used unsweetened applesauce. You can use store-bought or homemade if you’re lucky enough to have a lot of apples.
- Walnuts. I measured then chopped them. I like walnuts paired with apples. However, you can also use pecans or almonds.
- Dates. Of course, you can add raisins, dried cranberries, or any dried fruit instead of the dates. I used Medjool dates.
- Sugar. You can use granulated white sugar, brown sugar, or coconut sugar.
- Coconut oil. You can substitute vegetable oil or melted butter or melted shortening (like Crisco).
- Finally, you can omit the nuts and dried fruit. This cake is perfectly wonderful without either.
This cake batter is thin so don’t be surprised by that. That’s the way it’s supposed to be.
CARAMEL FROSTING
This cake is good frosted or left un-frosted. I made a quick and easy caramel glaze. However, this cake is also good with cream cheese frosting. I mean, any cake is good with cream cheese frosting, right? You can get my Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe here.
HOW DO I STORE APPLESAUCE WALNUT SPICE CAKE?
- First, store this cake in an airtight container at room temperature for four to five days.
- As well, it will stay fresh a couple of days longer if you store it in the refrigerator.
- This cake freezes nicely too. Wrap the cake with plastic wrap then place it in a ziptop freezer bag. Finally, it will keep in the freezer for three months.
MORE RECIPES TO TRY
- Strawberry Bread
- Easy Strawberry Bread
- Applesauce Banana Bread
- Peanut Butter Bread
- No Yeast Blueberry Cinnamon Rolls
- Lemon Blueberry Streusel Bread
- Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
- Amish Apple Bread
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Applesauce Walnut Spice Cake
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Save To Your Recipe BoxIngredients
- 2 and ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups brown sugar or granulated sugar or coconut sugar
- 1 and ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- 1 and ½ cups unsweetened applesauce
- ½ cup coconut oil melted
- ½ cup water
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup walnuts chopped
- 1 cup dates chopped
Instructions
- see post above for substitutions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray.
- Add all the ingredients except the dates and nuts to the bowl of your electric mixer.
- Mix on low speed for 1 minute then turn up to medium speed for 2 more minutes.
- Stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom with a spatula. Add the dates and nuts and stir until combined.
- Pour the cake batter into your prepared pan. Bake at 350°F for 35 to 40 minutes or until done in the center. To test, use a wooden pick or cake tester. When there are no crumbs or dry crumbs on the pick after being inserted into the cake it's done.
- Remove the cake from the oven and cool on a wire rack.
Nutrition
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Allyssa says
Tasted really good and super easy to make! Loved it! Will surely have this again, Highly recommended!
Margaret Nguyen says
Positively the best cake on my Halloween pantry table!
Jaclyn says
Delicious and full of Fall flavors!