Pumpkin Recipe: Pumpkin Applesauce Cake

I am revisiting a lot of my older posts and bringing them up to date. This pumpkin recipe is one I’ve made more than once and truly enjoy. The original was created because I had leftover pumpkin in my ‘fridge and needed to figure out what to do with it. I had made pumpkin ravioli for dinner one night and there was a fair bit of pumpkin left from the can. I hate wasting food – yes, I know I could have frozen it, but why not bake with it, right?

I read a bunch of different recipes and mashed a few of them together and came up with a pumpkin recipe that worked really well. It is a very moist, dense cake.  I love making spice cakes this time of year and this cake is especially full of flavor.

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Pumpkin Recipe: Pumpkin Applesauce Cake

Makes one 13 x 9  cake and one small 6″ round layer cake

1 cup unsalted butter, melted plus more for the pan
5 cups all purpose flour
4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 TBS cinnamon
2 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp cardamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground nutmeg
4 large eggs
3 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cups applesauce
1 cup raisins

For the Icing:
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
16 oz cream cheese at room temperature
1/2 cup honey

1 cup cashews toasted

Preheat oven to 350°
Butter a 15 x 11 x 2 or a 13 x 9 x 2 and a 6″ round (which is what I did so I could have a mini cake)

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices.

In a medium bowl mix together the eggs, brown sugar, pumpkin, applesauce and melted butter.

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and mix until just blended.

Add the raisins and stir until combined.

Add the batter to the pan(s) and level with an offset spatula.
Bake in the preheated oven for 45 – 50 minutes until a tester comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack.
Make the frosting:
Mix the butter, cream cheese and honey in a stand mixer with the paddle attached until well blended.
Frost the top of the cake.
To make the mini cake: after removing it from the pan carefully cut it in half. Add frosting to one layer, top with the second layer and frost the tops only.

Chop the toasted cashews and sprinkle on top of the cake(s)

How Was the Pumpkin Recipe?

It’s a truly delicious cake; moist, rich and very flavorful. The mini cake was fun to make. It allows you to keep some aside if you are taking this to a party. Or you can just keep the mini cake all to yourself. Who would know? Right? Or you could gift the mini cake to someone who needs a bit of a smile. The possibilities for the cake with this pumpkin recipe abound!

Pumpkin Applesauce Cake

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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

A rich, moist cake full of the spices of fall

• Author: Patty @bookscookslooks.com
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 50 mins
• Total Time: 1 hour 5 mins
• Yield: 22-24 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: baking
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 cup unsalted butter, melted plus more for the pan
• 5 cups all purpose flour
• 4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 TBS cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp cardamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• 4 large eggs
• 3 cups brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 cups applesauce
• 1 cup raisins

For the Icing:

• 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 16 oz cream cheese at room temperature
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 cup cashews toasted

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Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°
• Butter a 15 x 10 x 2 or a 13 x 9 x 2 and a 6″ round (which is what I did so I could have a mini cake)
• In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices.
• In a medium bowl mix together the eggs, brown sugar, pumpkin, applesauce and melted butter.
• Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and mix until just blended.
• Add the raisins and stir until combined.
• Add the batter to the pan(s) and level with an offset spatula.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 45 – 50 minutes until a tester comes out clean.
• Cool on a wire rack.

Make the frosting:

• Mix the butter, cream cheese and honey in a stand mixer with the paddle attached until well blended.
• Frost the top of the cake.

If making a mini cake:

• after removing it from the pan carefully cut it in half. Add frosting to one layer, top with the second layer and frost the top only.
• Chop the toasted cashews and sprinkle on top of the cake(s)

Keywords: pumpkin, applesauce, cake, sheetcake, mini cake