🍎German Applesauce Cake
Hallo from Germany! 👋🏻🇩🇪
I’m sorry, but whether or not you hate the word “moist”, there is no better way to describe this cake. German Applesauce Cake is by far one of the easiest and fastest recipes I’ve ever made, and somehow it results in this light, fluffy goodness that has just the right amount of sweetness and some crunch on top. Grab a square (or two) while it’s still warm and you’ll feel like you’ve just stepped out of a quaint little German bakery with the best treat imaginable.
COURSE: Dessert, Snack, Breakfast (the list goes on and on…)
CUISINE: German
PREP TIME: 15 minutes
COOK TIME: 20-25 minutes
SERVINGS: 9
INGREDIENTS 📝
TOPPING:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts
BATTER:
Dry:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch salt
Wet:
1 egg
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup neutral cooking oil (canola, vegetable)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
EQUIPMENT 🔪
8"x 8"x 2” baking dish
(1) large bowl
(2) small bowls
measuring cup(s)
measuring spoons
mixing spoon
fork (or whisk)
rubber spatula
INSTRUCTIONS 👩🏻🍳
Preheat oven to 350°.
Grease a 8"x 8"x 2” baking dish with enough butter to cover the bottom and sides entirely. You can use a small piece of paper towel or parchment paper to spread the butter, or just use your fingers like me.
For the topping, grab a small bowl and measure in 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, 1 tablespoon butter and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon. Use a spoon or your fingers to mix until well-incorporated and crumbly. Throw in 1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts and give your mixture a quick stir.
In a large bowl, put in all of your dry ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour, 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon baking soda, and a pinch of salt (whatever fits and stays between your thumb and index finger).
In your second small bowl, work on the wet ingredients. First, crack 1 egg and beat the egg with a fork (or whisk) until the yolk and white are fully mixed. Add in 1/2 cup applesauce, 1/4 cup neutral cooking oil (canola, vegetable), and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and give it all a good stir.
Add your wet ingredients mixture (from Step 5) to the bowl of your dry ingredients (from Step 4) and mix until fully mixed. Pour your batter into your greased baking dish (from Step 2), and make sure to use a rubber spatula to make sure you don’t waste any of that yummy batter.
Sprinkle your topping mixture (from Step 3) evenly over the top of the batter, and pop your baking dish into the 350° pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes. When you insert a dry toothpick into the center of the cake and it comes out completely clean, you know it’s done and ready to take out.
Let the cake cool in the baking dish for about 15 minutes before serving, but don’t wait too long because it’s best when it’s still nice and warm. 😋
TIPS & TRICKS 💡
I like to use light brown sugar in this recipe for just the right touch of caramel-y flavor in the topping, but you can easily substitue dark brown sugar if that makes your life easier (the only difference between the two is the amount of molasses).
You can substitute almost any type of plant-based butters, as long as it is intended for baking.
Go nuts! Walnuts are my top choice but go ahead and experiment with any of your favorite types of nuts.
My name is Ionela Turcin and I am the head chef at The Menu. Join me for some hot, sizzling times in the kitchen. 🔥