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Applesauce Cake with Penuche Frosting

Applesauce cake is one of my favorite cakes for the fall season. This cake is ultra-moist with applesauce and spices such as cinnamon, cloves and allspice. The penuche frosting goes perfectly with this cake. It's a cooked brown sugar frosting that has a caramel-like flavor. The frosting pours on, is easy to spread and then hardens to a fudge-like consistency.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Applesauce Cake, Penuche Frosting, Spice Cake
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings 12
Calories 648kcal
Author Debby - www.AFeastfortheEyes.net

Ingredients

For the cake:

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 cups white sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk
  • 1 1/2 cups applesauce
  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup chopped walnuts optional
  • 1 cup raisins optional

For the frosting:

  • 1/2 cup (1-stick) butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup hot milk
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3 cups powdered sugar sifted

Instructions

For the cake:

  • Sift flour, white sugar, soda, salt, baking powder, and spices into a large mixing bowl.
  • Mix in 1/2 cup butter, buttermilk, and applesauce. Beat for 2 minutes with an electric mixer on medium speed.
  • Beat in eggs.
  • Fold in chopped nuts and/or raisins (if using).
  • Pour batter into a greased and floured 9 x 13-inch pan.
  • Bake at 350°F for 50 minutes.

For the frosting:

  • Melt the butter in a large saucepan.
  • Add the brown sugar and bring to a boil (about 2 minuteand continue cooking until it thickens (about 1 minute more)
  • Let set for 15 minutes.
  • Mix in hot milk, vanilla and gradually whisk in the confectioner's sugar. If the frosting becomes too thick, add a little milk.
  • Quickly spread the frosting on the cake. Once the frosting cools, it will become harder with an almost fudge-like texture.

Notes

This frosting is excellent on chocolate cake, too!
I have "halved" this recipe for a bundt cake. It looks and tastes gorgeous.

Nutrition

Calories: 648kcal | Carbohydrates: 112g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 355mg | Potassium: 254mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 80g | Vitamin A: 546IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 2mg