Applesauce cakes don’t have a singular definition; they run the gamut from dense, chunky fruitcakes to gummy “health” cakes without much flavor. We wanted a moist and tender cake that actually tasted like apples.
To achieve the loose, rustic crumb that’s best suited to a snack cake, we used the simple quick-bread mixing method, mixing the wet ingredients separately and then gently adding the dry ingredients by hand.
The challenge lay in adding more apple flavor. Simply increasing the applesauce made for a gummy cake, and fresh apples added too much moisture. But two other sources worked well: apple cider and dried apples.
When reduced to a syrup, the apple cider contributed a pleasing sweetness and a slight tang without excess moisture. And dried apples_plumped in the cider while it was reducing_gave our cake even more apple flavor.
We liked the textural contrast provided by a simple sprinkling of spiced granulated sugar over the cake before baking. This cake is very moist, so it’s best to err on the side of overbaked when testing its doneness. We prefer the rich flavor of cider, but you can substitute apple juice.
APPLESAUCE SNACK CAKE
Servings: 9
Start to finish: 1 hour (plus up to 2 hours to cool)
1 cup apple cider
3/4 cup dried apples, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup unsweetened applesauce, room temperature
2/3 cup (4 2/3 ounces) sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 large egg, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Nutrition information per serving: 278 calories; 97 calories from fat; 11 g fat (7 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 51 mg cholesterol; 304 mg sodium; 42 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 24 g sugar; 3 g protein.
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