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A two-sugar spice cake is topped with cream cheese frosting after cooling. This is separate from the simpler unfrosted applesauce cake. Use the stated 318 grams if using a scale; avoid combining a weighed amount with additional packed cups.
Warm cake melts the butter and makes the topping run into the surface. Refrigerate perishable leftovers promptly in shallow containers at 40°F or below, within two hours or one hour above 90°F. Reheat cooked leftovers to 165°F; keep cold dishes chilled.
Ingredients and measurements
- 318 g all-purpose flour (use the weight consistently)
- 1 tsp baking soda; 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice; 3/4 cup (150 g) white sugar
- 1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar
- 2 large eggs; 2 cups (490 g) plain applesauce
- 3/4 cup (175 ml) vegetable oil or canola oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract; 8 oz cream cheese, slightly softened
- 6 Tbsp (85 g) butter, softened
- 3 cups (360 g) confectioners sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract
Preparation and cooking
- Stage 1
Heat oven to 350°F and grease a 9-by-13-inch pan. Whisk flour, both leaveners, salt and spices.
- Stage 2
Beat both sugars and eggs, then mix in applesauce, oil and cake vanilla. Fold into the dry mixture until no flour streaks remain.
- Stage 3
Spread into the pan and bake about thirty to forty minutes, checking the center is set and a tester has no raw batter. Cool fully.
- Stage 4
Beat softened cream cheese and butter smooth, then add confectioners sugar gradually and frosting vanilla. Spread over the cool cake and refrigerate.
For more recipes to serve alongside, see healthy cowboy caviar salad or chicken buttered noodles. Use that recipe’s own quantities rather than mixing formulas. This is an editorial revision of the archived formula with clarified preparation and original troubleshooting notes. A Pinch Of Lemon has not kitchen-tested this version. The linked reference supports food-safety guidance only, not the entire recipe. Photographs are illustrative. Reference: FoodSafety.gov cooking-temperature guidance.
Common Questions About This Recipe
- Which flour measurement?
Use the stated 318 grams if using a scale; avoid combining a weighed amount with additional packed cups.
- Why cool before frosting?
Warm cake melts the butter and makes the topping run into the surface.