Easy Applesauce Cake {With Cake Mix}

Easy applesauce cake recipe with cake mix, homemade with simple ingredients. Soft, moist, full of spices and paired with caramel sauce and cream cheese frosting.

When it comes to Fall, I love making desserts with pears and especially apples. My family loves this Apple Cake (With Cake Mix) and this delicious Apple Pie Cake always makes a special appearance on the Thanksgiving table. Also, if you ever end up with a lot of leftover applesauce, consider making these Cinnamon Applesauce Muffins for breakfast.

Key ingredients for old fashioned applesauce cake

• Applesauce- Be sure it is the cinnamon flavored kind.
• Butter- Use unsalted.
• Milk- I like to use whole, but you can also use 2%.
• Eggs- Large sized ones at room temperature are best.
• Spice Cake Mix- This can be a name brand like Betty Crocker or Pillsbury or your generic brand.
• Nuts- This is optional, but I like to use chopped walnuts or pecans.

Variations 

• Yellow cake mix- If you don't have spice cake mix, use a yellow cake mix and add a combination of dry powdered spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, cloves, ginger, and cardamom.
• Rectangle cake- If you are short on time or don't want to make a layer cake, simply make a rectangle cake, using a 9x13 pan. Once the cake cools, pipe frosting on top and drizzle some caramel sauce.
• Coffee cake- Simply add a crumb topping of your choice.
• Add nuts- Coat them in 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour to keep them from sinking to the bottom. Also, be sure to gently fold them into the batter to keep the coating intact. Check out this post for more details: How to Stop Chocolate Chips From Sinking.

How to make easy applesauce cake recipe with cake mix box? 

1. Mix together- Applesauce, melted butter, milk, and eggs.
2. Stir in- The spice cake mix.
3. Pour batter- Into two round cake pans.
4. Bake- Until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
5. Cool- Cakes completely.
6. Prepare- Caramel sauce and frosting.
7. Assemble cake- By placing one cake on a stand, spreading the frosting on top, then drizzle caramel on top. Repeat.
8. Cover and chill- In the fridge until you are ready to serve.

Frosting and filling ideas

• Homemade Apple Pie Filling- This is my Grandma's recipe and would compliment this Fall cake perfectly.
• Slow Cooker Fried Apples- Besides the delicious smell, these are also easy to make.
• Sauteed Cinnamon Apples- Chop them up and use them as an additional filling on top of the icing.
• Homemade Vanilla Custard- A smooth, easy to make, no bake filling.
• Homemade Vanilla Pudding- Another easy no bake dessert to enhance the spice cake.
• Easy Caramel Frosting- You can use this as a caramel sauce substitute.
• Maple Frosting- There is something about maple flavor that makes it so suitable for Autumn plus it compliments the spiced flavors of this cake harmoniously.
• Chantilly Cream- Sweet and perfect for the topping of just about any cake.
• Stabilized Whipped Cream- A traditional and scrumptious addition.
• Brown Sugar Frosting- This pairs really well with the spices in the cake mix.
• German Chocolate Cake Frosting- This coconut pecan frosting pairs well with this cake and is not meant to be just used on a German Cake.
• Homemade Dulce De Leche- This would be a great alternative to caramel sauce.

Tips and techniques

• Use room temperature ingredients- Especially the eggs so that the batter blends together smoothly.
• Melt unsalted butter- To prevent the cake from becoming too salty.
• Naked cake- If you are planning on making a naked cake like I did, I suggest not using nuts since it's harder to slice pieces and trim the sides.
• Cool cake fully- Before you start icing or else the icing will melt and make a sticky mess.
• Homemade vs. Store-bought applesauce- Either can be used but store-bought is more convenient. If you are using the homemade version, make sure the consistency is thick.
• Plain vs. cinnamon applesauce- I highly recommend using the cinnamon one for the additional spice flavor. If you use the plain one, then add some cinnamon powder in the cake batter.
• Don't use saran wrap- To cover the cake, because the icing will stick to it and it will ruin the appearance of your cake. Instead, place it in a cake caddy or large cake box. The caddy is reusable, washable and also great for transferring cakes to parties safely. 

Recipe FAQ

Storage of homemade cake

Room temperature- You can’t leave this out for too long because of the cream cheese frosting/dairy in the recipe.

Fridge- Leftovers can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

Freezer- Store all the components separately. The cakes should cool completely and be wrapped tightly in saran wrap. The frosting can be stored and frozen in a sealed container. Then, thaw and assemble a few hours or even a day before you are ready to serve.

More Apple Desserts

• Chocolate Caramel Apples
• Apple Strudel
• Apple Cranberry Crisp (Cranberry Crumble)
• Apple Nachos
• Easy Apple Cobbler
• Easy Apple Crisp (1 Hour)
• Baked Apple Cider Donuts
• Apple Fritters (30 Mins)
• Apple Crumble Pie
• Easy Apple Turnover (With Puff Pastry)
• Easy Apple Pie
• Caramel Apple Pie (No Bake)

Recipe