Sourdough Applesauce Cake

Prepare for a flavor adventure with this delicious sourdough applesauce cake! The star of the show here is definitely the applesauce. It doesn’t just make the cake crazy moist, but it adds a delightful freshness to each bite. It pairs perfectly with a tangy sourdough starter, which creates a rich texture that is just so lovely.

This dessert is a lovely dish to bring to a holiday dinner or simply just to enjoy the taste of fall. You can dress it up with a sweet frosting, or powdered sugar, or just keep it as is because it is absolutely heavenly!

Why add applesauce to a cake?

Adding applesauce to a cake serves several purposes, contributing both flavor and texture enhancements. Here are a few reasons why applesauce is a popular ingredient in cake recipes:

• Moisture

• Natural Sweetness

• Health Benefits

• Flavor Enhancement

• Natural binding agent: don’t have any eggs? No problem! Applesauce is an excellent replacement for eggs in most recipes as it helps keep the ingredients together.

A few pro tips before baking

• Bring all your ingredients to room temperature, this will help solidify everything together.

• Sourdough starter can be fed or unfed. I would not use more than a week-old sourdough discard it as it might make the cake a bit sour.

• Do not overmix the cake batter. It is actually okay if it is a bit clumpy. Overmixing will result in a tough cake texture. My rule of thumb: stop mixing when there are no visible streaks of flour left. Use a gentle hand when mixing or a low-speed setting on your electric mixer.

How to make sourdough applesauce cake

Ingredients & Equipment

• 1 cup sourdough starter (fed or unfed and brought to room temperature)
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• powdered sugar for dusting
• optional: 1/2 cup chopped nuts

You will need:

• Mixing bowls
• Measuring cups and spoons
• 1 9×13 inch cake pan
• Electric mixer or silicone spatula

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease a cake pan with butter or oil.

• In a medium-mixing bowl cream together the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. If using an electric mixer, use the low to medium speed.

• Next, add your sourdough starter and applesauce and mix until combined.

• In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves.

• Gradually fold in the dry mixture to the wet and mix until no more flour streaks are visible. Do not overmix here. It is okay if the batter is a bit clumpy.

• If using nuts, fold those into the batter.

• Pour the batter into the cake pan and spread evenly.

• Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cake.

• Allow the cake to cool for 10-15 minutes before dusting with powdered sugar. If you would like to frost the cake, I recommend letting it cool completely (about 1 hour).

• Sourdough applesauce cake lasts 2-3 days at room temperature in an airtight container.

More sourdough dessert recipes:

• Sourdough Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
• Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Sourdough Pumpkin Spice Bread
• Sourdough Maple Snickerdoodle Muffins