I ran across a recipe for apple cake, but I am not a big fan of cooked apples. Then I found another which called for applesauce rather than apples. That seemed like a better option in terms of texture. Plus the recipe compared it to Zucchini Bread, which I have not posted, but is my favorite dessert. It just has a lot of sugar in it. So I decided to try to produce a similar taste, but with less sugar. I am not really much of a baker, as anything that requires you to, well, follow the recipe, is usually a challenge for me! I started with a basic recipe, I think from allrecipes.com, but modified slightly. I changed to the applesauce to a version without added sugar. And I eliminated the 1/4 white sugar as I was already adding 1 cup of brown sugar and that seemed like plenty. I also slightly reduced the ground ginger as I was not really wanting to make a cake that tasted like gingerbread. If I wanted that, I would use a gingerbread recipe.
Result? Very good! Almost as moist as the Zucchini bread. Healthy enough to eat a slice for breakfast. After I made the frosting, I had husband and kid taste as it tasted a bit strong (sour?) to me. I decided I could serve it on the side if needed! But, it turned out to really complement the cake well. It cut down the sweetness even more. But, it is basically sugar and butter, so we sort of undo the healthiness. So I only put 2/3 of the frosting I made on the cake. Seemed to be a happy compromise. So I will try this again next Thursday. And will make it the way I wrote it below. I promise.
ingredients:
For cake
2 cups (8 3/4 ounces or 250 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon (3 grams) salt
3/4 teaspoon (2 grams) cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (1 gram) ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 stick (4 ounces or 113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup (7 3/4 ounces or 218 grams) packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon (5 ml) pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups (about 13 ounces or 365 grams) unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup (about 1 3/4 ounces or 50 grams) walnuts (optional), toasted, cooled, and chopped
For frosting
5 ounces (142 grams) cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces or 42 grams) unsalted butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (4 ounces or 120 grams) confectioners sugar
1/2 (1 teaspoon) teaspoon cinnamon
preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter an 8- or 9-inch square cake pan. I lined the bottom with parchment paper and buttered that too. But my pan is not great!
Make cake: Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in applesauce. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined, then stir in walnuts (if using). The batter will look a little curdly and uneven but don’t worry, it will all bake up perfectly in the end.
Spread batter evenly in pan and bake until golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake to loosen, then invert onto a plate. Reinvert cake onto a rack to cool completely. You can speed this up, as I always do, in the fridge.
Make frosting: Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy. Sift confectioner’s sugar and cinnamon over cream cheese mixture, then beat at medium speed until incorporated. Spread frosting over top of cooled cake.
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