Applesauce Cake with Maple Cream Glaze

It’s a cold, snowy day in Oklahoma and I can’t help but feel like baking! I LOVE this Applesauce Cake for times like this. Not only is it an EASY one-bowl cake, it’s also such a delicious smelling cake!

Step 1 :: Applesauce Cake :: a SIMPLE One-Bowl Cake

Applesauce Cake :: a few key ingredients

The primary ingredients in this cake are all the usual suspects (flour, sugar, butter, eggs etc) plus:

• 3 cups of applesauce (any kind will work, but I recommend something with few ingredients – just apples is BEST for this recipe).
• 1 cup of quick cooking oats
• ground cinnamon

Applesauce Cake :: a key step

Besides a few special ingredients, there’s one essential instruction that’s important to follow exactly. Whip together the sugar and eggs for 2-3 minutes. The mixture will turn pale yellow and frothy, making the perfect foundation for a moist, fluffy cake.

Once that step is accomplished, everything else can just be dumped into the bowl and mixed well.

Step 2 :: Oat Crumble Topping

Even though there are actually 3 steps to this cake, it’s still so easy and quick that it’s hard to recognize each individual step! The oat crumble is responsible for all the wrinkles and valleys that beautifully corral the maple cream glaze (step 3) AND adds a delightful crisp, buttery texture to the top of the cake.

Step 3 :: Maple Cream Glaze

While the cake is baking, whisk together the ingredients for the glaze. BUT, stop short of adding all the water at one time. Rather, start with half of the suggested amount of water and then continue adding (while mixing) until your desired consistency is reached (you may actually want more than what is listed).

When the cake has finished baking and has cooled for 5 minutes, drizzle the glaze over the warm cake and serve!

I love the hint of cinnamon that’s just present enough to be noticed without washing over the sweet, delicate apple flavor. The oats add a lovely, hearty texture without (thanks to the process of whipping the sugar and eggs) leaving the cake dense and heavy. I think this delicious cake would be a welcome addition to a dessert table AND a breakfast table!

Cake Ingredients

• 1 1/2 c sugar
• 4 eggs
• 3 c applesauce
• 1 c quick cooking oats
• 3 c AP flour
• 1 1/2 t baking soda
• 1 t fine sea salt
• 2 sticks melted butter, salted (1 cup)
• 2 t ground cinnamon

Oat Crumble Topping

• 4 T butter, softened
• 1/2 c brown sugar
• 1/4 t ground cinnamon
• 1/2 c quick cooking oats
• 1 T flour
• 1/2 t salt

Maple Cream Glaze

• 2 1/2 c powdered sugar
• 1/4 c cream
• 4 T butter, softened
• 1/4 c water (more or less to desired consistency)
• 2-3 T pure maple sirup
• 1/4 t salt

Oat Crumble Topping

In the same mixing bowl, using the hand-mixer, combine crumble topping ingredients.

Sprinkle the topping evenly over the cake.

Place cake into the preheated oven and bake 35-40 minutes, until internal temperature reaches 187°-190°.

Glaze

While the cake is baking, place glaze ingredients in a medium mixing bowl, starting with 2 T of water.

Using a hand-mixer, mix ingredients together and continue adding additional water to reach desired (pourable) consistency.

When cake is done baking, remove from the oven, cool for 5 minutes and then drizzle glaze over the top of the cake.

Serve while warm for best experience!