Never Fail Applesauce Spice Cake

Servings: 18
Yield: 18 servings

Description

This never-fail applesauce spice cake recipe uses just two bowls and one pan for a very moist, warmly spiced cake with walnuts and pecans for crunch.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups white sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups applesauce
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup butter
1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

1 Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch pan.
2 Sift flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, baking powder, and salt together into a large bowl. Mix in applesauce, 1/2 cup butter, and buttermilk; beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Beat in eggs. Fold in walnuts.
3 Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into middle comes out clean, about 50 minutes; let cool.
4 Mix confectioners' sugar, cream cheese, and vanilla together in a large bowl until smooth; set aside. Melt 1/4 cup butter over medium heat; add pecans and stir continuously until brown. Set aside to cool. Stir pecans into cream cheese frosting; frost cake.