After my husband and I got married we moved down to Lancaster County in Pennsylvania. If you’re unfamiliar with Lancaster, it’s widely known as Lancaster Amish Country. A lot of our neighbors were Amish or Pennsylvania Dutch and shared many of their family recipes with me.
The Pennsylvania Dutch Applesauce Cake is a really easy-to-make cake. You’ll need applesauce to make it which gives it flavor and makes for a moist, not dry cake.
Pennsylvania Dutch Applesauce Cake Recipe
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 stick butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 cups applesauce
1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 cups all-purpose flour, lightly sifted
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine together all of the ingredients listed above, in the order they are given in the recipe. Lightly grease a 9″ by 13″ glass baking dish or cake pan. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, using a spatula to obtain and even layer of batter.
Place baking dish into a preheated 325 degree oven and bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until the center of the cake is done. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. Once cool, store in an airtight container.
You can serve the cake as-is with no frosting or top it with your favorite frosting. My mother likes it as-is but the rest of the family likes it with cream cheese frosting spread over the top.
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I like the use of applesauce in the cake. It can reduce the use of fat.
I think this sounds great. I know many use applesauce to reduce calories and such. I think it makes cakes much more moist. I have always been curious if apple butter can be used, I love that stuff!
This is a recipe that makes me think of cool fall evenings and back to school. One of my favorites especially with a cream cheese frosting.
This is my kind of cake! And I have a pantry full of home-canned applesauce that I’ve gotta use up. Thanks for the recipe. It’s going on my must-make list, for sure.
My grandma used to use applesauce in cake so that she didn’t need oil or butter, but they weren’t specifically applesauce cakes. I think this one sounds really good.
Since today is the first of September, it’s just the right time to make this cake. Good flavors.
I have not had this cake in so long and I sure like it. I have never made it myself and I think I would like to try it this Fall thanks for sharing the recipe it sounds nice and easy.