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Applesauce Honey Cake

Applesauce honey cake with a tender, moist crumb and a glossy honey glaze. Baked in a 9x13 pan until a toothpick test comes out clean, then brushed with warm, buttery honey.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 340
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

dry ingredients
  • 2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1.5 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 0.5 tsp ginger
  • 0.25 tsp allspice
  • 0.25 tsp salt
cake base
  • 0.5 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 0.75 cup honey
  • 0.5 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1.5 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 0.33 cup sour cream
honey glaze
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp butter, melted
  • 1 tbsp powdered sugar

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Prepare and preheat
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F, then grease a 9x13 baking pan to prevent sticking.
  2. Whisk all-purpose flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and salt together until evenly combined.
Mix batter
  1. Beat butter, honey, and brown sugar until smooth.
  2. Add eggs and vanilla extract, then beat until the mixture is combined and glossy.
  3. Stir in unsweetened applesauce and sour cream.
  4. Fold in the flour mixture until just combined, stopping as soon as no dry streaks remain.
Bake and glaze
  1. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes at 350°F until a toothpick comes out clean.
  2. Whisk honey glaze ingredients together, then brush over the warm cake so it glistens on top.
  3. Serve warm or at room temperature after glazing sets slightly.

Notes

For the most tender crumb, mix the flour in only until just combined; overmixing can make the cake tougher. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days (bring to room temperature before serving). Freeze baked cake slices up to 2 months, wrapped well. For a dairy-light option, use plant-based butter and sour-cream-style non-dairy substitute 1:1 to keep the texture similar.