Healthy Apple Cake

This Healthy Apple Cake is a family favourite! Made with unsweetened applesauce, ground flax, and wholegrain spelt flour, this applesauce snacking cake is treat that doubles as a snack or even breakfast. Make vegan applesauce cake with just one simple swap!

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword Healthy Apple Cake

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Total Time 45

Servings squares

Calories 170kcal

Author Katie Trant

Ingredients

1 cup unsweetened apple sauce
2 Tablespoon ground flax seeds
½ cup butter room temperature
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 cup wholegrain spelt flour or white whole wheat
1 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ cup raisins

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 180°C / 350°F. Line the bottom of a 9 x 9 square baking tin with parchment paper, and butter the sides.
In a small bowl, combine two tablespoons of ground flax with one cup unsweetened applesauce and set aside while you're preparing the other ingredients.
In a large bowl, us an electric mixer to cream ½ cup of butter (or vegan alternative) together with ¾ cups sugar until it's light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.
Add the applesauce mixture to the butter mixture, and use the electric mixer to mix it in well.
Add one cup all purpose flour, one cup wholegrain spelt flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon cloves to the same bowl as the wet mixture.
Use a fork to gently mix the dry ingredients together right on top of the wet mix, and then fold the mixtures together until just combined.
Add ½ cup raisins to the cake batter.
Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan, and smooth the batter out.
Place in the preheated oven to bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool the cake in the pan on a wire wrack. Slice into squares, and serve.

Notes

Nutrition values are an estimate only.
Can this cake be made vegan? You bet it can! If you want to make vegan applesauce cake, all you need to do is swap the butter for a vegan butter substitute of your choice.
Can I reduce the sugar? I have already reduced the sugar from the original recipe as much as I think is possible without compromising the texture of the cake. Keep in mind that sugar provides structure and moisture, it's not just a sweetening agent.
Can I make this recipe with gluten-free flour? I haven't tested this recipe with gluten-free flour, so if you do try it out, please let us know in the comments! I think a gluten-free all purpose flour blend would probably yield good results, but that's just an educated guess.
How long does this cake last? It'll last for a few days, covered, at room temperature. I freeze leftover cake (I know, what's that?!) in individual squares in a large freezer bag.

Nutrition