Spiced Applesauce Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Spiced Applesauce Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
By: Gourmet Magazine October 2009

For Cake:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups unsweetened applesauce

For Frosting:
8oz cream cheese, softened
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
¼ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Butter 8x8 glass square baking dish.

Make Cake:
Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.

Beat butter, brown sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in applesauce. At low speed, mix in flour mixture just until combined.

Spread batter evenly in prepared pan and bake until golden brown and wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool in pan for 15 minutes. Run a knife around edges of cake to loosen, then invert onto a plate. Reinvert cake onto a rack and cool completely.

Make frosting:
Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy. Stir in confectioners’ sugar and cinnamon, then beat at medium speed until incorporated.

Spread frosting over top of cooled cake.

Serves 6