Applesauce Snack Cake

Recipe by: America’s Test Kitchen Kids

This stir-together snack cake is perfect for an after-school snack or a lunch box treat!

Make This Recipe

Vegetable oil spray

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon table salt

⅔ cup sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

¼ cup apple cider or apple juice

1 large Eggland’s Best egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.
Make aluminum foil sling for 8-inch square metal baking pan. Fold 2 long sheets of aluminum foil so they each measure 8 inches across and roughly 13 inches long. Lay sheets of foil in pan so that sheets are perpendicular to each other. Let extra foil hang over edges of pan. Push foil into corners and up sides of pan, smoothing foil so it rests against pan. Spray foil lightly with vegetable oil spray.
In medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
In large bowl, whisk sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg until well combined. Transfer 2 tablespoons sugar-spice mixture to small bowl and reserve for sprinkling.
Add applesauce, melted butter, cider, egg, and vanilla to large bowl with sugar-spice mixture and whisk until well combined.
Add flour mixture to applesauce mixture and whisk to combine. Use rubber spatula to scrape batter into greased baking pan and smooth top. Sprinkle reserved sugar-spice mixture evenly over batter.
Place baking pan in oven. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.
Use oven mitts to remove baking pan from oven and place on cooling rack (ask an adult for help). Let cake cool in pan for 10 minutes.
Use foil to carefully lift cake out of baking pan and place on cooling rack. Let cake cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. Transfer cake to cutting board and discard foil. Cut into pieces and serve.