How to Successfully Use Applesauce as a Replacement in Cakes

Take some fat out of your chocolate cake with applesauce.

Whether chocolate or vanilla, cakes contain sugar and fat. If you want to replace the butter ingredient of your cake's recipe, then applesauce offers the same moisture components and still gives your cake that sweet flavor. When baking a chocolate cake, cocoa powder helps to sweeten up the cake and maintain its chocolate taste over the applesauce component. If successful, you never notice the difference between a cake with butter and a cake without.

Things You'll Need

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup and 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup regular cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 1/3 cups unsweetened applesauce

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Most cakes require you to bake in 350 degrees, but follow the specifications for your cake mix.

2. Line two round cake pans with parchment or wax paper. Grease the pans and paper.

3. Blend 1/2 cup of oil, two egg yolks, 1 cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract with electric beaters in a big bowl. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites until a foam forms. Add in the remaining 3/4 cup of sugar to the egg yolks, then whip together.

4. Combine 2 1/4 cups of flour, 1/2 cup of cocoa powder, 1 1/2 tsp. of baking soda and 1 tsp. of salt in a bowl. Sift the ingredients with your electric beaters on a low speed, then add in the vegetable oil mixture from earlier.

5. Add in 1 1/3 cups of unsweetened applesauce to the mixture, blending on low speed with the beaters. Once finished, all of your ingredients should combine with a medium smoothness.

6. Pour the mixture into the pans. Fold in the whipped egg whites evenly across each top of the pan's uncooked cake mixture.

7. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, then insert a toothpick into the center of each cake to see. If you pull the toothpick out cleanly, then take the cake out and let cool.

References

• "Chocolate Applesauce Layer Cake;" Anna Olson; 2007
• Mother Earth News: Bake with Applesauce: Cakes, Muffins and More
• "Mott's Apple Sauce A Better Way to Bake: Delicious Low Fat Recipes;" Cadbury Beverages; 1995