Applesauce Cake with Penuche Frosting

It seems like just last month, we were grilling on our Weber and enjoying the last of our fresh corn, homegrown tomatoes and wearing our flip-flops. Fall has nudged is way back, and the internet recipe sites is proof of that.

It's time for pumpkin recipes, a hundred different ways to prepare turkey. The grocery store produce section is now loaded with mounds of squash, apples and grapes as big as golf balls. I adore pumpkin, but there are a lot of people who don't. I'd say there's something "off" with that, only I'm also one of those weirdos who doesn't care for squash-- except for the aforementioned pumpkin. As for apples, it's not my favorite pie, either. Pass me the pumpkin pie, and the whipped cream, while you're at it. Please.  For you pumpkin-haters, I have an alternative for you.

Applesauce Cake! Top it with a Fudge-like caramel-tasting cooked frosting, and you have a fall dessert that is a crowd pleaser. Now, that's my way of enjoying apples!

I adore spice cake/apple sauce cake as far back as my childhood. I think my love affair with Applesauce Cake started with a boxed cake mix. I believe it was Spice Cake. (Gosh, it's been a while since I was a kid, but I'm pretty sure that was it.) Applesauce and Spice Cake are cousins, I think. The spices are pretty much identical... cinnamon, allspice...cloves.

I omitted adding nuts, but I did add raisins (totally optional).  The applesauce, I believe, makes this cake really moist.

 Bake at 350F for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

...let the cake cool.

 To make the frosting, melt butter and brown sugar and bring to a boil.

...add milk.

...whisk in confectioner's sugar.

...immediately pour over the cake. 

The frosting will harden into a fudge-like texture. 

TASTING NOTES:  I loved this cake, and I admit that I noshed on this for a few days. In a way, the cake got better the next day, and then the next day. This cake is super moist.  The flavors are similar to carrot cake (minutes the carrots, of course). A dusting of confectioners sugar would be nice, if you don't want a sweet frosting. A cream cheese frosting would be nice. To me, the Penuche Frosting is the perfect topping on the cake.  The frosting would also go really well on my favorite chocolate cake.

A printable recipe card is at the end of this post or by clicking here.