What does adding applesauce to cake do?

Applesauce acts much like the fat. It keeps the flour protein from mixing completely with the wet ingredients and forming a rubbery, dense texture . This is what does applesauce do in baking.

Is 3 tsp baking powder too much?

Just keep in mind that too much baking powder will leave a slightly bitter taste in your baked good , so I wouldn't use anymore than 2 tsp of baking powder per 1 cup of flour.

Can I substitute applesauce in a cake mix?

The substitution will work in recipes calling for butter, but oil-based recipes work better . (That's why I mentioned avocado as a great substitute for butter.) - When substituting applesauce for oil in baking, the ratio is typically 1:1. So if the recipe calls for 1 / 4 cup of oil, use 1 / 4 cup of applesauce.

What does adding an extra egg do to a cake mix?

Add an Extra Egg Most cake mixes call for two to three eggs. Just one more egg will add extra moisture, fat, and a little protein , which means the cake will be softer and less likely to overbake and dry out in the oven.

What happens if you don't put baking powder in a cake?

Baking powder, in particular, is one of those ingredients you can easily run out of without noticing, but when it comes to baking, it does a very particular job, and can be difficult to replace. Most baked goods need a leavening agent to make them rise, and if you leave it out, your cake or your cookies will fall flat .

What happens if you add too much baking powder to a cake?

Too much baking powder can cause the batter to be bitter tasting . It can also cause the batter to rise rapidly and then collapse. (i.e. The air bubbles in the batter grow too large and break causing the batter to fall.) Cakes will have a coarse, fragile crumb with a fallen center.

Will too much baking soda ruin a cake?

Know that too much baking soda or baking powder in cakes will not just lead to a metallic and bitter taste, but it can also make a big mess in the oven as it will rise beyond expectations.

Does applesauce change the texture of a cake?

Additionally, using applesauce in place of the oil may change the texture and volume (height) slightly of the finished cake .

Does applesauce add moisture to a cake?

Whether store-bought or homemade, unsweetened applesauce is just cooked and puréed apples. It contains lots of water, some natural sugar, fiber, and pectin. This high water content is both good (because it adds moisture to the final product ) and bad (because high moisture = more gluten development = tough cakes).

What ingredient does applesauce replace in baking?

Of course there is nothing wrong with that, but if you or someone you love has a dietary restriction, you may need to make some adjustments. Today, we are focusing on applesauce. Applesauce can be used as a substitute for eggs, butter, oil, and sugar .

Does applesauce replace oil or eggs?

When you're trying to eat healthy, baking at home may seem out of the question because of all the fat, calories, and cholesterol found in the oil, butter, and eggs. But luckily, applesauce works as a substitute for all three.

Noma-Approved Do-It-All Cake Recipe on Food52 (2024)

Bake

by: Food52

December6,2017

2 Ratings

Noma-Approved Do-It-All Cake Recipe on Food52 (1)

Serves 8 to 10

Jump to Recipe

Author Notes

Once you are comfortable with making this cake, it is the gateway to a host of rather impressive desserts that use this simple batter as a foundation. It is so easy to dress up for any occasion by adding fruits and berries to the batter or adding a topping, or even just baking it in a different pan. Since it uses so few ingredients, make sure they are the best quality you can find. Using a vanilla bean rather than extract, for example, does make a difference here.

Test Kitchen-Approved

What You'll Need

Ingredients

1 ³/₄ cups(245g) unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 ¹/₂ teaspoonsbaking powder
¹/₄ teaspoonfine sea salt
¹/₂ cup(110g) salted butter, at room temperature
1 ¹/₂ cups(300g) sugar
1 vanilla bean
2 large eggs, at room temperature
³/₄ cup(175 ml) heavy cream
¹/₄ teaspoonflaky sea salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly butter a 9x5-inch (23x12-cm) loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper.
Whisk the 1 3/4 cups (245g) flour, the baking powder, and the sea salt in a medium bowl. Put the butter and sugar in another medium bowl. Use the tip of a small knife to split the vanilla bean lengthwise then scrape the seeds into the bowl, saving the pod for another use. Beat the mixture with an electric mixer on high speed until it is pale, 4 to 5 minutes. (Don't shortchange this step. Because of the high proportion of sugar to butter, this will take some time to change color and texture.)
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in thirds, alternating with two additions of the cream, and beat, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, just until smooth.
Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan and sprinkle the top with the flaky sea salt.
Bake until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean and the top has a nice golden color, 50 minutes to 1 hour.
Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto the rack, remove the paper, and turn the cake right side up to cool completely.

Tags:

Cake
American
Bean
Milk/Cream
One-Bowl Baking
Bake
Summer
Christmas
Mother's Day
Easter
Winter
Spring

See what other Food52ers are saying.

Gloria Garcia
See Also
Suzanne Goin's Slow-Cooked Cavolo Nero (a.k.a. Tuscan Kale) Recipe on Food52 Best Christmas Sugar Cookie Recipe Italian Christmas Cookies Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch Balsamic-Roasted Shallots Recipe on Food52
Millicent
Regine
panga

Popular on Food52

15 Reviews

panga April 15, 2018

My cake sank in the middle as well. I baked for 50 mins and it was cooked all the way through. Thinking maybe a full hour would have done the trick. I loved that the cake had s nice crust that contracted with the moist inside. Next time I will add 1/2 cup less sugar as it was a bit too sweet for me. The vanilla flavor was great with subtle saltiness of the Maldon flaky sea salt.

Sophie H. March 1, 2018

Why so much sugar ? If I put just half of it, do you think It would still work ? I would like to add 2 lemons and their zest. Please tell me.

soleilnyc January 24, 2018

Baked in the recommended pan for 70 mins. At 60, the cake was still wobbly. Not sure what texture I was aiming for with the butter and sugar as, after 7 minutes in the kitchen aid, it still kind of looked like wet compacted sugar.
The flavor is lovely, especially since I went all out with pastured eggs, grass fed cream and butter, Madagascar vanilla beans and Maldon salt. But I wouldn't say it's a mind-blowing cake. It's really best as a base or vehicle for something else-- add nuts or fruit as suggested or top with something to serve. Alone, it's just a pretty good pound cake.

Gloria G. January 7, 2018

how would this do in a 9 inch round pan, do you think?

Millicent January 7, 2018

I made it in a 10 inch springform, and the cake rose up quite high as it baked. I'm not a super-experienced baker and would love for someone else to weigh in, but I suggest trying two 9 inch pans if they're the regular kind with lower sides than a springform.

Saffron3 December 11, 2017

I do become sad when a cake so simple, and with such potential for me, has a method that requires a mixer. I don't have one, half the world doesn't have one. Darn.

KR December 11, 2017

1. have you checked out the non-electric beaters? (no, not a joke...I have one, have to spin a little handle on the side which turns the two beaters)
2. people made cakes long before electric appliances came to be...just requires a good wooden spoon and whisk, more time, and a very strong arm! (I've also done this when I lived in Asia and didn't want to re-invest in one).

witloof December 11, 2017

Do you mean that you don't have a stand mixer or you don't have a handheld mixer? I own both and tbh rarely pull out my stand mixer, almost always opting for the hand version. They can be purchased very inexpensively, especially with a Bed Bath coupon, and are well worth the investment.

Wilnette December 10, 2017

Hi I have made this cake twice and both times it sanked in the middle. Also the outer crust was hard even after I baked second cake 25 degrees lower. Please help!

Nancy M. December 11, 2017

I had the same experience. It is even a little underdone in the middle while the edges and top are almost too crusty. The flavor is nice, but I have other recipes I like as well. I do like the salt on top and will try it on my favorite pound cake, but I think this one is not a success for me.

Wilnette December 11, 2017

Nancy yes, my first was undergone but top and outer crust was overdone as to why I lowered the temp. Would you share "your favorite pound cake" recipe? I would love to try it with the salt on top😀.

Nancy M. December 11, 2017

On Allrecipes look for Grandma's Sour Cream Pound Cake by LVJOANNE. I cut it in half, add a little lemon zest and bake it in a loaf pan at 325 for 80 min.

Wilnette December 12, 2017

Thank you so much! I have been looking for a good pound cake.

Millicent December 10, 2017

Delicious! I made this as written, using our local organic butter (not European style), and the flavor was rounded, complex and vanilla-y, not too salty at all. The salt sprinkled on top was a really nice touch, but fine to skip if you prefer. The texture was great too, but we needed the oven so I took it out at 50 minutes, and it was a bit underbaked. This cake would pair well with fruit or dark chocolate, but it's so rich and luscious that it doesn't need anything else. I would suggest trying it plain before serving with whipped cream or frosting, which could be too much.

Regine December 8, 2017

Looks tasty. I will definitely try recipe. However, I am seing cake asks for more salt than usual. Salted butter, salt in batter plus salt also sprinkled on batter in pan.