Pumpkin applesauce cake

Adapted from Paula Deen’s pumpkin bar recipe. A moist cake with fall flavors. Half the fat of the original and just as good.

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 15-ounce can pumpkin
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, oil, applesauce and pumpkin. Mix well.
3. In separate bowl mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth.
5. Spread the batter into a greased 13″x10″ baking pan, or two 8″x8″ baking pans. Bake until toothpick in center comes out clean, 30-40 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar before serving, or cool completely before icing.

Icing (optional)

• 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Combine the cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.
2. Add the sugar and mix at low speed until combined.
3. Stir in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cooled pumpkin cake.

Notes

• Also make good cupcakes (approximately 24) or a sheet cake in a 10″x15″ jelly roll pan.
• Cake takes well to being cooled in refrigerator.
• Fans of a spicier cake may want to increase the cinnamon or add nutmeg, ginger or cloves to the mix.

Here’s a link back to the post: Pumpkin applesauce cake: Paula Deen light.