What do you do with all of your apples after you come back from Parlee Farms? We know that our apples taste great by themselves, but it can also be fun to try different recipes. One of the things you can do is make batches of apple sauce. From there, you can actually use the applesauce in recipes. If you want to try some of these recipes but don’t want to make your own, you can simply use your favorite jarred applesauce from the store. Here are some cake recipes you can try, plus a recipe for homemade applesauce:
Homemade Applesauce
Start by prepping about 4 pounds of apples (this is about 12 medium apples) by peeling, coring, and chopping them. . Place them in a large pot with 1 cup of water, and a few tablespoons of sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Note that the sugar is optional since apples have their own, natural sweetness. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 25–30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples are very soft. Mash with a potato masher for chunky applesauce or pulse in a blender or food processor if you want it smooth. If you plan to use the apple sauce in some of the recipes we will be sharing, you may want to pulse it to get the chunks out.
Spiced Applesauce Cake
This spiced applesauce cake is quick to put together, is bursting with flavor, and doesn’t use any butter or oil. It also uses boxed cake mix, which is convenient. Start by preheating your oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13-inch pan or spray with cooking spray (use baker’s cooking spray if you can find it, otherwise regular is fine). In a large bowl, combine one box of vanilla cake mix with 1 cup of applesauce, ½ cup of water, 3 eggs, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon cloves. Mix or beat until smooth, then pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool, turn over the cake onto a serving platter, and either ice it or simply dust with powdered sugar.
Carrot Cake Variation
To make a simple carrot cake, prepare the spiced applesauce cake recipe listed above. Once the batter has been made, fold in 1 cup of finely shredded fresh carrot using a rubber spatula. Pour into the greased pan as usual. For this type of cake, a bundt pan works best. Bake for 30-35 minutes on 350°F, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool before turning the cake over onto a serving platter. Ice with cream cheese frosting.
Chocolate Coconut Cake
Applesauce makes for a nice substitute for butter or oil, while also keeping the cake moist. As a variation, you can also omit the coconut flakes and just keep it as a straight chocolate cake, but the coconut does add some flavor and texture to the cake. Start by preheating the oven to 350°F and lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan with butter or spray with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine 1 box of chocolate cake mix with 1 cup unsweetened applesauce, 1 cup water, and 3 eggs. Stir until smooth, then fold in ½ cup shredded sweetened coconut. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before sprinkling with an additional ¼ cup shredded coconut or finishing with a light dusting of powdered sugar.
We often carry homemade applesauce in our farm stand. After you’re done picking your apples, stop in to the farm stand to see what we have. For more information about our hours and which apples we have available, be sure to visit our Farm News page to see what we have.