Can applesauce be substituted for oil in cake mix?

Applesauce can be substituted for oil in a cake mix as long as it is not a butter cake mix. The pectin in applesauce acts as a natural thickener, which makes it a viable fat substitute.

When substituting applesauce for oil or butter, the ratio is 1 to 1, meaning that equal parts of applesauce are used as the recipe calls for butter or oil, and the taste of the cake is not significantly affected by the substitute. Applesauce can also be used as a shortening or butter substitute in the preparation of icing, though the finished product is thinner than traditional icing.