Plain Applesauce Cake

Plain Applesauce Cake

Oh... wow!  This is officially my new favorite breakfast spice cake recipe.  I tinkered with the ingredients a smidgen.  However, it's one of Great Grandmother's recipes that left a lot open to interpretation, imagination, confusion, and insinuation. I figured that my alterations were within reason to make. One might excuse my choices as self-defense.  When you see the original, you'll understand.

(1 1/2 or 2 "scant" cups of flour?  Really?)

My version of this tender, fine-textured, delicious cake included whole wheat, vanilla, and chopped prunes (with raisins as well).  I'm picky about sweets; they must have a certain salt level or else I'm not "wowed."  This cake meets my requirements and exceeds my expectations.  If you like applesauce spice cakes... try this one!

Plain Applesauce Cake

From the kitchen of Mrs. Stickinthemud

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Shortening (I used 1/4 cup Butter with 1/4 cup Shortening)

1 1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1 Egg

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (my addition)

1 cup thick, unsweetened applesauce

1 3/4 cups Flour (I used whole wheat flour, and it worked perfectly)

1 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

1 teaspoon Nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon Cloves

1 cup raisins (I used 1/2 cup raisins with 1/2 cup chopped prunes... other dried fruits would be delicious also)

Method:

Grease one medium-sized loaf pan (mine is 9 by 5 inches).  This would also work for muffins.  However, I don't know the baking time for that, so you'd have to babysit a little.  

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  

In a large mixing bowl, combine the shortening/butter and brown sugar (it will be thick and not creamy!).  Beat in the egg and vanilla.  Stir in the applesauce.  

In a separate bowl sift and combine the flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.  Add this to the applesauce mixture.  Beat with a spoon for about 30 seconds, until well-combined.  Stir in the raisins (and/or other dried fruit, such as chopped prunes or dates).  

Spread the batter into the pan.  Bake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to finish cooling.  Slice, gobble, and nom nom nom!