A home cook should always have a couple of favorite recipes that are great for any occasion and turn out every time. This rich and comforting applesauce cake is delicious as a snack that you can eat with your morning tea or with a cup of after-dinner coffee in the evening. Don't be tempted to eat this cake fresh from the oven; however, refrigerate it overnight and allow its flavor to develop. Ground nutmeg and cinnamon add just the necessary spice, while apples add sweet juiciness to this blue ribbon-worthy cake.
APPLESAUCE CAKE
Serves 8 to 10
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus soft butter for coating pan
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus more for coating pan
1 1/2 cups homemade or store-bought applesauce
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch ground cloves
Pinch salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large apples, peeled and very thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)
1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Brush a 10-inch spring-form pan with soft butter. Coat the entire pan with sugar, lightly tap out excess sugar, and set pan aside.
2. Combine butter and sugar in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula, until mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Carefully fold in the applesauce. Do not overmix.
3. Sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and baking powder. Fold the dry ingredients and the raisins and walnuts into the applesauce mixture. Add the vanilla and apple slices; mix until just combined.
4. Transfer the batter to the prepared spring-form pan.
5. Place cake in oven, and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Let stand until completely cool.
Related Links
Devorah Stone of Seasonal Cooking has some great apple recipes: One for an easy apple pie and the other for homemade applesauce.
