Rainy and fall is approaching now in earnest. Time for a childhood comfort food – Mom’s Apple Sauce Cake. It’s one of those kitchen smells that takes me right back to the farm house I grew up in. And remembering that we all wanted the middle pieces, not a crusty edge or corner.
It’s a simple cake, and can even be made all by hand though using a hand mixer is much easier. And all common ingredients probably already in your pantry. This time of year I cook up a bunch of applesauce and can it for winter – and usually just for this cake. It uses several spices, which of course not only add flavor but makes it smell divine. As a side note, one of my fall organizational projects was putting all my spices in square jars (more actually fit in the rack that way!) and all labeled the same. I tend to keep the spices I use very frequently right in the cabinet with the rest of the baking stuff (baking powder, baking soda, baking chocolate cornstarch, vanilla, cooking spray…those kinds of things) and all the herbs and whole spice products in a different pull out cabinet on the other side of the stove. I have to say, no one would care but me, but I am quite proud of how it all turned out. Amazon sells sets of square glass jars that come with all the labels, and sometimes even a small funnel for transferring the spice. And a two sided flip top lid with both shaker holes and a pour opening.
Back to the cake…. I bake it in a 8″ square pan, but I’ve also made it in a small rectangle pan. If the batter spreads out more, then the cake is thinner, and will bake faster.
Mix together sugar, applesauce and shortening – it will look quite lumpy as the shortening will turn into pea size pieces. Than add dry ingredients – I don’t sift but go ahead if you want to – and stir in raisins. Gotta have the raisins. Regular or Golden, it doesn’t matter. I’ve also tried the cake with part whole wheat flour, and while still good, it’s not the same. So I don’t mess too much with Mom’s recipe! I do use part monk fruit to cut back and the amount of sugar, substituting 1/2 cup monk fruit and use only 1 cup of sugar.
Mom’s Applesauce Cake
An easy fragrant cake make with fall applesauce.
Ingredients
- 1.5 c sugar (I use part monk fruit)
- 1.5 c unsweetened applesauce
- .5 c shortening
- 2 c flour
- 2 tsp soda
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp cloves
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- .5 tsp salt
- 1 c raisins
Instructions
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Beat sugar, applesauce and shortening together until the shortening is in small pieces.
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Add in all dry ingredients and mix all together.
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Stir in the raisins.
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Put in a greased (cooking spray) 8” square baking pan. Bake at 350* 50-60 minutes, until a pick is clean or temperature reaches 200 F.