Applesauce Cake

Hope you're good & hungry, because this blog is about a delicious, rich - yet healthy (well, sortof) cake!  It's Applesauce Cake at its best!  I found the recipe in this old cookbook that my mom bought me decades ago (bless her heart) She loved to cook and bake and I inherited her passion as well.  She tended to "doctor" recipes a lot more than I do, though.  Well...I may be doing that more now myself come to think of it!  

Ah, but I degress...anyway, this is the book and I found it for sale on ebay if you're interested in getting a copy.  It's got some really marvelously tasty recipes of all types and is beautifully illustrated.  The pictures always inspire me!  It's fun just to browse through.  And if you're in a rut like I was - this book will help you climb out! :)

Just look at these pictures!  Doesn't it make you want to run to the kitchen and start baking right now?!!

Ok...perhaps not...but it might motivate you at least some time in the near future..

 

And this is what the finished product looks like.  It's so moist and delicious it doesn't even need a frosting or icing of any kind....which always tends to make me believe it's low-cal.
It's probably not, but it's also not as full of fat and calories as it would be if it did have icing!
So go ahead and have a second slice. :)




So here's the recipe:

Applesauce Cake

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups applesauce  (see, it IS healthy! ha!)
2 tablespoons molasses
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup raisins (I decreased this to about 3/4 cup and added
2/3 cup chopped pecans)  (more healthiness...) ;)

In mixing bowl, cream the sugar and shortening. Beat in applesauce and molasses, mix well.
In separate bowl, sift together (I didn't sift, I stirred) flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt; add gradually - and I do mean GRADUALLY - it will fly all over if you add too much at once! -  to batter, mixing well to moisten...don't over beat!  Stir in raisins (and nuts if you like).  Pour into a greased, floured fluted tube pan.  Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes (mine was done in about 40, so check after about 30-35 minutes or so...) or until cake tests done with toothpick. Cake will not rise to top of pan. After 10 minutes, remove cake from pan and cool on a wire rack.  Yield: 8-10 servings

Inspirational quote of the day:

"Don't let yesterday take up too much of today" ~ Will Rogers