“Vintage” recipe for applesauce cake…

Sometimes the best recipes are the ones found in grandma’s recipe box or in the pages of an old, tattered and stained church cookbook…you know, the old-fashioned recipes, but I prefer to call the recipe vintage in order to appear trendy and chic.

This recipe came from my son-in-law’s grandma.  I first had it at my daughter’s and had to have the recipe for myself.  So here is the recipe for Grandma’s Applesauce Cake, with a few tweaks by yours truly.

Sift together :

2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

2 cups white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

ADD:

two lightly beaten eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil (Grandma used shortening)

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce

Beat with mixer on medium speed for two minutes. 

Scrape bowl and add 1 cup raisins and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional) and lightly mix in.

(Look at the above photo, I don’t even follow my own directions…I added the raisins too soon.

This recipe seems to be very forgiving. Thank goodness.)

Pour into two greased and floured loaf pans, two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans, or one 9x13 cake pan and bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes. 

(I made 12 of the jumbo sized cupcakes instead and they baked for 25 minutes.)

Insert a toothpick or cake tester into the middle of the cake to see if it comes out clean,

which means the cake is done.

Grandma’s recipe called for the cake to be served warm with this caramel sauce:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

Combine all in saucepan, bring to a boil, remove from heat.

Instead, once the cupcakes were completely cool, I frosted mine with my favorite cream cheese frosting recipe that a friend from church gave me:

With mixer blend:

1/2 cup room temperature butter

8 oz. of room temperature cream cheese

1-2 teaspoons of vanilla

turn mixer off and carefully add

1 lb. of powdered sugar

Mix with mixer until creamy and fluffy.

I served the cupcakes with a little sprinkle of cinnamon on top.

So moist, spicy, yummmmmmy.

 

Happy Baking!

Elizabeth