Autumn Applesauce Cake

Ingredients:


1 cup raisins

3/4 cup very warm water (to soak the raisins in and then drain)

3 & 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons +1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup butter, softened to room temperature

2 large eggs

2 cups sweetened applesauce

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Grease the bottoms of two 8 x 8 x 2 inch square of 8-inch round layer cake pans OR spray the bottoms with PAM vegetable spray.

In a small bowl, soak the raisins in the warm water until softened (about 10 minutes) then drain off excess liquid.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and salt.

In a large bowl, with an electric mixer at low speed, beat together the butter, eggs and applesauce until well blended.  On low speed, beat in the flour mixture until well blended.  Stir in the raisins.  Dividing equally and scraping all of it out, pour into the prepared pans.

Bake in the 350 degree oven until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 – 50 minutes.  Cool cakes completely on wire racks.  Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

My Southern Heart