Holiday Recipe: Applesauce Spice Cake

Applesauce Spice Cake

This is my grandma's recipe, dated 1948. Not just a holiday favorite in my family, but a just-plain-yummy-anytime-you-feel-like-baking-it-cake. And it makes the house smell heavenly! I wish I had a photo to show you!

Sift together these dry ingredients in a large bowl, then set aside:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cloves

In a medium bowl, add these ingredients, then set aside:

• 1 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup pecans
• 1 tbsp of dry ingredients (to thoroughly coat raisins and pecans)

With an electric mixer, cream:

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (packed)
• Blend in 1 egg
• Alternately add the dry ingredients you set aside along with 1 1/2 cups or more of applesauce (about 1 average-sized bottle)
• Slowly blend in the spice-coated raisins and pecans

Bake in a 9-inch square pan (greased and floured if your pan isn't pre-coated) at 350-degrees for 45-50 minutes.

Buttercream Frosting

With an electric mixer, blend at low-speed:

• 1 box of confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)
• 1/2 cup softened butter or margarine (we use margarine)
• 3-4 tbsp milk, as needed
• 1 tsp vanilla

Do you have a great holiday family dessert recipe? Share it in the comments!