Granny's Applesauce Cake

One of my favorite family recipes is my Granny's applesauce cake.  My mom makes it every year at Christmas.  This recipe was my Great Grandmother Nellie's recipe.  When I was young, I was able to visit her in Oregon.  Although I didn't know her well (she died when I was young), my sister Karrie and my Mother tell me stories about her.  Apparently she was a spitfire!

My Granny, Nellie Newman

Here are the ingredients for her applesauce cake:

2 1/2 cups flour
2 cups applesauce
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped prunes
1 cup walnuts
2 teaspoons each:  allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg
1 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt (My sister Karrie and I decided to add this)

Stew raisins and prunes.  Drain well.  Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.  In a separate bowl,  cream shortening and sugar.  Add in vanilla, applesauce, and eggs.  Alternate mixing in dry ingredients and buttermilk.

When the above ingredients are mixed in, stir in the raisins, walnuts and prunes.  Put all ingredients into a bundt cake pan that has been buttered and floured (or sprayed well with PAM).

Karrie and Julia getting ready to put the cake mix in the pan

Bake cake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.  Then turn the oven down to 325 degrees and bake for another 60 minutes.  Check the cake at this time.  If you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean, the cake is done.  If it isn't done, cook for another 10 minutes and check it again. 

My Granny never wrote her recipes down.  In 1982, my Mother's last visit with Granny, they made this cake together and my mom wrote it down.  All of the relatives still think it is missing a secret ingredient that Granny never divulged.  I like to think that the secret ingredient that is missing is her.....................



Enjoy!