Mother-in-Law Cake (Applesauce Cake)
In 1969, my husband and I were graduate students at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. We often ate this wonderful
applesauce cake at the home of our friends Arlyn and Leslie Kerr.The recipe comes from Leslie's mother, and thus
Arlyn called it Mother-in-Law Cake. Our oldest daughter, Leah, is quite allergic to all nuts, so I started
making this recipe in two batches, one with and one without nuts. Gradually, Leah started asking only for the
frosting - her favorite part of the cake.
Ingredients:
Use only unsweetened Dutch cocoa, pure maple syrup, and fresh eggs.
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
- 1/8 cup cocoa
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. cloves
- 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. allspice
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cup applesauce
- 3/4 cups raisins
- 3/4 cups walnuts
- 3/4 cups dates (pitted and chopped)
Preheat oven to 350°.
Spray a 9-inch bundt pan or two 3-inch by 8-inch loaf pans with vegetable oil spray.
Mix all the dry ingredients. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the shortening with the cocoa and spices;
gradually add sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing just to incorporate them after each addition.
At low speed, add the flour mixture, alternating with applesauce. Fold in the raisins, walnuts, and dates. Bake in a greased bundt pan or two loaf pans for
55-60 minutes. Frost with Maple Butter frosting .