When the weather turns cold, you just might crave our Applesauce Spice Cake. It’s one of those desserts that tastes like fall, with a bit of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and vanilla. And it’s a snap to make. Nearly two cups of chunky applesauce take the place of oil and help create a dense, moist cake, flecked with raisins. The finished product is intensely spiced, so it needs very little in the way of accessories—add a dust of confectioners’ sugar and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and dive in. Bake it the afternoon before an autumn dinner party, and display it on a cake stand when guests arrive.
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan 2 teaspoons baking soda ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt 1 stick unsalted butter, plus more for the pan 1 cup granulated sugar 1⅔ cups jarred chunky applesauce 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground ginger pinch ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 large eggs 1 cup dark or golden raisins 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
Heat oven to 350° F. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform or round cake pan.
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In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a large saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Remove from heat and stir in the granulated sugar, applesauce, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, vanilla, and eggs. Add the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Stir in the raisins. Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake the cake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Using a knife, loosen the cake from pan. Invert it onto the rack. Turn it over again onto a serving plate. Sprinkle the cake with the confectioners' sugar, slice into wedges, and serve with the ice cream.
