This applesauce cake recipe is part of my apple dessert recipes collection - even though it doesn't technically use a real apple. I got this from a fundraiser cookbook my grandma and her lady friends put together about 30 years ago. These little Italian ladies have some of the most fantastic recipes. I have baked so many "keepers" from this collection. Some are traditional Italian cakes, and others are a little not so much Italian but still wonderful.
This cake has a lot of ingredients. And the surprise? It's chocolate. Not cocoa, but chocolate. I'm not a big fan of the chocolate added. BUT my kids really like it.
Ok, I guess there's one other surprise. There are NO EGGS in this cake. Really. Along with all the little spices - the anise may be a new one to you. It's a spice you will see frequently in Italian dessert recipes, and the closest way I describe it to people is it's somewhat like black licorice. (Even though it's got nothing to do with licorice. You don't have to use though. Just skip it if you're scared! Some people just don't care for it. But too, if you don't say anything about a lot of times people will say, "Oh I really like this flavor..." And they don't know what it is. (Interesting huh?) It's almost a psychological game.
See some other swap out ideas in the substitutions section. Too, this applesauce cake recipe can be modified as a low fat if you need it to be! Generally I'm NOT a fan of low fat desserts. BUT this recipe can do it well. And this is one of the few times on my site I even mention the low-fat modification. You can see how to do that too in the section below.
Thanks for stopping by -
* 2 cups flour
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 1/2 tsp cloves
* 1/2 tsp nutmeg
* 1/2 tsp salt
* 1/8 tsp anise (TOTALLY OPTIONAL! - It's an Italian spice we use quite often.)
* 2 tsp baking soda
* 1 tsp cinnamon
* 1 tsp cornstarch
* 3 Tbsp chocolate (not cocoa - use choc chips or baking squares)
* 1 cup raisins
* 1 1/2 cups applesauce
* 1 cup of nuts
* 1/2 cup of butter melted, then cooled
* Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
* Sift dry ingredients, add nuts and raisins, stir to cover with flour mixture.
* Add applesauce and cooled butter.
* Stir until well blended.
* Pour into greased pan.
* Bake for .
As much as I HATE shortening - the answer is yes. It's not going to kill the flavor or ruin the texture on this cake. And yes for the oil also.
Try these ideas:
Nope. Leave 'em out. You will be okay, I just happen to LOVE the texture of adding them.
Use PLAIN low fat yogurt in place of the butter. Make sure and let the yogurt drain in a coffee filter for about 15 minutes before using it. It really does turn out nice (for a low fat dessert).
There's is none! It's not a typo! There is none! Really! And it's Ok!
Back to the applesauce cake recipe.
