Apple Memories & Applesauce Spice Cake
Ingredients
  • 2¼ cups cake flour (unsifted)
  • 1¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • Generous ½ teaspoon each ground nutmeg and cloves
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ⅓ cup canola or corn oil
  • ¾ cup each granulated sugar and packed light or dark brown sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ teaspoon very finely grated lemon zest (yellow part of skin)
  • 2½ teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup applesauce
  • Sifted powdered sugar for garnish (or Seafoam Frosting, if preferred)
Instructions
  1. Place a rack in the middle of the oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Generously grease a 9-inch (or 9 to 10-cup) tube pan, Bundt-style pan or ring pan. Dust the interior evenly with flour, then tap out the excess.
  2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt onto a large sheet of wax paper. In a large mixer bowl with mixer on medium speed, beat oil, sugars, egg, lemon zest, and vanilla until well mixed and smooth. Add buttermilk, and beat on low speed until incorporated. By hand, stir in about half of dry ingredients just until thoroughly incorporated. Stir in applesauce, then remaining dry ingredients; do not over-mix or batter will toughen. Turn out batter into the pan, evenly spreading to edges.
  3. Bake, middle rack, for 30 to 35 minutes or until lightly browned on top, the center springs back when lightly pressed, and a toothpick inserted in thickest part comes out clean. (For moistest cake, do no overbake.) Transfer pan to wire rack; let stand until thoroughly cooled. Carefully run a knife around center tube and the pan sides. Invert cake out onto serving plate. Frost the cake or simply dust it with sifted powdered sugar just before serving.
  4. Store cake airtight in a cool place but not refrigerated for up to 48 hours.
Recipe by KitchenLane at http://kitchenlane.com/2008/09/applesauce-spice-cake.html