Applesauce Spice Cake

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt diluted a bit with milk, or 1/4 cup of buttermilk
• 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts
• 1/2 cup raisins

Directions

1. Heat your oven to 375 degrees F. Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with butter, dust it with flour, and keep it nearby.
2. In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, cloves, and salt with some energy, then put the bowl aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter until it looks light. Add the sugar and keep beating until the mixture is fluffy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, letting each one disappear into the batter before adding the next. Mix in the vanilla and applesauce, and beat until the batter is smooth.
4. Add half of the dry mixture to the bowl. When it is almost combined, pour in the thinned yogurt or buttermilk. Add the remaining dry mixture, along with the nuts and raisins, and mix only until everything is fully worked in. Do not over-mix.
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake it on the center rack at 375 degrees F for 25-35 minutes, until it is done. The top should bounce back when lightly pressed, and a tester or slender skewer should come out clean when you check several places in the center. Take the cake out of the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes. Turn it out onto a rack and let it finish cooling completely.