APPLESAUCE CAKE

Ingredients :

1 cup 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

2 ¼ cups sugar

2 large eggs

2 ½ cups applesauce

2 ¾ cups 3 tablespoons flour

1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Pinch of ground clove

Pinch of salt

1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons brandy (optional)

1 large apple, peeled and cored, cut in very thin slices

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Preparation:

Butter a 10 inch (20 cm.) springform pan and coat with ¼ cup of sugar. Discard excess of sugar. Set aside.Place 1 cup butter, and remaining sugar in the mixer. Beat at medium speed for 5 minutes approximately. scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula, Add eggs, one by one, beating 1 minute after each addition. Remove bowl from mixer and fold in applesauce.

Sift together 2¾ cup flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, clove, salt and baking powder. Fold into applesauce mixture. Add pecans, vanilla, brandy (if using) and apple slices. Mix carefully until just combined. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

In a small bowl, combine remaining flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar and ginger.Mix with fingers until just combined and sprinkle over batter in pan.

Bake in preheated moderate oven 350°F (180°C) for 1 hour and 50 minutes or until tester comes out almost clean. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.Unmold before serving.

Applesauce:

5 lb 8 oz (2 ½ k) apples, peeled and coredSugar to taste2 cinnamon sticks.

Place apples with water and 1 cinnamon stick in a medium size saucepan. Bring to a boil until apples are very soft. Drain liquid and force apples through a strainer. Return apples to saucepan and add sugar to taste. Add 1 cinnamon stick and cook stirring until the desired consistency. Remove cinnamon stick and cool before using.

10 servings

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