applesauce cake

adapted from Gale Gand's Applesauce Cake

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened to room temperature
• 2 cups brown sugar (dark or light), packed
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1-1/2 to 2 teaspoons cinnamon, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 2-1/4 cup all-purpose flour, separated (1/4 cup flour set aside)
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 cups unsweetened applesauce (if you have sweetened applesauce, just reduce the brown sugar slightly)
• powdered sugar to decorate

preheat oven to 350 degrees F. butter and flour two loaf pans.

in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy. add eggs one at a time, beating until each is fully incorporated. add salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla, stop mixer and scrape down sides, and beat a bit longer until completely mixed.

toss raisins in 1/4 cup flour in a small mixing bowl and set aside. add 1 cup flour to mixture in mixer, then 1 cup applesauce, and repeat. stop mixer, scrape down sides, start again and continue to mix for another minute, then add flour-coated raisins and mix just until evenly distributed. stop mixer, and divide batter between loaf pans. place in middle of oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, until done (a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean). cool in pans on wire racks until completely cooled, then turn out onto plates and dust with powdered sugar to decorate.

the perfect yellow cake

• 1 stick butter, softened to room temperature 
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar 
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature 
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil (warmed until liquid, then measured) 
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 
• 1 ¼ cups whole milk 
• 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (spooned into measuring cups, then leveled off with a knife – no need to sift) 
• 3 ½ teaspoons baking powder, sifted or pushed through a sieve to break up clumps 
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 

preheat oven to 340° F.

cut parchment paper in circles to fit the bottom of (2) 9 x 1 1/2-inch round cake pans. butter the pans, then place the parchment in the pans and butter the paper.

in a large bowl, cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition until completely incorporated. add the coconut oil and vanilla, and combine. mix in half of the flour (don't overmix, just incorporate), then half of the milk, then the rest of the flour, then the rest of the milk, beating until fully combined. sift in the baking powder, add the salt, and beat until just combined. pour the batter into prepared pans.

bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until a wooden pick inserted near center of cake comes out clean (a few small crumbs are fine), or until cake springs back when touched lightly in the center. cool cakes on wire racks for 15 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely.