Betty Lou's Applesauce Cake

This is the sort of cake that’s been handed down on a stained recipe card, and it earns its keep. Applesauce is the star, standing in for most of the fat and keeping the crumb genuinely moist, the kind of cake that’s even better on day two than the day you bake it.

Warm spices do the heavy work on flavor: cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg give it that unmistakable cozy, autumn-spice profile, while raisins and chopped nuts add little bursts of chew and crunch in every slice.

There’s one old-fashioned trick in the method worth following exactly. The baking soda gets dissolved in hot water before going into the batter, which activates it and spreads it evenly so the dense, fruit-and-nut-heavy batter still rises light. It bakes into a tall, tender single-layer cake that needs nothing more than a cup of coffee.

Chef Tips

• Dissolve the baking soda in hot water as directed; it activates the soda and disperses it for an even rise.
• Toss the raisins and nuts in a spoonful of the flour so they stay suspended instead of sinking to the bottom.
• Test the center with a toothpick; a dense, moist batter can look done on top before the middle is set.

Variations

• Spread it with cream cheese frosting or a simple caramel glaze for a more dressed-up dessert.
• Swap the raisins for dried cranberries or chopped dates, and use walnuts or pecans for the nuts.