Recipe: Gluten-Free Fall Applesauce Cake

If the weather hasn’t changed yet where you are, count your blessings. I woke up yesterday and the temperature outside was 49 degrees!  No complaints from me, though, I am done with the heat. Not only that, but fall is my favorite season!  I love the the brilliant colors, the crisp days, the pumpkin treats and apples. I have 2 words: Honey Crisp.  I have had my eyes open each time I weave through the produce department of my local grocery stores and I haven’t spotted any yet. I am sure that it won’t be long now!

Speaking of apples, I love to make homemade applesauce.  When I make it, I always have a bunch and while we all love it, I also love to bake with it!  I love applesauce cookies, but I also love applesauce cake. My grandmother (Grandma Marbles as Jon named her when he was a toddler) used to make applesauce cake when I was a child.  I have finally come to terms with the fact that I am no longer a child, but I will not go without my applesauce cake!

Applesauce Cake

• 2 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (I like to use Jules gluten-free Flour)
• 1 ½ cups applesauce (unsweetened, but I am used sweetened)
• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• ½ cup stick butter, softened
• ½ cup water
• 1 ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice (if you don’t have this, use this as a substitute)
• 1 tsp salt
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup raisins (I leave these out b/c my kids won’t touch the cake with them in it; may add chocolate chips instead)
• 2/3 cup chopped nuts

Maple-Nut buttercream frosting or cream cheese frosting if you want instead.

1. Heat oven to 350. Grease bottoms & sides of 13 x 9 x 2 pan or 2 round pans, with shortening; lightly flour.
2. Beat all ingredients except raisins, nuts and frosting in a large bowl with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in raisins & nuts. Pour into pan(s).
3. Bake rectangle for 45 – 50 minutes, rounds 40 to 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool rectangle pan on wire rack. Cool rounds 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.
4. Frost rectangle or fill and frost layers with maple nut frosting.

Maple Nut Frosting

• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup stick butter, softened
• ½ cup maple flavored syrup (if you choose to use real maple syrup, cut back a little or the frosting will be too sweet.  You may need to add a little water or milk to make up for the lost liquid)
• ¼ cup finely chopped nuts

1. Mix sugar and butter in medium bowl. Stir in syrup.
2. Beat until smooth & spreadable. Stir in nuts.
3. Frosts one rectangle cake or fills and frosts one 8 or 9 inch layer cake.

Now, try not to consume this all in a period of a day or 2 without sharing.