Shawn Marie Graybeal-Sellers

Some family recipes leave a few things to the imagination. This one calls for “½ cup fat,” with no further explanation. I went with melted butter.

The recipe is in my Grandma Viola’s handwriting, titled “Mom’s Applesauce Cake,” so I believe it came from my great-grandma Graybeal. Aunt Mary Anna and Aunt Sus compiled the family recipes, and one of them likely added “Grandma Graybeal” underneath to identify whose recipe it was.

I baked it yesterday, substituting walnuts for the raisins and adding a simple cream cheese frosting. No eggs, and no elaborate instructions. The original simply tells you to let the applesauce and baking soda foam, add the flour and fat, and bake.

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon ground cloves
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1½ cups unsweetened applesauce
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup butter, melted
• 1 cup chopped walnuts—or raisins, as the original calls for
• Cream cheese frosting, optional

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9 × 11-inch baking pan.
2. Mix the sugar, cinnamon, and cloves in a small bowl.
3. In a large mixing bowl, stir the baking soda into the applesauce and let it foam.
4. Stir in the sugar and spice mixture, flour, and melted butter until combined. Fold in the walnuts or raisins.
5. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
6. Bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Cool completely before topping with cream cheese frosting, if desired.

Family recipe note: The cinnamon and cloves are measured in tablespoons, just as written in the original. My version uses melted butter for the “fat” and walnuts in place of raisins.