Chocolate, applesauce, and a myriad of spices. What’s not to like? Years ago in Manhattan, I used to shop at a bakery on Broadway called Party Cake. They made these delicious chocolate spice squares. This Chocolate Applesauce Spice Cake is my attempt to recreate that confection.
I’ve spent years working on this recipe. I finally have the taste exactly right. The texture—which at the bakery was more dense and coarse—I don’t seem to be able to duplicate. Nevertheless, if you like the taste of spice cake, you’ll love this. Don’t be disturbed that the cake doesn’t cut perfectly. It tends to crumble a bit when you remove it from the pan. I’ve given up trying to remedy this flaw since it doesn’t in any way detract from its goodness.
It turns out that this is a simple-to-make, nearly a one-bowl cake.
Chop your walnuts coarsely and plump the raisins in hot water. Then drain and dry them on paper towels. Sprinkle both the nuts and the raisins with a tiny bit of flour.
Flour chopped nuts and plumped raisins.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa and all the spices.
Whisk all the dry ingredients.
Cream the butter with the white sugar and then add the brown sugar until will mixed.
Add brown sugar.
Beat in the eggs one at a time.
Adding the eggs.
On the lowest speed, add the dry ingredients 1/2 cup at a time.
Adding the dry ingredients.
Alternate the dry ingredients with the buttermilk, ending with the dry ingredients.
Alternate the dry ingredients with the buttermilk.
Add the raisins and the nuts.
Incorporating nuts and raisins.
Mix the coffee and the molasses with the applesauce, and add the mixture to the batter, beating gently until smooth.
Adding the applesauce mixture.
Pour into a 9-inch square buttered and floured pan. Bake in the middle of a 350-degree oven. Cool in the pan.
Frost with the simple buttercream, and serve the Chocolate Applesauce Spice cake from the pan.
Frost the cake.
To print or download the recipe, click here.
