Spice Cake

Thom Hackett

Ingredients

SPICE CAKE
1 cup Butter, (2 sticks) at room temperature
1 cup Sugar
2 x Eggs
3 cup Flour, sifted
2 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Baking soda
½ tsp Ground cloves
½ tsp Ground allspice
½ tsp Ginger
¼ tsp Salt
16 oz Applesauce
1 cup Walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 cup Golden raisins

CARAMEL FROSTING
¾ cup Unsalted butter, (1½ sticks)
1½ cup Dark brown sugar
6 tbl Evaporated milk
2½ cup Sifted confectioners' sugar

Cooking Method

1. Prepare the cake: In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixed, until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time.

2. In another large bowl, sift together sifted flour, nutmeg, cinnamon, baking soda, cloves, allspice, ginger and salt. Slowly add sifted dry ingredients to the butter mixture alternately with the applesauce, Mix well. Stir in walnuts and raisins.

3. Pour batter into a greased 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean; about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

4. Remove cake from pan and let cool on a wire rack.

5. Make the frosting: In a heavy-bottomed, medium saucepan, bring butter and brown sugar to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, Boil, stirring, for two minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the milk. Let cool until just warm to the touch.

6. Stir in confectioners' sugar cup at a time. Mix until smooth.

Frost cake.