chose to make the 1917 Applesauce Cake because of its simplicity. It has only a few ingredients and is easily made vegan for my vegan friends (just replace butter with a solid plant-based fat, like shortening or coconut oil).

But most of all, this cake is not too-too sweet or rich. The warm spices make it perfect for fall or pairing with a rich cup of coffee. The small amount of in this cake means that it feels fairly light.

…Although I have to admit, that scoop of vanilla ice cream that I put on top made it absolutely heavenly! Something about the mix of cool and warm, vanilla and spices. Oh yes.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this recipe and I can’t recommend this book enough!

CAN I MAKE THIS CAKE VEGAN?

Yes! This recipe is SUPER simple to convert into a vegan cake. Simply replace the 2 Tbsp butter with cooking oil and you’re good to go!

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp butter (plus some for the pan)
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (plus 1 Tbsp)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 2/3 cup raisins

INSTRUCTIONS

• Allow the butter set it. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Coat the inside of an 8×8-inch baking dish with butter.
• In a large bowl, cream together 2 Tbsp of butter and the sugar using a hand mixer or mixing by hand with a wooden spoon. Add the applesauce and stir to combine.
• In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and nutmeg until well combined.
• Pour the flour mixture into the applesauce mixture and stir just until combined.
• In a separate small bowl, toss the raisins with about 1 Tbsp flour until they are lightly coated. Fold the flour coated raisins into the cake batter. Spread the cake batter into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes, or until the the center springs back when pressed. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes before slicing into 9 pieces.