Another Fine Recipe From Domino Sugar

[horseyrider]

That's what it said on the side of my bag of Domino sugar about 40 years ago.  You know how you find a recipe that's so easy, that you make it often?  And it becomes a family favorite?  And perhaps it's handed down so that kids and grandkids assume it has always been there?  

This is a simple applesauce cake.  Or spice cake.  Or one bowl cake, whatever you want to call it.  I have always loved it because it's delicious and moist, and lends itself to many variations.  I made one a little bit ago, and figured I'd offer it here for others.  It's made of things we keep on hand, so it's doubly easy.

1 cup Domino Granulated Sugar (of course!)
1/4 cup quick cooking oats
1 cup flour
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup cold water
1 egg
3/4 cup canned applesauce
1/2 cup chopped raisins
1/4 cup finely chopped nuts (optional, but are you kidding me?  I LOVE NUTS!)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Heat oven to 350 for metal pan and 325 for glass.  Generously grease an 8x8x2 inch pan and dust with flour.  Measure all ingredients into a large mixer bowl.  Blend ingredients on low speed 1 minute, scrape down sides and blend 1/2 minute longer.Beat 2 1/2 minutes on highest speed, scraping bowl 3 times.  Pour batter into pan.  Bake 50 minutes or until center springs back when pressed lightly with finger.  Cool cake on wire rack 10 minutes.  Turn out on rack.  When cool, sprinkle with confectioners sugar if desired.

That was the recipe on the bag.

Okay, so what I do is I cut the sugar in half, especially if my applesauce was sweetened.
I use regular rolled oats.
Umm, white whole wheat flour here.
Butter.  Pure sweet butter, nice and natural.  Shortening is hydrogenated vegetable oil, and it's gross and clogs up your arteries.  No engineered food, please.
Who chops raisins?  Isn't that what mashing around in a mixer is for?
A quarter cup of nuts is inadequate.  MORE NUTS!  I use half a cup to one cup of walnuts.  I love walnuts, and I tell myself this makes it health cake. 
All the spices, yessiree, a little extra cinnamon never hurt anyone.
A cup of chocolate chips belongs in here!  Yep!  Throw 'em in!  It's to die for when the cake is warm!  I add mine at the end so they don't take a beating during mixing and give me chocolate fragment cake.  And speaking of mixing, I just dump everything in the same bowl and beat on low, then crank it up until it looks good.  Then the chips go in, and I dump the batter in the prepared pan.

You can frost with cream cheese frosting if you like; that makes it the birthday cake my 21 year old grandson always asks for.  I usually don't use anything.  Since I live alone and really don't need a whole cake for myself, I cut it into a bunch of pieces and freeze.  Then when I want something dangerous, I yank one out of the freezer, nuke it until warm and gooey, and have a moment of decadence.  Of course with all the nuts, whole grain and fruit, it's health food.  Right?  Right??? 

Super easy and fast for days like this, and uses pantry staples.

[horseyrider]

Well rats, I forgot that this could go on the recipe board. Melissa, if you'd like to move it, it's fine with me.

[feather]

Yes, looks good. I made cake yesterday without oil, more apple or banana, more moisture, but let's not expect it to be moist in a day.
Lots of good spices.

I've never chopped raisins. I chop dried apricots though.

Edit: Never too much cinnamon, more cloves, more nutmeg, all those antioxidants, are so good and besides they are tasty.

The side of pantry items is often the source of some of our best recipes.

[ketoriverfarm]

horseyrider, thanks for the recipe. Sounds like a keeper to me.