Applesauce Cake

I wanted to revisit this recipe, the last time I made it was in 2010!

The recipe is from Family Circle Magazine, September 2009.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup light-brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• Bottled caramel sauce, whipped topping and pecans (optional)

Directions

1. 1 of 4Coat slow-cooker bowl with nonstick cooking spray. Place 1 long sheet of nonstick foil in bottom of slow cooker bowl, with ends hanging over handles.
2. 2 of 4Whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.
3. 3 of 4Beat together butter and brown sugar on high speed for 1 minute. Beat in egg. Scrape down sides of bowl and, on low speed, beat in buttermilk (mixture will look curdled). Beat in applesauce. Add flour mixture to bowl and beat on low speed until combined.
4. 4 of 4Spread batter into slow cooker. Place a clean dish towel over slow cooker then put cover on top. Cook on HIGH for 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 hours or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Use foil handles to lift cake out of slow cooker. Cut into slices. Garnish with caramel sauce, whipped topping and pecans, if desired.

Nutrition Information for Slow-Cooker Applesauce Cake with Caramel Sauce
Servings Per Recipe: 8
Per Serving: 1 g fiber, 5 g sat. fat, 8 g Fat, total, 46 mg chol., 4 g pro., 35 g carb., 226 kcal cal., 279 mg sodium

My Notes:

My notes from 10/5/2010: This cake is both delicious and moist. If making for a birthday cake, add more sugar, maybe up to a cup. If doing this recipe in a small slow cooker, maybe do two batches?
Nuts would be delicious in there. Two hours max in the cooker-- as slow cookers don't cool immediately. The top of the cake isn't super impressive, and since it's not too sweet, it may need a frosting.

My notes from 1/5/2019: This a delicious for soft, delicate cake, not-really-sweeeeet cake. I used about 2-2 1/2 tsp of spices (a blend of cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom, nutmeg, and white pepper). I removed the cake at 1 hour and 50 minutes in my larger cooker at level "2". Next time I'd check at the 1 hour, 45 minute mark. I'd consider adding nuts, and trying to make some part of it whole wheat next time. The cake stayed soft four days later. My cake's internal texture looked nothing like theirs.