LADIES' MILE APPLESAUCE RAISIN CAKE DIAMOND

Ladies' Mile Applesauce Raisin Cake Diamond image

Provided by Laureen J. Diamond

Number Of Ingredients 15

1/2 cup rum
3/4 cup raisins
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup applesauce
1 cup pecans or walnuts, toasted, cooled and chopped coarse
confectioners' sugar for dusting

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9- by 3-inch tube pan, knocking out excess flour.
In a small saucepan heat rum and raisins over moderate heat just until hot. Remove pan from heat and cool mixture. Strain mixture through a sieve and reserve raisins.
Into a bowl sift together flour, cinnamon, cloves, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat butter with granulated and brown sugars until light and fluffy and add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in applesauce and add flour mixture, beating just until batter is combined. Stir in reserved raisins and nuts and spread batter in pan.
Bake cake 40 to 45 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean, and cool in pan on a rack 5 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack and cool completely. Dust cake with confectioners' sugar.