Olivia's Applesauce Cake and "recipe" frosting

[hollygirl]

This is at the end of Hamner's book, The Homecoming.

Olivia Walton's Applesause Cake

1 C butter
1 C sugar
2 cups applesauce
2 cups light raisins
1 C chopped walnuts
1 tsp baking soda
3 ½ c flour sifted
2 eggs
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp cloves
2 tsp nutmeg
pinch of salt

Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Take ½ c flour mixture and stir into the nuts and raisins. Set both aside. Cream butter until whipped soft. Add sugar a little at a time until mixture is smooth. Beat in eggs vigorously. Alternately stir in flour mixture and applesause. When all mixed together add nuts and raisins and mix well. Pour batter into a well greased cake mold. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for one hour. Cool 10 minutes, then turn out on cake rack. Frost with whisky frosting when cake is cool.


Jane's Whiskey Frosting
¼ c butter
1 tbs cream
pinch of salt
2 c powdered sugar
2 tbs whiskey (bourbon)

Cream butter, add sugar and salt, then cream and whiskey. Whip until smooth. Frost cake. Decorate with a sprig of holly.

(I haven't tried it as I'm on a special diet which precludes it but if you try it let me know how it comes out. )

[stevew]

I have made it, and it's not very good. The cake is too dense because there's not enough leavening for the amount of flour. Also, too much butter. Just my opinion, but there are better recipes. Maybe I should have baked it in a coal/wood range! LOL

[Marilyn]

Dense can be good, but more importantly, how is the flavor? I've often thought I'd like to bake the cake she so often mentions!

[stevew]

Dense is good if it's flavorful, but I did not like the flavor of this cake. The spices are out of whack. There is too much clove and not enough cinnamon. I would suggest twice the cinnamon, half the clove, twice the baking soda, half the raisins --- but by then, you have a different recipe! Go ahead and give it a try. You may have different results, or like it better. I just think there are better recipes. Best wishes. ;-)

[jasonsfan]

I made this cake a really long time back. The cake itself isn't bad, but its very dense. You wouldn't need a very big piece of it. I agree with SteveW- it could use a bit more cinnamon. I didn't care for the frosting at all, and thought the cake was better without it. Its a pretty good cake to have with a cup of tea or coffee. oh yeah, it makes the house smell really good when its baking.

[goodnight]

Oh great, I was looking for this recipe in earlier posts.

[waltonfan1]

I have made this cake many many many times, and it is dense but people rave about it..............then I tell them it is the Waltons recipe.