Auntie Jeans Apple Sauce Cake

This Apple Sauce Cake recipe is the legacy of Auntie Jean, my grandmothers sister. She was the village school teacher, whose husband was killed in action in the early days of the war. She never remarried and continued to live in her little cottage on the outskirts of the village with her cat Seymour. In her garden she had two big apple trees, and for many years she made baked goods with their fruit and gift them to family and friends. One of her best was this Apple Sauce Cake, which is deliciously moist and full of apple flavour

Auntie Jean died in 1969, her cottage was demolished, and her trees cut down to make way for a new road bypass. How sad, but at least we still have wonderful memories...and her recipe

This  recipe makes two good size loaves, but can also be divided into muffins. A cup of shredded apple can be added to the mix to make it a bit different. Its also freezable.

It can be eaten as is but I like to use a sugar drizzle using just icing sugar and water. And if we are having it hot as dessert, I glaze the top with apple jelly

1 1/2 cup (12oz) margarine or butter

1 1/2 cups (10oz) soft brown sugar

3 eggs

2 3/4 cups (12oz) plain flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp nutmeg

3/4 tsp cinnamon

2 cups (12oz) applesauce

• Cream together butter and sugar
• Blend in eggs
• Sift together the dry ingredients
• Add to creamed mixture, alternating with the applesauce
• Beat after each addition
• Divide into two greased 8x4 loaf tins
• Bake for 50 minutes, 180C, 350F
• Leave to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the tins