Spiced Apple Cake Recipe
- 1 cup dried currants
- 1/3 cup brandy
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups plain applesauce
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease 2 (9-inch) cake pans and line bottoms with wax paper or parchment paper. Grease paper and dust pans with flour, knocking out excess.
- Heat currants and brandy in a small heavy saucepan over low heat until currants are plumped, about 3 minutes, then cool.
- Sift together flour, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, baking soda, and salt.
- Beat together butter, shortening, and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until combined well, then beat in eggs and vanilla. With mixer at low speed, alternately beat in flour mixture and applesauce in 3 batches. Fold in currants with brandy remaining in pan.
- Divide batter between cake pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
- Cool cakes in pans on a rack 15 minutes. Invert onto rack and cool to warm or room temperature.
