Anne Byrn's 1917 Applesauce Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup sugar ($0.16)
• 2 Tbsp butter (plus some for the pan) ($0.31)
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce ($0.64)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (plus 1 Tbsp) ($0.19)
• 1 tsp baking soda ($0.04)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon ($0.05)
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves ($0.05)
• 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg ($0.03)
• 2/3 cup raisins ($0.72)

Instructions

1. Allow the butter to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Coat the inside of an 8x8-inch baking dish with butter.
2. In a large bowl, cream together 2 Tbsp of butter and the sugar using a hand mixer or mixing by hand with a wooden spoon. Add the applesauce and stir to combine.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, salt, and nutmeg until well combined.
4. Pour the flour mixture into the applesauce mixture and stir just until combined.
5. In a separate small bowl, toss the raisins with about 1 Tbsp flour until they are lightly coated. Fold the flour coated raisins into the cake batter. Spread the cake batter into the prepared baking dish.
6. Bake the cake for 30-35 minutes, or until the the center springs back when pressed. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes before slicing into 9 pieces.