My Mom's Apple Sauce Cake

My mother got this when she lived in Virginia. It's really good.

• Calories: 312 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon milk
• ½ cup shortening
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup chopped raisins
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ cup water
• 1 ½ teaspoons salt
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• ⅓ cup orange juice
• 1 (16 ounce) jar applesauce
• 5 ½ cups sifted confectioners' sugar

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan or 2 - 8 inch round pans.

Step 2

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. set aside.

Step 3

In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in water and egg. Add flour mixture alternately with applesauce and mix thoroughly. Fold in nuts and raisins.

Step 4

Pour into pan and bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool and frost with cream cheese frosting.

Step 5

To make frosting: In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add milk and vanilla and mix in. Add confectioners sugar and orange or lemon juice. Beat until fluffy, then frost cake.