Pumpkin Spice Cake

Ingredients

1/2 cup plain applesauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups white sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tbsp. maple sugar
1/2 cup chopped roasted pecans (may be omitted)
dried cranberries
cream cheese frosting
1 tbsp. maple syrup

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease one 10 inch bundt or tube pan. Do not forget this step, or your cake will remain stuck in your pan and you will NOT be able to get it out in one piece.

Cream applesauce, oil, beaten eggs, pumpkin and vanilla together.

Sift the flour, sugar, baking soda, ground nutmeg, ground allspice, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, maple sugar and salt together. Add the flour mixture to the pumpkin mixture and mix until just combined. If desired, stir in some chopped nuts being sure to reserve a few for garnish. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cake cool in pan for 5 minutes (on a wire rack is best) then turn out onto a plate. While still warm (but not hot) mix together some cream cheese frosting (you can use prepared icing) and a tablespoon of maple syrup. The mixture will be thin. Drizzle over cake. Garnish with dried cranberries and roasted pecan pieces.

The cake is very dense, and is only slightly sweet. Nicely accompanied by apple cider.