Applesauce cake recipe

[oyceter]

For rachelmanija, who's been requesting cake-from-scratch recipes

I think I found this from some recipe website a few years ago. It's the very first cake I baked after I moved to California!

This is a pretty forgiving recipe; I've forgotten stuff or randomly substituted things when I ran out of ingredients, I've made it non-dairy and dairy, I've tried it in different pans for different thicknesses. Though, unlike cofax7, I haven't accidentally left it in the oven for another hour, so it may not be quite that forgiving. (also, I need more recipes like that, given my extreme absent-mindedness!)

9x13 pan (for applsauce bars) or 8x8 pan for moist and sticky cake (I like both types)

1/4 c butter (can substitute applesauce instead for non-dairy cake; this will make the cake moister and the top stickier, which I rather like)
2/3 c brown sugar
1 egg
1 c applesauce
1 c all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (OR: 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp cloves, 1/4 tsp nutmeg)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease baking pan.

Mix butter, brown sugar and egg until smooth. Stir in applesauce.

Combine the flour, baking soda, salt and pumpkin pie spice. Stir into the applesauce mixture until well blended. Spread into pan.

Bake for 25 min. (30ish if using 8x8 pan)

The original recipe came with frosting for the bars, but I never wrote it down, as I like it plain. Or it suggested dusting the top with powdered sugar. I am also guessing that homemade whipped cream with just a little sugar and vanilla will also make a great accompaniment and not overwhelm the spicy appleness.