Alicia DiRago won this contest with her Grandmother's recipe for Applesauce Cake. She won us over with moistness and taste.

"This dish made me happy as a kid because it was the only cake we were allowed to eat for breakfast! It has a crunchy sugar topping and taste similar to a coffee cake. My mom enjoyed eating it with her coffee, so we were allowed to have it with our Kool-Aid. The recipe has been passed down from my great grandmother, and I expect we'll continue to enjoy it for generations to come."

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Serves 10-12

For the cake:

2 cups sugar

1 cup shortening

2 eggs

2 1/2 cups applesauce

2 tablespoons molasses

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon cloves


Topping:

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup nuts (optional)

  1. Preheat oven to 325 ̊F.
  2. Mix all ingredients by hand, not mixer, as per Grandma Johnson.
  3. Pour into a 9-by-13-inch pan sprayed with cooking spray.
  4. For topping: Mix together all ingredients and sprinkle over the batter.
  5. Bake for 1 hour.
  6. Cool on a wire rack and cut into squares.

TIP:

.
This dish made me happy as a kid because it was the only cake we were allowed to eat for breakfast! It has a crunchy sugar topping and taste similar to a coffee cake. My mom enjoyed eating it with her coffee, so we were allowed to have it with our Kool-Aid. The recipe has been passed down from my great grandmother, and I expect we'll continue to enjoy it for generations to come.
Photography by Frances Janisch

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