Chocolate Applesauce Cake

Chocolate Applesauce Cake

I grew up with this homey comforting cake, which my Mom always made in the fall.  It is the easiest cake to make (no making frosting or waiting for the cake to cool), so yummy and always a hit.  You can feel good about it since there is applesauce in it;).  

Cake ingredients: 

1 stick butter, softened

1 1/2 C sugar

2 eggs

2 C flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt 

2 T cocoa powder

2 C applesauce (unsweetened) - most of a 1 lb jar 

Topping ingredients: 

2 T sugar

1 C chocolate chips

1 C chopped walnuts or pecans 

Instructions: 

1. Butter a 9x13 pan
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
3. Cream butter and sugar; add eggs and mix.
4. Add all remaining ingredients and stir until ingredients are just incorporated. 
5. Spread batter into pan
6. Mix topping ingredients together in a small bowl;  sprinkle over top of batter. 
7. Bake 30-35 minutes (check with a toothpick)

Serve warm, plain, or with whipped cream or ice cream; and if there are any leftovers the next day, microwave individual pieces for 10 seconds or so until warm - yum!  Freezes well.