Sweetie Pie Apple Cake

Resist eating this cake fresh out of the oven.  The flavor reaches its peak when refrigerated overnight.  Serves 10 to 12.

Ingredients

• 2-3 Tablespoons soft butter to coat pan
• ¼ cup sugar

• 1 cup softened butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 2½ cups applesauce
• 2¾ cups flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• 1¾ teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ to 1 cup chopped pecans (optional/to your taste)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons water (or brandy, if you wish)
• 1 large apple peeled, cored and very thinly sliced (about 1 cup)

• 3 Tablespoons cold butter
• 3 Tablespoons flour
• ¼ cup brown sugar packed
• ½ teaspoons cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Method

1. Heat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.  Brush a 9 × 13 inch pan with soft butter.  Coat the pan with the sugar, lightly tap out excess sugar, and set pan aside.
2. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, salt and baking powder.  Set aside.
3. Combine butter with sugar in bowl with an electric mixer.  Beat on medium speed, scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is light and fluffy.  Carefully fold in the applesauce.  Do not over mix.
4. Fold the dry ingredients and pecans into the applesauce mixture.  Add the vanilla, water, and apple slices and mix until just combined.
5. Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan.
6. Combine the streusel ingredients in a small bowl and mix with fingers just until combined.  Sprinkle streusel topping over the batter.
7. Place cake in the oven and bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean – about 50 minutes to an hour.  Let stand until completely cool.