Apple Sauce Cake

Last week my co-worker got this most amazing apple sauce cake to work for the whole team to share with the afternoon cup of coffee. It is so awesome to be surrounded with co-workers like her! :-)

Pam also shared her recipe (passed on by her mom), and I tried it out on this lazy, cold and rainy weekend afternoon.

Ingredients
For the cake:
21/2 cups of all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup unsalted butter
11/2 cups apple sauce
11/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup crushed pecans or walnuts (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the icing:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup whole milk
2 cups powdered sugar

For the cake: Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs and vanilla extract and mix well. Sift flour and spices together. Alternate the flour mixture and applesauce into the butter mixture until all is added and mixed well.  Add the pecan/walnut pieces to the batter.

Pour the mix into a well-greased 9x9 pan and bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

For the icing:
Melt butter and brown sugar together. Heat to a boil for 2 minutes. While stirring constantly, add milk and return to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn-off heat and let it cool for 5 minutes.

Once cooled, add the powdered sugar. If the icing is too running, add more sugar (little at a time). When the icing is a little thickened pour onto the cake and let it cool. Sprinkle a little bit of powdered sugar on the top.

The icing was the best part of the recipe. I couldn't stop tasting it every few minutes. 

So yummmm!