Here ya go Mis!
Walnut-Rum-Raisin-Applesauce Cake
1 cup golden raisins
½ cup dark rum
2 cups walnut pieces
2 ½ cups a.p. unbleached flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tbsp. Ground cinnamon
½ tsp. grated nutmeg
1 cup unsalted butter
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
½ cup sour cream
½ cup applesauce (preferably homemade)
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Rum Syrup
½ cup packed light brown sugar (I ran out and used dark brown)
½ cup sweet apple cider
¼ cup dark rum
Confectioner’s sugar for garnish
1. Place the raisins and ½ cup rum in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350. Butter a 9-cup bundt or tube pan.
3. Place 1 cup of the walnuts in a food processor and process until finely chopped but not powdered. Coat the bottom and sides of the bundt pan with the nuts. It is all right if a few extra nuts fall to the bottom of the pan. Set aside.
4. Toss together all the dry ingredients in a small bowl and set aside. In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter, vanilla, and brown sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients alternately with the sour cream and applesauce, mixing until all is thoroughly blended.
5. Fold the lemon zest, rum soaked raisins, and remaining 1 cup walnuts into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.
6. Bake the cake until a tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean, 1 hour (mine was 54 min.) Let the cake cool in the pan 15 minutes.
7. In the meantime, prepare the rum syrup. Place the brown sugar, cider and ¼ cup rum in a small saucepan. Simmer for a few minutes, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat. Invert the cake onto a rack and remove the pan. Using a pastry brush, brush the warm syrup all over the warm cake until all has been absorbed. Let the cake cool completely. Sift confectioner’s sugar over the top before serving.
Makes 10-12 servings
Source: Cold-Weather Cooking by Sarah Leah Chase
