Applesauce Blueberry Cake

The Babe will start school this week and so Monday we went as a family to tour his new school, talk with his teachers, and meet his new class. The Boy and I had a lovely time. The Babe was a mixture of excited (about all the new toy cars to play with) and apprehensive (there were an awful lot of strangers). This visit to a new place with lots of kids with Daddy was so out of the ordinary that he stayed close, making sure Mama was never out of sight. I know that I am his safety blanket. We've been everyday companions for a very long time now, after all. I've never been away from him for much longer than the time it takes to eat a decent meal. But starting Friday he will be in someone else's care for 5 hours a day/5 days a week. I think that he and I are both a little scared of this new milestone. It will be good for both of us, I know. We will each learn new things, explore new places, make new friends. Still, when we got home from his first official visit to his new day school, I felt like baking something warm and comforting to make us all feel better. This yummy applesauce blueberry cake fit the bill perfectly. 

adapted from THE JOY OF COOKING

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a loaf pan with wax or baker's parchment. (You could also use a 9x2 inch round pan, a 6 cup fluted tube or Bundt pan greased and floured.)

Mix together thoroughly:

  1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

  3/4 teaspoon baking soda

  1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

  1/2 teaspoon ground allspice (optional)

  1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

  1/2 teaspoon salt

In a large bowl, beat until creamy:

  8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

  1/2 cup white sugar

  1/4 packed brown sugar

Beat in:

  1 large egg

Add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with:

  1 cup applesauce, preferably unsweetened

Mix until everything is just blended. Stir in:

   1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Scrape the batter into your pan of choice and spread evenly. Bake until a tooth pick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour in the loaf pan, 25 minutes in the cake pan, or 40 minutes in the Bundt pan. Let your cake cool for 10 minutes. To remove the cake, turn the loaf pan upside down on a plate and lift, then peel the paper off. Let it cool for a few more minutes and then dust with powdered sugar. 

The Babe was so excited about his applesauce blueberry cake that I had to cut it as soon as it was cool enough to eat.