Holiday Apple Cake

Submitted by GrammaJeanne

"My mother made these every Christmas to give as gifts. They were one of my favorite treats. It's loaded with apples, dates and nuts - yummy! Be careful not to over bake or it will become dry. I test it with a cake tester (or toothpick) to be sure it's done."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 30mins
• Ingredients: 14
• Yields: 1 lg loaf
• Serves: 12

ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 tablespoon baking cocoa (unsweetened)
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk (or soy milk)
• 3⁄4 cup applesauce
• 1 1⁄2 cups apples, peeled & shredded
• 1 1⁄2 cups dates, pitted & chopped
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped

directions

1. Combine & sift together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, soda, cocoa & salt. Set aside.
2. Cream shortening & sugar until light.
3. Add vanilla, milk & applesauce to creamed mixture.
4. Add sifted ingredients & mix well.
5. Mix in apples, dates & walnuts. Blend well.
6. Spoon into a greased loaf pan (waxed paper cut to fit bottom of pan helps prevent sticking).
7. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour & 45 minutes. (Test for doneness).
8. Keeps for weeks in the refrigerator or months in the freezer. Keep tightly wrapped in foil and/or plastic wrap.

Reviews

[CompulsiveCook]

Yum! This is one of those fruit breads that gets better with time. When I first made it, I thought it might be a little dry, but after it sat in the fridge for a few days, it was great! I froze some of it and thawed it the other day, it's just as good as before. Nice way to use up some of the leftover apples before they go bad. You could probably use raisins or something for the dates, but I think that is where much of the moisture comes from.