2 1/2 - teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 - teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 - teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 - cup butter, softened
1 1/4 - cups sugar
1 - teaspoon vanilla extract
3 - eggs
2 - cups applesauce, jarred or homemade
2 - cups golden raisins
1- cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
Whiskey Frosting:
5 - tablespoons butter, softened
3 - tablespoons cream or half and half
3 - cups powdered sugar
4 - tablespoons bourbon whiskey
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans (remove excess flour). Set prepared cake pans aside. Add the raisins to a small bowl, add one cup very hot water and let the raisins sit for 10 minutes, then drain. This will soften and plump up the raisins. In a large bowl, sift together the flour and spices. Remove 1/2 cup of the flour mixture into a small bowl and and stir into the nuts and raisins. Set both aside. In another large bowl, with an electric mixer or kitchen aid mixer, beat butter, sugar and vanilla extract until creamy. Add eggs one at at time, beating until combined. Alternately stir in the flour mixture and applesauce. Beat on medium speed until everything is combined. Fold in the raisins and nuts. Pour batter evenly into prepared cake pans. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven until golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean (about 25-35 minutes). Cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing. Turn cakes out of pans onto a baking sheet or baking rack. Cool cakes completely before frosting. To prepare the frosting in a medium size bowl, combine butter, powdered sugar, then cream and whiskey. Using and electric mix or kitchen aid mixer, whip until creamy, adding more cream if needed to reach desired consistency. Frost cooled cake.