One leaf has to start it all. It turns from green to brown then breaks away from the tree. Soon others join in the annual drop and the ground is covered with them. It signifies the beginning of a new season. Sadly summer is ending and autumn brings its own colors to the landscape. Farmers markets change their offerings to apples, pears, winter squash and more. Baking changes along with it. Warm spices reign as the temperature outside cools down. To celebrate autumn's harvest I baked an Applesauce Walnut Raisin Cake.
Mace is one of those warm fall spices. However I do not see it used often these days and I wonder why. Perhaps it is because of the name being associated with tear gas or pepper spray. It is actually the ground up aril (net-like sheath) that covers nutmeg. It has an orange-brown color and a heavenly aroma. There is nothing peppery about it and it will not make your eyes tear and burn.
Heavenly aroma also describes this cake. It is one of those you would wish the scent could be bottled. I could not help but smile when it was baking. I would walk in the kitchen and take deep breaths to try and get in as much as I could. The cake's aroma is equally matched by its taste. The texture is moist with a delicate crumb combined with chewy raisins and crunchy walnuts. Cinnamon and allspice go along with mace to make a flavor combination that enhances apple and makes this cake fitting for autumn.
What do you crave when autumn arrives? Take a look at this list of bundt cake recipes celebrating the harvest of the season. There are so many wonderful choices being shared by Bundt Bakers. Thanks to Tux of Brooklyn Homemaker for hosting this month. For other fall recipes, take a look at Apple Walnut Cream Cheese Cookies and Black Rice with Butternut Squash.
- Applesauce Cranberry Bundt Cake by Lauren at Sew You Think You Can Cook
- Applesauce Spice Bundt Cake by Carola at En la Cocina de Caro
- Applesauce Walnut Raisin Cake by Renee at Magnolia Days
- Carrot Bundt Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting by Cassie at Cassie's Kitchen
- Chocolate Caramel Apple Bundt Cake by Teri at The Freshman Cook
- Chocolate Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake by Terri at Love and Confections
- Chocolate Zucchini Bundt by Tara at Noshing with the Nolands
- Fig and Caramelized Walnuts Bundt Cake by Bea and Mara at I Love Bundt Cakes
- Harvest Bundt Cake by Tammy at Living the Gourmet
- Mini Apple Cobbler Bundt Cakes with Cinnamon Glaze from Lauren at From Gate to Plate
- Pumpkin and Apple Bundt Cake by Kathya at Basic N Delicious
- Pumpkin and Chocolate Bundt Cake by Aisha at La Cocina de Aisha
- Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake and Pomegranate Syrup by Patricia at Patty's Cake
- Pumpkin Espresso Bundt by Kelly at Passion Kneaded
- Sherried Pumpkin Bundtlettes by Laura at The Spiced Life
- Slow Cooker Kushaw Bundt Cake by Margaret at Tea and Scones
- Spiced Harvest Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze by Tux at Brooklyn Homemaker
- Spiced Pumpkin Bundt Cake by Kaylin at Keep it Simple, Sweetie
- Sweet Potato Brioche by Jane at Jane's Adventures in Dinner
- Sweet Potato Pecan Spice Cake with Toasted Pecan Glaze by Stacy at Food Lust People Love
Applesauce Walnut Raisin Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 cup golden raisins
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon ground mace
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups unsweetened applesauce
- Confectioners sugar optional garnish
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10- or 12-cup bundt pan
- Combine walnut and raisins in a small bowl.
- Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, mace, and salt in a separate bowl. Add ¼ cup of the flour mixture to the walnuts and raisins and stir to combine.
- Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and beat to combine.
- Add flour mixture to creamed mixture alternately with applesauce beginning and ending with flour mixture. Stir in walnuts and raisins.
- Transfer batter to prepared pan and spread evenly in the pan.
- Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan by inverting it onto a wire rack. Cool cake completely.
- Dust cake with confectioners sugar if desired.
Notes
Recipe adapted from one in The Country Cooking Recipe Collection Prize-Winning Apples booklet published in 1994 (no longer in print).
What is Bundt Bakers? It's a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bundts with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Bundt Bakers Pinterest board for incredible bundt cake recipes and inspiration. Stacy of Food Lust People Love heads up our group and has a #BundtBakers page where you can find information and links to the recipes for each month.
How is the monthly theme determined? We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.
Would you like to join in the fun? If you are a food blogger, send an email with your blog name and url to Stacy at [email protected].
Great bundt with the applesauce that makes it so juiciness plus the walnuts and raisins makes it perfect!!!!
Thanks Bea and Mara
Love ingredients in this bundtcake. Sure it's very soft and full of flavour 🙂
Oh yes, it is very soft (except the crunchy walnuts).
Your cake looks so delicious, as usual! I've never baked with mace before but I recently helped a customer where I work try to find a source for some. She had an old recipe that called for it but said she couldn't find it anywhere.
Do you just get it at a normal grocery store in the spice aisle?
I bought ground mace at my local grocery store so you should be able to find it easily too. It is right there in the spice section.
Thanks! I kind of thought so but she made it sound like it was hard to find.
perfect! the pictures and the recipe 🙂
Carola
Thank you very much Carola
My family loves applesauce cakes, full of flavor, and goodness. Not to mention the great smell when baking.
Thanks Amy
Another stunner. I always have the most intense desire for cake whenever I read your blog!
As I also do with your blog. Well, I get thirsty when I look at your cocktail one.
This cake is gorgeous! I love the colors from the golden raisins. The photography is absolutely beautiful and makes me want to reach in my screen and try and grab a piece. I can't wait until we get cool weather here!
Thank you so much Terri and I also love the look of golden raisins (and I like the taste of them better than regular raisins).
Beautiful post Renee. Your bundt looks beautiful...I loved reading through your post..I'm just so excited that Fall is finally upon us.
Have a wonderful day 🙂
Fellow Bundt Baker,
Tammy
You have a wonderful day too Tammy and thanks so much for your kind words.
Renee, this cake is beautiful. Chewy raisins, crunchy walnuts, cinnamon and allspice . . sounds heavenly and exactly what I want for fall. . love love love and enthusiastically pinned!
Thank you so very much Alice and I enthusiastically appreciate the pin!!
This is a beautiful cake, and I love the warm spice blend, including the mace! Perfect fall cake!
Susan
Thanks Susan
What a stunning cake, I would give anything for a piece of it. Lovely post too!!
Thanks Tara!
What a prefect and beautiful bundt cake, I bet it taste delicious.
It sure does Kathia, thanks!
This bundt cake looks perfect for fall. And yeah, I basically totally forgot that mace even existed until I just read it above. I'm not sure I can even really remember what it tastes/smells like. Guess I need to get me a jar and make this ASAP. Beautiful photos!
Thanks Liz!
I've never had mace before! Is it milder than nutmeg? I'm not a fan of nutmeg so it'd be fun to have a substitute on hand - if I could find it. Good thing there's the internet. 😉
Mace is milder than nutmeg. I think you would like it as it has a slightly more delicate flavor too.
I grated whole nutmeg into my Bundt and kept putting my face practically into the bowl of dry ingredients until it was time to mix it into the batter. The fragrance of mace and nutmeg is the best. What a beautiful cake, Renee! I love the walnuts throughout.
I grate nutmeg too for the same reason. Oh the wonderful fragrance!
I've never seen mace at my grocery store. Maybe I didn't notice it because I wasn't looking for it though. I love nutmeg so I'm sure that mace would be great too.
You probably skipped right over mace if you weren't looking for it. I usually find it in the smaller jars in the spice section.