Ingredients:
1 3/4 cups cake flour
1 large egg
1 1/4 cups chunky applesauce
1 cup raisins (or diced apples)
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 cup brown sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Sift flour, baking soda, salt, and spices together
3. Beat brown sugar, shortening and egg in a 3-quart bowl until light and fluffy
4. Mix in dry ingredients, alternately with apple sauce
5. Stir in raisins or diced apples
6. Pour into a greased cake pan and bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean
7. Serve warm or cooled with sugar glaze icing

Cake Icing Ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 Tbsp milk

Directions:
1. Blend together at slow speed, powdered sugar, vanilla and just enough milk to combine
2. Add very small amounts of milk at a time until the icing is thin enough to pour over the cake
3. Allow to set for 15 minutes to allow the icing to thicken slightly as it sets before slicing

Many of the recipes that appear on our site date back to when Lea was in junior high school, in a class named Home Economics, where the girls learned basic homemaking skills such as sewing, housecleaning, infant care, and, of course, cooking and baking. Lea’s cooking experience started with meals for her family of five brothers, and a sister, while her mother worked outside the home. Her father was a former farm laborer before entering his career as an hourly worker on the railroad, and favored hearty meals of meat and potatoes. A part of the skills Lea learned as a young girl was how to get the maximum number of portions from what was available, and how to flavor it for everyone’s palate.