Fruit and Spice Cake

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 c. Self Rising Flour
• 2 tsp. M-K Ground Cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. M-K Ground Cloves
• 1/4 c. Margarine (Reduced Calorie)
• 1/4 c. Sugar
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1 1/2 c. Applesauce (No Sugar Added)
• 2 med. Bananas, mashed
• 1/2 c. Raisins

Directions

1. Preheat: Set your oven to 350° to warm up.
2. Mix Dry Ingredients: Sift together the self-rising flour, M-K Ground Cinnamon, and M-K Ground Cloves in a medium-sized bowl. This will not only combine your ingredients but also introduce air, making your cake lighter.
3. Cream Margarine and Sugar: In a separate bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar. This process helps to aerate the batter, giving the finished cake a soft texture.
4. Add Applesauce: In a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the baking soda with the applesauce. This will react and help the cake rise. Slowly incorporate this into the margarine and sugar mixture.
5. Mix in Bananas: Add the mashed bananas to the wet ingredients and mix well.
6. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the sifted dry ingredients into the wet mixture, beating continuously until the batter is smooth.
7. Fold in the Raisins: Gently fold in the raisins, ensuring they’re evenly distributed throughout the batter.
8. Pour and Bake: Transfer the cake batter to your chosen pan, either an 8 X 8 X 2 inch square pan or a Bundt pan with a non-stick surface. Smooth out the top with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Cool and Serve: Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool on a wire rack for a few minutes. If you used a Bundt pan, carefully turn out the cake onto the rack and let it cool completely.

Serve: This cake is delicious on its own, but if you’d like, you can dust it with powdered sugar or serve it with a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.