Spice Cake

This moist cake doesn't need frosting, and can be made as a gluten-free cake (see flour substitution in green type below). The original recipe from Bob's Red Mill spelt flour package - which I've modified - called for apple sauce, but I used unsweetened homemade pear sauce. This can also be made in two small round cake pans and layered, or made into individual muffins instead of a sheet cake. (NOTE: words in red are described in more detail in the "Ingredients" list in the right column.)

• 1/2 c coconut oil, softened if solid
• 3/4 c honey
• 3 eggs
• 1-1/2 c apple or pear sauce, unsweetened
• 2-1/4 c flour *
• 1-1/2 t baking soda
• 1-1/4 T baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 1-1/2 t cinnamon
• 1/2 t each: ground nutmeg, ground cloves, powdered gingerroot
• 1 c golden raisins
• 3/4 c chopped raw nuts, divided

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* For a gluten-free version of this cake, I used 2 c of this flour mixture:

•   6 parts fine brown rice flour
•   2 parts potato starch
•   1 part tapioca flour

… then I added 1/4 c almond flour, plus 1t xanthan gum

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Preheat overn to 350°. Grease a 9" x 13" glass cake pan (optional: line with greased parchment paper). Cream the oil and honey, add eggs and apple/pear sauce and beat until well mixed. In another bowl, mix dry ingredients and spices. Mix dry ingredients into wet. Add raisins and 1/4 c nuts. Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle remaining chopped nuts evenly on top of the batter.

Bake for 35 minutes, then turn off the oven and leave the cake in it for another 10 minutes - this helps cook the center without over-browning. Cool and remove from pan to a rack as soon as possible, since the steam released while in the pan will make the cake get too soft.