My new favorite cake!

I wanted to bake something for the kids that would be hot and hopefully delicious when they got off the bus yesterday. I found this wonderful and easy recipe on Everyday Food from Martha Stewart. No don't turn away since I mentioned Martha! This is a really easy no fru fru recipe. Well it isn't with my adaptations!

Here is the original recipe and I'll post the changes I made to it at the bottom-

Ingredients

Serves 10

• 3 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cardamom
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 cups packed light-brown sugar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups Basic Applesauce, or store-bought chunky applesauce
• Nonstick cooking spray
• Confectioners' sugar, optional

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. Set aside.
2. In another bowl, with an electric mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, and honey until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. With mixer on low speed, gradually add flour mixture; beat just until combined. Beat in applesauce.
3. Generously coat a nonstick 9-inch tube pan with cooking spray. Spoon batter into pan; smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (but slightly wet), 50 to 60 minutes.
4. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Turn out of pan onto a cutting board or baking sheet; invert cake onto rack, top side up. Cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar before serving, if desired.

Here are my changes- since you all know butter and I don't get along!

• I used butter flavor crisco plus 6 teaspoons of water instead of 1 cup butter
• I don't own cardamon. Unfortunately had to look it up. I have heard of it, but wasn't sure of the flavor. So I just omitted it!
• used cinnamon applesauce without chunks
• I didn't sprinkle powered sugar on the outside since it didn't need anything extra.
• I also baked it in a bundt pan.

End result- a seriously moist cake on the outside and crunchy outer crust. OH MY SO DELICIOUS! It was a hit and everyone in the house LOVED it! We finished most of it yesterday and had only a bit left today. I must say that the crunchy outer layer softened up overnight in the tupperware, but it was still delicious! I think the crisco was what made the crust so deliciously crisp.

This is going to be my "go to" easy and delicious cake recipe from now on! If you bake it with the butter let me know how the outer layer turns out please!

ENJOY!!!

1. out to lunch with the hubby 2 days in a row

2. Lola feeling better

3. Paul getting a promotion and not laid off!!!