Spiced Apple Cake

• 1 cup dried currants
• 1/3 cup brandy
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups plain applesauce

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Grease 2 (9-inch) cake pans and line bottoms with wax paper or parchment paper.
3. Grease paper and dust pans with flour, knocking out excess.
4. Heat currants and brandy in a small heavy saucepan over low heat until currants are plumped, about 3 minutes, then cool.
5. Sift together flour, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, baking soda, and salt.
6. Beat together butter, shortening, and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until combined well, then beat in eggs and vanilla.
7. With mixer at low speed, alternately beat in flour mixture and applesauce in 3 batches.
8. Fold in currants with brandy remaining in pan.
9. Divide batter between cake pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
10. Cool cakes in pans on a rack 15 minutes.
11. Invert onto rack and cool to warm or room temperature.

currants, brandy, allpurpose, ground cinnamon, ground allspice, ground cloves, baking soda, salt, unsalted butter, vegetable shortening, sugar, eggs, vanilla, plain applesauce

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/spiced-apple-cake-103979 (may not work)