Spiced-Up Apple Cake

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon each ground cloves, ground ginger, and baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 3 cups peeled and finely diced tart apples
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups (packed) dark-brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/3 cup Calvados (apple brandy) or applejack
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 6 strips (3x1/2-inch) lemon zest
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

1. 1.
2. Preheat the oven to 350F.
3. Butter and flour a 12-cup bundt pan.
4. 2.
5. Using a fork, combine flour, baking powder, spices, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
6. In another bowl, combine apples, raisins and walnuts; add 3 tablespoons of flour mixture and toss to coat.
7. Set aside.
8. 3.
9. Combine the butter, brown sugar, and vanilla in a mixing bowl; cream until the mixture is light and creamy.
10. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
11. Stir in the buttermilk and applesauce.
12. 4.
13. Slowly add the remaining flour mixture to the butter mixture, beating until blended.
14. Stir in reserved fruit-nut mixture.
15. Pour batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
16. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour.
17. Let cake cool, still in the pan, for 1 hour.
18. 5.
19. Combine syrup ingredients in a saucepan; heat to a simmer.
20. When sugar dissolves, remove from heat; set aside for 15 minutes.
21. 6.
22. Unmold the cake onto a serving platter.
23. Prick it all over with a wooden skewer.
24. Strain the syrup (discarding lemon zest) and brush the cake with the syrup until it has been absorbed.
25. Before serving, dust the top with confectioners' sugar.

flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, salt, tart apples, raisins, walnuts, unsalted butter, sugar, vanilla, eggs, buttermilk, applesauce, calvados, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, confectioners

Taken from www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/spiced-up-apple-cake-106667 (may not work)