Sawdust Cake

Francie and I traveled to U. Mass/Amherst this weekend to check it out and make a final decision on attending there. Before we left, I made a quick bread I've been wanting to try. Whole Wheat Cinnamon Applesauce Bread. Take a look at the recipe. It says 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 3 teaspoons baking soda, right?

Well, no, it doesn't, but I didn't learn that until later.

I wanted to substitute pureed dates for sugar and see how that worked. I had 4 apples that would never last until I got back from the Amherst trip so I made applesauce. Then added blueberries. Then a mango. Then the juice of a Cara Cara orange. Blended it and added it.

I didn't have bread pans (until Francie bought me some today at Goodwill!) so I baked it in a 10x10 glass dish. I didn't compensate on time, and it was way overbaked. So we called it Sawdust Cake and brought it to my sister's in Providence where we spent Sunday night. It wasn't bad (though I had a hard time getting people to taste it after they heard the name). My brother-in-law ate a bunch of it.

Today I made it again, exactly the same except finding out that I got the leavening wrong, I corrected that. I also put the applesauce mixture back into the blender and added a banana. This time I didn't overbake it and it came out really delicious.

I told Francie we can't call it Sawdust Cake anymore but because she is sentimental she wants to continue to call it that. So be it.

I'm about to go serve some to Francie with raspberries and whipped cream on top. Picture to come.

And here it is.

And Francie has decided on UMass Amherst after all.

Lisa

Addendum: Next time I'll use apple-blueberry-banana sauce.