Cinnamon Cocoa Applesauce Cake

What the hell am I doing making cake? I'm supposed to be on a diet. Mind you; I could do a lot worse. This does not have a terrible amount of fat and less sugar than a lot of cakes. It's still all good cakey eating, though. When I used to make cakes more often, I frequently used soft whole wheat flour, and always found it worked just fine.

Cinnamon with chocolate is a particularly popular combination in Mexican desserts.

12 servings
1 hour 10 minutes - 20 minutes prep time

2 1/2 cup soft wheat (pastry) flour
1/2 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup mild vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 extra-large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce (purée)
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 9" round cake pans with parchment paper, and oil them well.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, soda, cinnamon and salt.

In a larger mixing bowl, mix the oil and sugar. Beat in the eggs and the vanilla extract. Mix in the applesauce.

Mix in half of the flour mixture, then half of the buttermilk. Mix in the remaining flour, and then the remaining buttermilk.

Divide the batter evenly between the 2 cake pans, and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle test clean.

Let the cakes cool for 10 minutes in the pans, then remove them to cool completely.

Ice with Seven-Minute Frosting or other icing.