Early Bird

Still dark, and raining hard
on a cold May morning

and yet the early bird
is out there chirping,

chirping its sweet-sour
wooden-pulley notes,

pleased, it would seem,
to be given work,

hauling the heavy
bucket of dawn

up from the darkness,
note over note,

and letting us drink.

-Ted Kooser, "The Early Bird"

The first week of May in Toronto was very cold ... and very wet. We got more rain in four days than we usually do all month. And although I didn't pull my winter coat out again (it's May, for heaven's sake!) I saw more than a few of them on the streets this week.

When I heard the weather forecast for the weekend was more rain, I knew comfort food was in the offing. Apple recipes are usually the domain of the fall, but a cold, wet spring demands the reassurance only a spiced applesauce cake can bring.

In the end, the weather forecast was wrong (insert your favourite weatherman joke here), and we enjoyed sun most of the day. But this lovely cake is a treat no matter what the weather.

Spiced Applesauce Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

(slightly adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

For cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1 stick (8 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce

For frosting

5 ounces cream cheese, softened

3 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup conectioners’ sugar (icing sugar)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a non-stick 8” or 9” square cake pan.

Make cake: Whisk together flour, baking pwder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed for 2 – 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in applesauce. Mix in flour mixture until just combined.

Spread batter evenly in pan and bake about 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake to loosen, then invert onto a plate. Cool completely before frosting.

Make frosting: Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add butter and vanilla, and beat until fluffy. Add confectioners’ sugar and cinnamon, then beat at medium speed until incorporated.

Spread frosting over top of cooled cake.