Comments: You'll need 8 wide-mouth pint-size canning jars, metal rings and lids. Don't use any other jars. Sterilize jars, lids and rings according to manufacturer's directions. Grease inside, but not the rim of jars. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
| 1 | stick | plus 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter |
| 3 | cups | sugar |
| 4 | eggs | |
| 1 | Tbsp. | vanilla |
| 2 | cups | applesauce, unsweetened |
| 3 | cups | flour |
| 3/4 | cup | unsweetened cocoa powder |
| 1 | tsp. | baking soda |
| 1/8 | tsp. | salt |
Pre-wash canning jars (be sure to use the kind that have no shoulders) in hot, soapy water. Rinse well, dry and let them come to room temperature. Grease insides of jar well. Beat together butter and half of sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and remaining sugar, vanilla and applesauce. Sift dry ingredients together and add to the applesauce mixture a little at a time: beat well after each addition. Pour one cup of batter into each jar and carefully remove any batter from the rims. Place jars in a preheated 325 degree oven and bake for 40 minutes. While cakes are baking, bring a saucepan of water to a boil and carefully add jar lids. Remove pan from heat and keep lids hot until ready to use. When the cakes have finished baking, remove jars from oven. Make sure jar rims are clean. (If they're not, jars will not seal correctly) Place lids on jars, and screw rings on tightly. Jars will seal as they cool. Cakes will slide right out when ready to serve. Unsealed jars should be stored in the refrigerator and eaten within 2 weeks. Sealed jars may be stored with other canned food or placed in a freezer. See GIFT JAR INFORMATION at the top of this section. DO NOT PLACE HOT JARS IN FREEZER! The cake is safe to eat as long as the jar remains vacuum-sealed and free from mold. To enjoy the best flavor, try to eat all canned cakes within 6 months.