Applesauce Pecan Cake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 (6 oz.) can pecan halves
2/3 c. shortening
1/2 c. sugar
1 (15 or 16 oz.) applesauce
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 c. milk
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
2 eggs
salt
1 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 Tbsp. apple jelly, melted
1 c. confectioners sugar

Preparation

About 2 1/2 hours before serving:
Preheat oven to 350\u00b0. Grease and flour 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
Reserve 18 pecan halves for garnish, chop remaining pecan halves and set aside.
In large bowl with mixer at high speed, beat shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add applesauce and next 6 ingredients, and 1 teaspoon salt.
At low speed, beat until well mixed, occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula.
Stir in chopped pecans.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake cake 35 to 40 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool cake in pan for 10 minutes and remove cake from pan and cool completely on wire rack.