Apple Sauce Streusel Cake

Preheat oven to 160ºC (325ºF). Line or grease a 23cm x 13cm (9×5 inch) loaf pan and set aside.

For the streusel topping:
Place light brown sugar, plain flour, ground cinnamon and butter in a bowl. Rub mixture together between your fingertips, mixing the butter through the mixture, until you have a breadcrumb-like consistency. Set bowl aside.

For the cake:
Beat butter at medium-low speed with an electric mixture until creamy. Gradually add brown sugar a little at a time until light and creamy consistency is reached. Add eggs, beating until just combined.

In a seperate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves and nutmeg.

Turn electric mixer onto speed low and begin adding flour mixture and apple sauce alternately. You want to add a little bit of flour and then some apple sauce and then some flour, and so on, starting and finishing with the flour mixture. Fold in the optional ingredients if you are using them.

Spoon batter into the greased loaf tin. Sprinkle over the streusel topping in an even layer.

Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before attempting to remove (about 1 hour).