Stir together flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, cocoa and sugar. Add eggs, applesauce and shortening. Nuts may be added to batter. Spoon batter into a greased and floured tube or bundt pan. Sprinkle batter top with 1/3 cup finely chopped nuts mixed with the 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake at 350ºF.  test for doneness after 60 minutes. May bake another 5 to 15 minutes. Let cake cool in pan then loosen edges carefully with dull knife. Yield: 20 to 24 slices. 

Cocoa Applesauce Cake

1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of shortening
1 egg
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of cloves
1/2 teaspoon of allspice
1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg
2 tablespoons of cocoa
1 cup of applesauce
1 cup of seedless raisins
1/2 cup of nuts, chopped
1 teaspoon of baking soda
2 cups of flour

Cream the shortening, add sugar and blend thoroughly. Add beaten egg. Mix soda in applesauce and add to mixture. Sift dry ingredients together into the mixture, add raisins and nuts and mix well. Pour into greased and floured 9x13 inch pan. Bake at 350ºF. for 30 minutes or until done. When cool, frost with powdered sugar frosting. Serves 12 to 15.