Prepare your campfire so that charcoals can be placed under and over your dutch oven. A dutch oven is a cast iron pot with three legs. It has a heavy duty handle and a lid. Determine the size of your campfire by the size of your oven. For instance a 10 inch dutch oven will have approximately 10 coals underneath and 10 coals on top.
Mix Original Bisquick® and sugar together. Next, add milk, 2 tablespoons of the shortening, vanilla, and eggs. Mix well with a hand beater for eight minutes until mixture if free from lumps. Pour the jar of applesauce into the bottom of the dutch oven and then pour the cake mixture on top.
Place the dutch oven on the coals, adjusting the fire so that it burns evenly underneath. Scoop additional coals on top of the oven. The ratio you use on top versus the bottom will determine how brown your cake will be. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes and then take it off of the fire. Remove lid and cool for ten minutes. After cooling, place plate over the top of the dutch oven and turn upside down.
Mix the remaining tablespoon of shortening, pecans, and sugar with the left over last dregs of applesauce in the pan and heat over the fire until sugar is melted. Pour mixture over the top of the cake. Cool before serving.
