It can be served as a dessert, garnished with a scoop of ice cream, French vanilla yogurt or topped with whipped cream. In the muffin form, it can be put in with school lunches, and is healthful enough to be a meal in itself.

Below the recipe is a half-size recipe of the same cake. This smaller recipe is faster to put together.

You’ll need a large mixing bowl and either a 9 x 13 inch baking pan or about 24 muffin cups.

Ingredients:

2 c. whole wheat flour
1 ½ c. sugar, use part brown sugar, or just white with dab of molasses
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg or cloves
½ tsp. salt
4 c. peeled, finely chopped apples
½ c. to 1 c. chopped walnuts, opt.
½ c. soft butter
2 eggs

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl, add eggs, nuts (save half to sprinkle on top of cake before baking), and apples.

Add flour and sift soda and seasonings on top. Stir with a wooden spoon just until combined; it will be a thick batter. Pour into greased pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 to 50 minutes until the top springs back when pressed. Muffins will take 15-20 min. The muffins are supposed to be moist so don’t overcook them.

A half-size recipe of the same cake:

This smaller cake is really fast to make. The amount of apple you use is flexible.

Ingredients:

1 c. flour
½ tsp cinnamon or to taste
¼ tsp nutmeg or cloves
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
¾ c. sugar, including some brown sugar or dab of molasses
¼ c. (4 TB.) soft butter
1 egg
2 c. finely chopped apple, about 3 large
¼ c. chopped walnuts, opt., half can be sprinkled on batter

Directions:

In a medium mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add apple, nuts, and egg. Sift dry ingredients on top. Mix until thick batter.

Pour into greased 8 or 9” pan or about 12 muffin cups and bake at 350 for about 30 min. for pan, and 15-20 min for muffins.

The cake or muffins are done when the top springs back when pressed, and sides pull away from pan.

Best served warm.