• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar plus 3 tablespoons reserved for topping
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 cup milk
• 2 to 3 apples, peeled, cored, chopped to measure 3 cups
• 1-1/2 cups toasted, chopped walnuts, ½ cup reserved for topping
• 4 ounces (2/3 cup) SCHARFFEN BERGER 62% Cacao Semisweet Chocolate, chopped
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon reserved for topping

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Grease a 9 x 13 inch cake pan.
2. Cream butter and sugars in an electric mixer with the paddle attachment. Add eggs, one at a time. Add in the lemon juice. Beat in the milk.
3. Mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add to the butter and egg mixture until just combined.
4. Peel, core and coarsely chop the apples.
5. To toast the walnuts, put on a tray in the oven or toaster oven at 300 degrees for approximately 20 minutes. Check to make sure they don’t burn. You’ll smell them when they begin toasting.
6. Chop the walnuts and reserve ½ cup for the topping.
7. Add the apples, walnuts and coarsely chopped chocolate to the batter.
8. Pour batter into the prepared cake pan.
9. Mix together the remaining ½ cup chopped walnuts, 3 tablespoons sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Sprinkle on top of the cake.
10. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the cake is firm, a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean when inserted and the cake just begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.
11. Cool on a rack.

This moist cake is a great winter cake, but is delicious year round. The combination of apples, cinnamon, walnuts, and, of course, chocolate, is sure to satisfy everyone’s tastes. Great for Sunday brunch, a weeknight dessert, or afternoon tea. It is wonderful just out of the oven and stays moist for several days, if you can keep it around that long! Serves 8 to 12.