Chocolate Apple Cake

 This Chocolate Apple Cake has all the things I like in cakes. First, I like the deep chocolate taste and the texture is very moist and dense, almost like brownies. I like it does not need to freeze because it is very flavorful. I like that it can be made quickly because you just mix all the ingredients together. I like baking in a 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) frying pan so that it feeds many people. And I like how to store it for several days. In fact, the taste gets better in taste and texture after one or two days of storage.

I call it a snack cake. This is a type of daily cake. This recipe was adapted from the 1997 Marion Kane Canadian recipe book called 'the Best of Food'. It contains his favorite recipe from The Toronto Star where he is a food editor.

A few notes about ingredients. This cake uses unsweetened cocoa powder which gives a dark chocolate flavor. My personal preference is to use unsweetened (alkaline) cocoa powder because the chocolate taste is softer than if you use unsweetened natural cocoa powder. This cake also contains buttermilk. You can buy commercially made buttermilk or you can be a good substitute. To do this, take 1 cup (240 ml/gram) of milk and stir 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar. Let stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes before use.

Finally, the surprise ingredient in this cake is grated apples. It not only adds good taste to the cake but also makes it very dense and moist. You can use all kinds of apples.

INGREDIENTS
Chocolate Apple Cake:

• 2 cups (260 grams) of all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (75 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process (alkalized))
• 2 teaspoons (8 grams) baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon (3 grams) baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) salt
• 2 large eggs (100 grams), at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) white sugar
• 1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
• 1 cup (240 ml/gram) buttermilk, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons (8 grams) of pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups (270 grams) of peeled, cored, and grated apples (you need about 1 pound / 450 grams of apples) (about 2 large)
• 3/4 cup (125 grams) semisweet chips or bitter chocolate

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Chocolate Apple Cake: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Butter, or spray with non-stick vegetable spray, baking pan 23 x 33 x 5 cm.
2. In a large bowl, shake or stir in flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In another large bowl, beat the eggs until foamy. Then stir in sugar, melted butter, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir, or stir, until mixed. Stir in chunks of apple and chocolate chips. Flatten the dough into a prepared skillet and bake for about 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick is inserted into the center of the cake out clean.
4. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Although you can serve this cake on the day the cake is baked, the taste and texture of the cake improve when stored overnight.
5. Serve just like that, or with whipped cream, or it could be with vanilla ice cream.
6. Serves about 12 people.