Chocolate Apple Cake Recipe & Video

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This Chocolate Apple Cake has all the things I love in a cake. First, I love its deep chocolate flavor and wonderfully moist and dense, almost brownie-like, texture. I love that it doesn't need a frosting because it is so flavorful on its own. I love that it can be quickly made, as you just stir all the ingredients together. I love that it is baked in a 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) pan so it feeds a lot of people. And I love how it keeps for quite a few days. In fact, it seems to get better in taste and texture after a day or two of storing.

I call this a Snacking Cake. It is an everyday type of cake. This recipe is adapted from Canadian Marion Kane's excellent 1997 cookbook called 'the Best of Food'. It contains her favorite recipes from The Toronto Star where she was the food editor.

A few notes on ingredients. This cake uses unsweetened cocoa powder which gives it a deep chocolate flavor. My personal preference is to use Dutch-processed (alkalized) unsweetened cocoa powder as I find the chocolate flavor is milder than if you use the natural unsweetened cocoa powder. The cake also contains buttermilk. You can buy commercially made buttermilk or you can make a good substitute. To do this, take 1 cup (240 ml/grams) milk and stir in 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar. Let sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes before using.

Finally, the surprise ingredient in this cake is grated apple. It not only adds a nice flavor to the cake but it makes it wonderfully dense and moist. You can use any type of apple. Some personal favorites are Gala, Honey crisp, Fuji, Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, McIntosh, Jonathan, or Jonagold.


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Chocolate Apple Cake: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter, or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, a 9 x 13 x 2 inch (23 x 33 x 5 cm) baking pan.

In a large bowl, whisk or stir together the flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In another large bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy. Then whisk in the sugar, melted butter, buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir, or whisk, until combined. Stir in the shredded apple and chocolate chips. Evenly spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. While you can serve this cake the day it is baked, the flavor and texture of the cake improves when stored overnight.

Serve plain, with whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream.

Serves about 12 people.

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Chocolate Apple Cake:

2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour

3/4 cup (75 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-processed (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) granulated white sugar

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature

1 cup (240 ml/grams) buttermilk, at room temperature

2 teaspoons (8 grams) pure vanilla extract

2 cups (270 grams) peeled, cored, and shredded apple (you will need about 1 pound/ 450 grams of apples) (about 2 large)

3/4 cup (125 grams) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips