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Baking recipe · from the recipe book

Apple Walnut Snack Cake with Cocoa Filling

A moist, cinnamon-warm apple cake studded with tender apple pieces, with a dark cocoa-walnut layer running through the middle and a crunchy top.

Apple Walnut Snack Cake with Cocoa Filling

Ingredients

  • 1½ medium300 gApplepeeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • ¾ cup180 gUnsweetened applesauce
  • 2 cups240 gAll-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup packed170 gBrown sugardivided
  • ⅓ cup60 gGranulated sugar
  • 2 large100 gEggsroom temperature
  • ½ cup95 gCanola oil
  • ¼ cup20 gUnsweetened cocoa powder
  • ½ cup chopped60 gWalnutschopped, divided
  • 2¼ tsp6 gGround cinnamondivided
  • ½ tsp1 gGround nutmeg
  • 1¼ tsp6 gBaking powder
  • ¾ tsp3 gBaking soda
  • ½ tsp3 gSalt
  • 2 tsp8 gVanilla extract
  • 2⅛ tsp10 gUnsalted butterfor greasing the pan

Steps

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch square pan with the butter.
  2. Make the cocoa filling: in a small bowl, stir together 50 g of the brown sugar (leaving the remaining 120 g for the batter), the unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 g of the cinnamon and half of the walnuts. Set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg and the remaining 4 g of cinnamon.
  4. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, the remaining 120 g of brown sugar and the granulated sugar until smooth, then whisk in the canola oil, applesauce and vanilla.
  5. Fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture just until no dry streaks remain, then fold in the diced apple.
  6. Spread half of the batter in the pan and sprinkle the cocoa filling evenly over it.
  7. Spoon the remaining half of the batter over the filling, spread gently to cover, and scatter the remaining half of the walnuts on top.
  8. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean of batter (a little melted cocoa filling is fine).
  9. Cool in the pan on a rack for at least 45 minutes, then cut into 12 slices.

Food safety: Don't taste raw dough or batter: raw flour and raw eggs can carry germs.

Contains: Milk, Egg, Tree nuts, Gluten.

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Saved in the Every Helping recipe book on October 24, 2026.

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