Chocolate Apple Cake with Fudge Topping

Hungry for chocolate even in this season of apples and pumpkins and lots of rich sugar cookies? Ready for a different dessert after all those Thanksgiving pies?

Here's a quick and easy cake that will satisfy your chocolate sweet tooth that you could almost pretend to be healthy--something we all need after the turkey day indulgences.

This one is a quick "one-bowl cake," with chopping the apples the longest part of the work. The topping goes together while the cake is baking, so there is no need for frosting. You can eat it warm right out of the oven or save some of it (especially the cupcake version) for lunches through the week.

 Chocolate Apple Cake with Fudge Topping

3 cups apples, coarsely chopped

3/4 cup canola or other vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon allspice

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

Topping:

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1 cup 60% chocolate chips (or semi-sweet chips if the dark chocolate ones are not available)

1/2 to 1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1.  Beat the oil, sugar, eggs, cocoa, and spices together until fluffy and well blended.

2.  Chop the apples and add to the oil and sugar mixture. Beat until well combined.

3.  Sift (or stir together very well) the flour and soda and add to the batter. Beat for 2 minutes.

4.  Pour into a well-oiled 9 X 12 pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 to 35 minutes. 

5.  Meanwhile make the topping. Stir the 1 cup sugar and water together until well mixed. Put in the microwave and bring to a rolling boil--about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from microwave and immediately stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Stir until the chips are melted. These dark chocolate chips don't seem to melt as smoothly as others, so the mixture may remain a little grainy. Don't worry!

6.  When the cake is done,* remove from the oven and immediately spread the chocolate chip mixture over the top, poking holes in the cake to allow the mixture to be more fully absorbed into the entire cake. Then spread with the walnuts while the cake is still hot.

*How to know when it is done? Test by inserting a toothpick into the cake near the center. It shoulld come out with no batter clinging to the toothpick when you remove it.

Cupcake Variation

Makes 24 standard sized cupcakes

Prepare the batter as above. Spoon the batter into paper-lined cupcake pans and bake for about 16 to 18  minutes, until just done.

Make the topping as above but do not stir in the walnuts. While the cupcakes are still in the pan, spoon a little of the topping over each and sprinkle with walnuts if desired.

Chocolate Apple Cupcakes

Many years ago, I found a chocolate apple cake that was moist and a favorite dessert of my kids. Unfortunately, it was one of those recipes that I managed to lose track of. As I recall, it was from a little paperback cookbook of apple recipes, and I think I gave that away in one of my purges of cookbooks--something I have been doing for a lot of years now, especially as I rely more and more on the internet for sources and ideas.

Believe it or not, I have made almost an entire bushel of apples into apple crisps this fall. I have also canned more than 30 quarts of applesauce and still have a little apple butter from last year's crop, so it was time to find something a little different. 

Something like a chocolate apple cake. 

Unfortunately, a search through my recipe cards, my few remaining cookbooks, and my computer recipe file turned up nothing.

Nothing, that is, until I came across a recipe that I had pulled from off the internet, years ago. Unfortunately I can't credit the site anymore, since the earlier URL is no longer active. Still, because I took the original and played with it a bit, I guess I can call it my own. 

A few proportions were changed, along with the overall method, trying to simplify as much as possible.  In the end, it came out pretty much as I remembered that earlier cake--moist and chocolate-y yet not too rich. And, if you have apples readily available from your own trees or a local orchard, pretty frugal as well.

A word of caution: When the recipe says the batter is thick, believe it! Every time I make this, I have to go back and remind myself that there is no liquid other than the oil and the apples in the recipe. That really is okay! If you have really crisp, really "dry" apples, you might end up adding a little milk or water, but this will hold together very well even without that.

Chocolate Apple Cupcakes

2 c flour
1 1/2 c sugar
1/3 c cocoa
1 t soda
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t nutmeg
1/4 t allspice
1/4 t black pepper
3/4 c canola oil
2 eggs
3 c apples, cored but not peeled and finely diced--pack lightly into the measuring cup for measuring

1/2 c chopped walnuts

1.  Sift the dry ingredients together into a large mixing bowl.

2.  Stir in the oil, eggs, and 1 cup of the apples. Begin beating with a mixer until mostly blended.

3.  Gradually stir in the remaining apples and beat at medium speed for about 3 minutes. The batter will be very thick, so it will be best to use a mixer for this rather than trying to beat by hand.

4.  Fold in the walnuts.

5.  Line muffin pans with cupcake liners and spoon the batter evenly into each one. Fill each liner about 3/4 full.  This recipe makes about 18 to 22 cupcakes; if you don't have enough muffin pans to bake all at once, it will be all right to leave the remaining batter standing at room temperature while the first pan bakes.

6.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 to 20 minutes, until the center of a cupcake springs back when lightly touched. Frost as desired when cool.

Variations:

Omit walnuts in batter. Mix 1/2 c brown sugar, 1/2 c chopped walnuts, and 1 c mini chocolate chips and sprinkle over each cupcake before baking.

This may be made into a cake by pouring the batter into a well-oiled 9 X 13 pan and baking for about 25 to 32 minutes.

These also work as mini-cupcakes, making at least 48 and actually, closer to 60. Don't overfill the cups--this batter has an amazing rise for only a teaspoon of soda in a recipe as large as this. Omit walnuts in the batter and then put a small walnut piece in the center of each. Bake for about 15 minutes, until a finger pressed lightly in the top does not make an impression. Allow the cupcakes to cool for about 5 minutes before removing from the pan, as they are very tender when hot. These have enough brownie-like crust on the top that they really need no further frosting.