This recipe is from Lisamarie Balik of The Kitchen Sink; another great kitchen-related blog!

There are only a few things I consider "signature" dishes for my dad -- this apple cake is one of them. The original recipe makes a sweet, crunchy cake that just to die for -- literally. After his quadruple-bypass surgery a few years ago, we had to rework the recipe to be a little less lethal. I've included both versions.

Original Recipe
1 1/2 cups oil
2 cups sugar
3 eggs (beaten)
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon
3 cups tart, baking apples (such as Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and sliced
1 cup walnuts
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine oil and sugar. Blend in eggs. Add flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, vanilla and lemon. Mix. Add apples and nuts. Place in a greased pan and bake in a 300F degree oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Modified Recipe
1 1/2 cups applesauce
2 cups sugar
3 eggs (beaten)
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon lemon
3 cups tart, baking apples (such as Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and sliced
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Combine applesauce and sugar. Blend in eggs. Add flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, vanilla and lemon. Mix. Add apples. Place in a greased pan and bake in a 300F degree oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Recipe Notes: The original recipe produces a sweet and crunchy cake, while the reworked recipe tends to remain moister and "cakier." Both are very, very good. I've also used this cake batter to make muffins, but be sure not to overcook them! I use the good ole fashioned "toothpick test" to check their progress.

Equipment Notes: This recipe is not for the faint-hearted mixer. The batter is very thick, and if you're not careful it's possible to burn out the motor in your mixer. You may find it necessary to finish the mixing job by hand, particularly when it comes to adding in the apples and nuts.

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