Chocolate Apple Cake

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted before measuring
• 6 tablespoons cocoa powder, measure than sift
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup room temperature unsalted butter (12 tablespoons)
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 cups unsweetened applesauce
• 1 cup golden raisin
• 1 cup broken walnut pieces
• powdered sugar, for decoration

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat oven 350 degrees, and grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan.

2. 2

   In a medium bowl whisk the flour, soda, cocoa cinnamon, zest and salt.

3. 3

   In your mixer bowl cream the butter and sugar at high speed until very very light and fluffy.

4. 4

   Beat in each egg one at a time, making sure each is blended well.

5. 5

   Lower the speed on your mixer and add 1/3 of the dry with 1/2 of the applesauce, beat only to combine.

6. 6

   Add the next third of flour the last of the applesauce, blend and then the last of the flour mixture.

7. 7

   Remembering to beat only to combine and don't over beat.

8. 8

   Fold in the raisins and walnuts.

9. 9

   Pour into prepared pan evenly.

10. 10

    Bake 1 1/2 hours until it pulls away from side of pan, or tester comes away clean.

11. 11

    This cake will only rise halfway up the pan.

12. 12

    Cool in pan 20 minutes.

13. 13

    Invert and cool completely on wire rack.

14. 14

    Just a note:.

15. 15

    Grandma greases the tube pan, places a piece of parchment on bottom then greases and flours it and the sides of the pan. That way it falls out of the pan all the time, and then she runs a knife around the edges, turns it onto the rack and removes the paper.