Use flavorful, tart apples for this cake for the best flavor. Baked on the convection bake mode, it bakes considerably faster than in a conventional oven.

　　

Ingredients

makes 16 servings

　　1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

　　1 cup sugar

　　2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa

　　1 teaspoon baking soda

　　1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

　　1/4 teaspoon salt

　　1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

　　8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened

　　2 eggs

　　2 medium tart cooking apples, peeled, cored, and chopped

　　1 cup chopped filberts, pecans, or walnuts

　　1/2 cup cold strong coffee

　　Maple Caramel Frosting (recipe follows)

　　

Maple Caramel Frosting

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter

　　1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar

　　1/4 cup pure maple syrup

　　2 tablespoons milk

　　1/2 to 1 cup powdered sugar

　　1 teaspoon vanilla extract

　　(makes about 2 cups)

　　

Step 1

Position the oven racks so that they are evenly spaced and one rack is in the center. Preheat the oven to convection bake at 325°F. Butter a 9 × 13-inch pan.

　　

Step 2

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg, and mix well. Add the butter and blend with a hand mixer until the ingredients resemble moist, coarse crumbs.

　　

Step 3

Add the eggs, apples, nuts, and coffee, and mix at low speed for 1 minute. Increase the speed to high and continue mixing until the batter is well blended.

　　

Step 4

Turn the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the center of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until the cake feels firm in the center when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake on a wire rack. Prepare the frosting and frost the cake when it is cool.

　　

Maple Caramel Frosting

Step 5

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the brown sugar and maple syrup and cook over low heat for 2 minutes.

　　

Step 6

Add the milk and heat to a boil, stirring. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the powdered sugar and vanilla, mixing until smooth and creamy. If necessary, add a few more drops of milk to get a spreading consistency.

　　From Cooking with Convection by Beatrice Ojankangas. Copyright (c) 2005 by Beatrice Ojankangas. Published by Broadway Books.Beatrice Ojakangas has written more than a dozen cookbooks, including Beatrice Ojakangas' Great Holiday Baking Book, Beatrice Ojakangas' Light and Easy Baking, Pot Pies, Quick Breads, Light Desserts, The Finnish Cookbook, and The Great Scandinavian Baking Book. Beatrice works as a consultant for Pillsbury and other major food companies, teaches cooking classes, and writes for various food magazines. She lives in Duluth, Minnesota.