"This moist, dense cake is saturated with the rich flavor of melted caramels and apples."

2 cups grated Granny Smith apples -- peeled and cored

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick) -- softened

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup milk

24 caramels (8 ounces) -- cut in 1/2" pieces

Powdered sugar -- for dusting top of cake

• Preheat oven to 325ºF. Butter bottom and sides of 9" x 2" square pan. Line bottom of pan with wax or parchment paper and butter paper.
• In small bowl, place grated apples and mix with lemon juice.
• Sift flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
• In large bowl of electric mixer, beat butter on low speed about 15 seconds, just until smooth. Add sugar and brown sugar; beat on medium speed about 1 minute until mixture lightens in color. Add egg, lemon zest and vanilla. Beat 1 minute. Stop mixer and scrape sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula once during this mixing. Decrease speed to low and mix in half of flour mixture. Mix in milk. Stir in remaining flour mixture, just until all flour is incorporated. Stir in apple mixture. Sprinkle caramels over batter; stir into cake. Spread batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake 55 minutes until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
• Cool cake in pan 5 minutes. Invert cake onto rack. Carefully remove paper from bottom, replacing any caramel that sticks to paper. Discard paper.
• Cool cake thoroughly, about 2 hours. Turn cake right side up on cake plate. Dust cake with powdered sugar. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

  Serves 8 to 10