Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 ° Fahrenheit.

Step 2

In a large mixing bowl combine the first 4 ingredients. Stir by hand until smooth.

Step 3

Sift together the soda, salt, and flour. Add the sifted mixture to the wet ingredients. The batter comes together more like a dough- stiff and dry in this step- than a regular cake batter. Beat by hand 200 strokes.

Step 4

Fold in the nuts and apples. The apples should almost immediately start adding moisture to the dough, relaxing it and making it more "wet." However, the batter will still be thick and chunky.

Step 5

Cut strips of wax paper and line the bottom of the tube pan.

Step 6

Turn the cake batter into the tube pan.

Step 7

Bake for one hour. Let cool on a wire rack. Use the wax paper to help lift the cake from the pan.