Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour 13- by 9- by 2-inch metal baking pan.

Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract in large bowl until smooth. Add flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and beat just until blended. Stir in apples, then walnuts. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

Bake cake until top browns and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Cool in pan.

Cut cake into squares and serve with warm caramel sauce.

This recipe yields 12 servings.

Comments: "My grandmother was a reporter in New York before she got married and moved to Montana to start a new life on a ranch," writes Joyce Litz of Albuquerque, New Mexico. "At the time she didn"t know how to cook, and learning wasn"t easy - the place didn"t even have running water. Still, she appreciated good food, so she persevered and became a great cook. Later my grandmother taught me ranch-style cooking, a lot of which involved getting simple but flavorful, hearty meals ready in a hurry."

Boost the payoff with a scoop of ice cream.

If you would like to email yourself the recipe for later use, or share the recipe with your friends or family, enter the email addresses below and this recipe will be emailed to you and others as well.