65 MINUTES
     20 minutes to make
     45 minutes to bake
     
     Nonstick spray
     1 cup walnuts
     1/4 cup granulated sugar
     3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened in the mixing bowl
     1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
     2 large eggs
     1 teaspoon vanilla
     2 teaspoons grated orange zest
     3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
     1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
     1/2 teaspoon salt
     2 teaspoons baking powder
     1/2 teaspoon baking soda
     1 teaspoon cinnamon
     1/2 teaspoon allspice
     1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
     1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
     1/2 cup yogurt, buttermilk or sour cream
     
     Spray a standard-size tube or Bundt pan with nonstick spray.
     Place walnuts in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add granulated sugar and pulse on and off until the walnuts are ground into a coarse meal. Set aside.
     Add brown sugar to butter and beat with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating at high speed after each. Scrape sides of the bowl and beat until very smooth. Stir in vanilla and orange zest.
     Sift flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg together into a second bowl. Stir in the ground walnuts.
     In a third bowl, whisk together the applesauce and yogurt. Add the dry mixture and the applesauce mixture alternately to the butter mixture (dry-wet-dry-wet-dry), stirring just enough to blend after each addition.
     Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake in center of a preheated 350-degree oven 45 to 55 minutes, or until a sharp knife inserted all the way into the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a rack before slicing and serving. Serves 16.
     Per serving: 330 calories; 14 g fat (6 g saturated fat; 25 percent calories from fat); 47 g carbohydrates; 55 mg cholesterol; 210 mg sodium; 5 g protein; 2 g fiber.