APPLE SNACK CAKE SQUARES

11/4 Cup Walnuts, chopped
2 Cups All-purpose Flour
1 Teaspoon Baking Powder
1 Teaspoon Cinniamon
2 Teaspoons Ground Ginger
1 Teaspoon Salt
8 Tablespoons or 1 Stick Unsalted Butter, melted
11/2 Cups Sugar
2 Large Eggs, lightly beaten
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
4 Large Granny Smith Apples (2lbs.) peeled and chopped

Frosting:
6oz. Cream Cheese, softened
2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, softened
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
1 Cup Powdered Sugar, sifted
1 Teaspoon Lemon Zest
1/4 Cup Chopped Crystallized Ginger

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9 x 13 cake pan. Sit aside. Spread the nuts on a cookie sheet and let them toast around 5 minutes. Move them around so the will not burn. Do not let burn. Take out of oven and let cool. Then chop. In a bowl mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and salt. In another large bowl, with a mixer, beat together the  butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Stir flour mixture into butter mixture. Fold in apples and walnuts. The batter will be thick. Spread batter in pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. around 45 to 50 minutes. Let cake cool completley. Make frosting in a mixing bowl, using a electric mixer on medium speed. Beat cream cheese and butter. Beat in lemon juice. Reduce speeed to low, then add powdered sugar gradually. Fold in zest. Spread frosting on cake and then sprinkle with ginger. Cut into squares.