mom’s apple cake

A tall, tender tube-pan apple cake packed with chopped apples, warm cinnamon, and a hint of orange. Finished with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar; serves 12–16.

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch tube pan, or coat it with nonstick spray. Peel, core, and chop the apples into ½- to ¾-inch chunks. Toss them with all of the cinnamon and 5 tablespoons granulated sugar, and set them aside.

Step 2

Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, orange juice, remaining 2 cups of granulated sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ones, then scrape down the bowl to make sure all the ingredients are evenly incorporated. Stir in the walnuts, if you are using them.

Step 3

Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Spread half the apple chunks over it. Pour the remaining batter over the apples, and arrange the remaining apples on top. Bake for about 1½ hours, or until a tester comes out clean, then transfer to a rack to cool. Cool completely before flipping cake out of pan and onto a serving platter. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve.