I love this kind of cake because it is so versatile. Serve it for dessert with a scoop of ice cream, for breakfast with coffee, or with tea in the afternoon. The apples add moisture, so the cake remains tasty for two or three days—if it lasts that long!
| Cinnamon Apple Filling | ||
| 6 | large baking apples* | |
| 1 | lemon | |
| 1/2 | cup | sugar |
| 1 | tablespoon | cinnamon |
| 3/4 | teaspoon | nutmeg |
| Cake Batter | ||
| 3 | cups | all-purpose flour |
| 2 | cups | sugar |
| 1/2 | teaspoon | salt |
| 1 | tablespoon | baking powder |
| 1 | cup | butter |
| 4 | eggs | |
| 1/2 | cup | orange juice |
| 1 | tablespoon | vanilla |
| * Use apples such as Pippin or Granny Smith. |
Preheat oven to 350 °
Cinnamon-Apple Filling
1. Peel, core, and slice the apples.
2. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze its juice over the apples. (Take care to remove any seeds.)
3. Mix the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in a bowl.
4. Add the apples and mix well. Set aside.
Cake Batter
1. Sift the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder together in a mixing bowl.
2. Melt the butter.
3. Add the butter, eggs, orange juice, and vanilla to the flour mixture. Beat until smooth.
Assemble the cake:
1. Line a 9” spring form pan with parchment paper . Butter the paper.
2. Build three alternate layers of cake batter and apples. First, pour 2 cups of batter into the pan and spread evenly. Arrange one-third of the apples in a circular design over the batter. Cover them with the next 2 cups of batter. Arrange the next third of apples and cover with the remaining batter. Top with the last of the apples.
3. Bake for 1½ hours, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
4. Remove the cake from the oven and let in cool in the pan before unmolding.
5. See the How To Unmold Your Cake From a Springfom Pan in the Right Nav of this recipe page.
