• 4-6 baking apples (McIntosh are good, Jonagold are good–the wrong apple will wreck your cake)
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 2 3/4 cups flour, sifted
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

 

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease a tube pan.

Peel, core and chop apples into chunks. Toss with cinnamon and sugar and set aside.

Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, orange juice, sugar and vanilla.

Mix wet ingredients into the dry ones, then add eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.

Pour half of batter into prepared pan. Spread half of apples over it. Pour the remaining batter over the apples and arrange the remaining apples on top.

Do not do more than one layer of apples, and let there be a bit of space between your apples or your cake will get soggy. You can always bake the excess apples separately, but do not wreck your whole cake over this–trust me.

Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool completely before serving.