Harvest Season: Apple Cake

The basic form of this recipe comes from Joan Nathan's book The Jewish Holiday Kitchen (1988). I've baked it in three ways: in a tube pan (as written), in a bundt pan (be careful not to increase the amount of apples or the pan overflows!), and in a 13 by 9 inch cake pan. The bundt pan gives a pretty shape, but it's miserable to clean out; the "half sheet" cake pan is simplest, and should be done with two layers of each mixture, not three -- it's also easiest to serve from. And the tube pan is most authentic for a "Jewish holiday" look. Your choice.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the pan and dust it lightly with flour (important for the crust), tapping out any excess flour.

Peel and cut into thick slices 5 large apples (I like Cortland or Macs for this). Mix together 2 teaspoons of cinnamon and 1/3 cup sugar; pour over the apple slices and turn gently with a spoon until all the slices are sugared. Set aside.

Mix 3 cups flour (I use King Arthur Unbleached -- do not use cake flour) with 3 teaspoons baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Set aside.

In electric mixer, place 1-2/3 (one and two-thirds) cup sugar, 4 large eggs, 3/4 cup vegetable oil, 1/2 cup orange juice, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Mix at medium speed until well blended.

Add the flour mixture and mix ONLY until blended. Scrape with spatula to make sure all flour's mixed in.

Pour one-third of batter into pan. Layer with one-third of apples-and-cinnamon-sugar. Repeat two more times, ending with apples on top.

Bake 90 minutes until golden on top. Let sit a few minutes and then, if using tube or bundt pan, unmold.

(Note: I use a two-piece tube pan, and because I'm awful at getting things out of pans intact, when my cake's baked I let it cool for 5 minutes, then loosen the outer part of the pan and remove it. I serve from the core of the pan, as shown in the photo. Or slice up, and plate the slices.)

Keeping it fresh: This cake won't keep for long. For a day or two, wrap it in plastic wrap or a plastic bag and keep at room temperature. For longer, it needs to be refrigerated. Past three days, it gets a bit mushy but is still yummy, especially warmed up with a dab of ice cream.