Smitten Kitchen Apple Cake

Officially, this is my favorite cake. I don’t have a gigantic sweet tooth so I tend to avoid buttercream layer cake confections. I prefer homestyle, cozy creations, so to me, this apple cake is perfect. It’s incredibly moist, cinnamony, and full of soft, delicious apples.

I first tried it for Rosh Hashanah this year, then got requests to make it again for Yom Kippur, and then made it for my parents when they came for dinner. I have never liked a cake enough to make it three times, especially all within a month of each other, but that is how good this one is.   It’s also incredibly easy to put together, as it doesn’t require a mixer, and stays moist and fresh for a few days if you need to bake it in advance.

Try this, you’ll love it. 

Smitten Kitchen Apple Cake, from Smitten Kitchen
6 apples (SK recommends McIntoshes, I used half Macs and half Ginger Golds)
1 tbsp cinnamon
5 tbsp sugar

2¾  cups flour

1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice (I am sure you could substitute lemon as well)
2 ½ tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional; I’ve made it both ways)

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a tube pan. Peel, core, and chop apples into 1 inch chunks and toss with the 1 tbsp of cinnamon and 5 tbsp sugar.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. 

In a separate bowl, whisk oil, orange juice, sugar, and vanilla. Mix wet ingredients into dry ones, then add eggs, 1 at a time. Scrape down bowl.

Pour half the batter into the prepared pan. Pour half the apples over that.  Pour the remaining batter over, and top with the remaining apples. Bake for 1 and a half hours, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool completely, then turn out of tube pan. You can sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar before serving, although I didn’t. Cake will be good at room temp for up to four days.