Jewish Apple Cake

Blake's parents went to Ellijay and brought home apples. They generously sent us a bag. Obviously this was a sign that I needed to make an apple cake. :) The one I made on Saturday was ok, but not great. It was a cinnamony cake with apples in it. Tonight I made a Jewish Apple cake. This is closer to a vanilla cake that uses orange juice instead of milk and the apples are layered in the batter. This cake is really good. It tastes like apple pie in a cake. And the smell in the house was incredible! I'm not exactly sure why it is called "Jewish Apple Cake". As far as that goes, why is my mom's Japanese Fruit Cake "Japanese"? Hmmm.....

Jewish Apple Cake

2 3/4 cups flour

1 tablepoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup applesauce

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup orange juice

2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

4 eggs

5-6 apples - peeled, cored, and chopped

1 tablespoon cinnamon

5 tablspoons sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 10" tube pan (I spray mine with Bakers Joy). Mix cinnamon and sugar. Toss apples with the cinnamon sugar mixture and set aside.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt together in large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, mix oil, applesauce, orange juice, sugar and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients. Add eggs, one at a time.

Pour half of the batter into prepared pan. Arrange half the apples in a layer over the batter. Pour the rest of the batter into the pan to cover the apples. Arrange remaining apples on top.

Bake for about 1 1/2 hours. A knife inserted in the center should come out clean. Let cake cool in the pan. To loosen cake from pan, run a knife around the edge. Invert cake onto a plate. Invert again onto serving dish. This gets it topside up. Dust with powdered sugar.