Apple Cinnamon Cake

 

This is a dense, moist pound cake that is bursting with apples! Apple are hidden inside the cake and also top the cake along with a crunchy coating of pecans. 

Ingredients:

6 small-medium sized apples - Use whatever variety you have on hand

1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon

5 Tbsp. brown sugar

2 and 3/4 cups flour

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup melted margarine or vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce

2 cups white sugar

1/4 cup orange juice

2 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

4 eggs

1 cup pecans, chopped

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a tube pan with butter or non-stick cooking spray. Peel, core and chop apples into chunks. Toss with cinnamon and brown sugar and set aside.

Whisk 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 with a rubber spatula to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.

Pour half of batter into prepared pan. Spread half of the apples over it. Pour the remaining batter over the apples and arrange the remaining apples on top. Sprinkle the chopped pecans on top of the apples. Bake for about 90 minutes, or until a toothpick or skewer inserted in to the cake comes out clean.

The cake gets much better the day after you make it because the apples juices seep further into the cake and make it super moist. Store this cake in the refrigerator.

 

*Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen