“Jewish” Apple Cake

Foreword

This is Chris’s usual birthday cake. Don’t ask why the cake is religious. There is a theory that the recipe originates from someone Chris’s nana knew who happened to be Jewish. Humorously, Ida’s grandmother (who does happen to be Jewish) has a very similar cake recipe simply titled “Apple Cake”.

Ingredients

• 4 to 5 apples
• 2 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 ¾ cups and 3 Tbsp sugar, separated
• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup cooking oil
• ½ cup orange juice
• 2 ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 1 Tbsp baking powder

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Peel the apples and then slice at coin thickness on a mandoline such that the slices are no more wide than half the width of the apple (one trick for this is to cut the apple to the core from top-to-bottom on opposite sides, and then mandoline the apple across those cuts).
3. Toss the apples, cinnamon, and 3 Tbsp sugar together in a bowl and set aside.
4. Combine the rest of the ingredients and mix for 5 minutes.
5. Pour a layer of batter into a greased, floured tube type pan.
6. Add a layer of sliced apples.
7. Continue alternating batter and apples, ending with batter.
8. Bake at 350°F for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes.
9. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.