Jewish Apple Cake

So I decided to bake something today, since I haven't baked in a while. I bought a cupcake book the other day, and now I suddenly want to start my own cupcake business. I've become fascinated with the idea of being a professional cupcake maker.  I blame not only the recipe book, but also tv, for having all those cupcake shows. I have no cupcake recipes of my own, but I figure I could start baking other peoples cupcakes, and then alter the recipes until I get something that's uniquely me!
Even though i just rambled about cupcakes, I didn't actually make any today. Instead I made a Jewish Apple Cake. It was my Grandmothers recipe, and I've always loved it, but I have never been able to figure out why it was a "Jewish" apple cake... Regardless of its religious affiliation, its pretty freakin awesome.

Here are the ingredients :
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 teaspoons baking powder
4 eggs
1/2 cup orange juice
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3-4 apples (you only need 3 if they are fairly large, but i usually buy and cut 4 just to be on the safe side)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar


Mix first 7 ingredients.

Grease a tube pan (I use butter and then coat it with flour)

Dice apples, making sure that the pieces are uniform, so they bake evenly

Mix cinnamon and sugar
Pour half the batter into the bottom of the pan and then half the apples. Cover with half the cinnamon sugar mixture. Repeat with the rest of the batter, apples and cinnamon sugar.

 

 

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours. I usually bake for 75 minutes and then check at that point. Usually that does it, but your oven may differ from mine.

Let cool before you remove from the tube pan. I've had disasterous results by rushing to get the cake out before its completely cooled. 

 

Enjoy!