Autumnal Apple Cake

Notes
I am so glad that you guys are also interested in reviving our blog! I still think of the four of you whenever I am looking for recipes and refer back to our blog from time-to-time. Let the recipe sharing begin!
This recipe is from Smit.ten Kit.chen and was recommended to me by a friend at Penn State. I have already made this cake three times this fall and it's only the middle of September! It's a great way to use apples (Marcus' parents have a tree full of apples that they've been sharing with us) and it's a cake that works for many different events. It's essentially a coffee cake, but the longer it sits, the more moist and delicious it gets. Ideally, you'd make it a day or two ahead of when you need and let it sit. I made a couple of very minor changes below, but basically it's the same recipe from SK. Enjoy!

Ingredients

6 apples (I used 12-13 small somewhat tart apples)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons sugar (all granulated or half granulated/half brown sugar)
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2 3/4 c. flour, sifted
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 c. vegetable oil
2 c. sugar
1/4 c. orange juice (freshly squeezed, about 1 orange)

zest of 1/2 orange
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Procedure
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a tube pan. Peel, core and chop apples into chunks. Toss with cinnamon and sugar and set aside.

Stir together flour, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, orange juice, orange zest, sugar and vanilla. Mix wet ingredients into the dry ones, then add eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.

Pour half of batter into prepared pan. Spread half of apples over it. Pour the remaining batter over the apples and arrange the remaining apples on top. Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool completely before running knife between cake and pan, and unmolding onto a platter.