“Whether it’s served warm or cool, my mother’s apple cake is the best I’ve ever tasted,” says Amanda Denton of Barre, Vermont. “It’s moist on the inside and has a beautifully browned crust. This recipe ranks right up there with love and support as the great things my mother gave me.”

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4medium golden delicious apples (about 1 1/2pounds), peeled, cut into 1/3-inch pieces
  • 5tablespoons plus 2 1/2 cupssugar
  • 2teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 4large eggs
  • 1cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4cup orange juice
  • 1tablespoon grated orange peel
  • 1teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3cups all purpose flour
  • 3 1/2teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2teaspoon saltpowdered sugar

    DIRECTIONS

    Preheat oven to 350°F. Oil and flour 12-cup Bundt pan. Mix apple pieces, 5 tablespoons sugar and ground cinnamon in medium bowl. Combine 2 1/2 cups sugar, eggs, vegetable oil, orange juice, orange peel and vanilla extract in large bowl; whisk to blend. Stir flour, baking powder and salt into egg mixture. Spoon 1 1/2 cups batter into prepared Bundt pan. Top with half of apple mixture. Cover with 1 1/2 cups batter. Top with remaining apples, then batter.


    Bake cake until top is brown and tester inserted near center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 1 hour 30 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 15 minutes. Run knife around sides of pan to loosen. Turn cake out onto rack. Cool at least 45 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.