Super-Moist Apple Cake Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 10-inch round, 2-inch-deep cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

In a large bowl beat 1 1/2 cups of the sugar and the butter for 3 to 5 minutes until light in color. Scrape the bowl as needed with a rubber spatula and continue to beat the mixture until it is very light in texture and color, several minutes more.

Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl between additions.

Sift together both flours, the baking powder, and salt. Mix the milk and dry ingredients alternately into the butter mixture, stopping to scrape the bowl as necessary. Add the vanilla and mix the batter just until smooth; do not overheat it.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly with a rubber spatula. Arrange the apple slices overlapping in concentric circles on top of the cake batter to completely cover it. Pour the cream evenly over the apples.

Stir together the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon and sprinkle the mixture over the top of the cake. Bake for 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven, transfer it to a rack, and let cool completely.

Note: For different textures within the same cake, try baking with a combination of apples, such as Granny Smith (which is quite tart), Macintosh (which is firm), and Cortland (which gets very soft with cooking).

Yield: 10 servings

Recipe Source: The Arrows Cookbook by Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier (Scribner)
Reprinted with permission.