Apple Cake

It's finally fall, I saw MacIntosh apples and it was Rosh Hashanah  - so I found this on Smitten Kitchen, Deb Perelman's mother's Apple Cake ...

Mom’s Apple Cake

6 apples, Mom uses McIntosh apples  (while I love MacIntosh, next time I'll use  Granny Smith or Golden Delicious - they don't get so smooshy)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
5 tablespoons sugar (for apples)
2 3/4 cups flour, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 (325 for pyrex pan) degrees. Grease a tube pan or 9x12. 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, 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 (took about 1/1.25 hours in a 9x12 pyrex pan) , or until a tester comes out clean. Cool completely before running knife between cake and pan, and unmolding onto a platter.