Apple-Cinnamon Coffee Cake

I'm sure you're getting tired of apple recipes. So am I but I still have apples to use up. However, I promise to try something new next, not apple-related, and keep my other apple trials for later on... PROMISE!!!
For this recipe (found in the "Great American Home Baking" recipe collection), I used an apple that is sweeter than the Wingate but a bit more tart than Golden Delicious. It is an apple that tastes good eaten, baked or in a sauce. The name I had was "Samoa" but I can't find it in the apple directory, unfortunately...

This cake is light and fluffy and delicious, without being too sweet. The apple taste is subtle and I could probably have put more of them. One thing I noticed was that the apples sank to the bottom of the cake, not the complete bottom, mind you, but enough to not have a clearly-defined layer of cake underneath the layer of apples. Now, the only way I did not follow the directions was that I didn't wait for the apples to be completely cooled and they were probably not drained properly. Would that lead to them sinking? Other than that, the cake rose fantastically. It's always iffy when using fruit as it can make the batter heavier and prevent it from rising. But I am really happy with the results here. A light cake, but still moist.

Recipe

Preparation: 30 minutes
Baking: 45 minutes
Servings: 10

Cake

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest

Filling

• 1 cup water
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp grated lemon zest
• 1 whole cinnamon stick
• 2-3 tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced

Garnish

• Confectioners’ sugar

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Grease a 9” round cake pan. Dust with flour and tap out excess.
2. To prepare filling, in a large saucepan, mix together water, sugar, lemon zest and cinnamon stick. Add the apples.
3. Cook over medium-high heat until the apples are just tender, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Cool the apple-cinnamon mixture, then drain. Discard cinnamon stick.
4. To prepare the cake, in a small bowl, mix together the flour and the baking powder.
5. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
6. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and beat in the flour mixture and the lemon zest.
7. Scrape half the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Arrange the apples in an even layer on top. Spread the remaining batter over the apples.
8. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool. Turn cake out onto a serving plate. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar when completely cool.

ENJOY!!!!