The best apple cake ever! (I made it three times in one week!)

Annie and Tina's family went apple picking and came back with bags of my favorite apples: the Russet. They are only available towards the end of the apple picking season and are delicious and very sturdy, perfect for baking. An apple pie was out of the question since I'm still trying to get over the embarrassment of this. In my search of an apple dessert recipe, I stumble on Smitten Kitchen's Mom's apple cake and couldn't believe it. Not only did it look so delicious (but then again, nothing on Smitten Kitchen ever looks not delicious) and the recipe was so simple; no ingredients to let sit at room temperature, no creaming of the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, no need to even pull out the stand mixer! It was a winner.

It took no time at all to make it and it came out so glorious, it was like fall in a cake. After a quick picture and barely no cooling time (I have no patience when things look this good), I dug into it. It was so much better than I expect it, so moist with the perfect cinnamon and apple taste. It was heaven. Everyone who tried it also loved it, and I, myself, loved it so much, I made it again at two other occasions in the same week!

I know bloggers are very quick at calling a recipe best EVER, but this one is really THE BEST EVER!

Best Apple Cake EVER

adapted from Smitten Kitchen's Mom's apple cake

8 apples (recipe calls for 6, but I love me tons of apples in my cake, also I used Russets)
1 tablespoon cinnamon
5 tablespoons sugar (I kept the same amount of sugar even with more 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 pecans chopped (recipe calls for walnuts, but I do not like them so substituted!) 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 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, 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 (my oven is on the hot side and it took me 1hour 10min), or until a tester comes out clean.