Smitten Kitchen's Mom's Apple Cake

I have to say, I haven't been cooking that much ever since I took on some after-work projects. Nevertheless, I've been slowly cooking my way through Deb's cookbook (mainly the breakfast and dessert sections).



I love me some apple cake. And while I have a perfectly great version of it from the old country, it's not the most attractive cake out there. So, I was tempted to try Deb's pretty tube pan variety. (Yes, I actually purchased a tube pan to make it. That's dedication, friends.) I had high hopes when I cut into perfectly browned beauty, but, unfortunately, I was disappointed.

It just wasn't right. The cake seemed dry, the cubed apples awkwardly chewy. The crust was the only redeeming quality. I brought it to work to be devoured the next morning. The craziest thing happened. People were raving about the cake. At first I thought they were just trying to cheer me up. (I told them I didn't like it.) But as more and more people were coming back for second slices, I decided to try it again.

To my surprise, it was absolutely deliciously moist, had the greatest crumb, and the crust was just as bomb. So, there you go. The cake that's better a day old.

P.S. Writing this post reminded me of this gem. (The day old baked goods bit :)