Jewish Apple Cake

I'm not sure where I copied this recipe from. I wrote "yummy" beside it the last time I made it. Part of the description reads, "Dense and moist, crammed with sweet cinnamony fruit, this popular cake is thought to come from the rich tradition of baked goods of German or Alsatian Jews."

Serves 10-12

3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into small slices
3 Bartlett pears, ripe but firm, peeled, cored, and cut into small slices
1 T cinnamon
2 1/4 C sugar
3 C flour
1 t salt
1 T baking powder
1 C vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 t vanilla
1 t almond extract
1/4 C apple cider or apple juice

Preheat oven to 375. Butter a deep 10" bundt pan or angel food cake pan.

In a large bowl, combine the apples, pears, and cinnamon and 1/4 C of the sugar. Mix well and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, the remaining 2 C sugar, the salt and the baking pwder. Mix thoroughly, then make a well in the middle of the mixture.
Pour the oil, eggs, vanilla, almond extract, and cider into the well, then mix the batter until it is well blended and smooth. The batter will be very stiff.
Spoon one third of the batter into the pan. Spoon half the fruit mixture over the batter; take care that the fruit does not touch the sides or inner ring of the pan. Spoon another third of the batter over the fruit. Spoon the remaining fruit over the batter them spread the remaining batter over the fruit.
Bake for 65-75 minutes, until the cake is firm and nicely browned. Allow the cake to cool in the pan, then unmold onto a serving plate.

**Delicious. I used 2/3 C less of the sugar because the apples we are getting from LPO are sweet. I used water instead of apple cider. I used organic safflower oil. I cut the slices of fruit in half. I didn't add the almond extract (although next time I will).