This is an impressively high cake, baked in a tube or bundt pan. The apples soften during baking and give the cake a lovely, moist texture. Grease the pan generously with corn oil, as Edna Bension does, or with soft pareve margarine; in either case the cake, made with vegetable oil, won't contain dairy products, so it can follow a meat meal, according to the Jewish dietary laws.

For the apples:

5 medium apples

5 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/3 cup sugar

For the batter:

1/2 cup orange juice

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

5 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups sugar

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

Set the oven at 350 degrees. Generously grease a 10-inch tube or bundt pan.

For the apples: Peel, core and slice them. Sprinkle them with cinnamon and sugar and set them aside.

For the batter: In the bowl of an electric mixer beat together the orange juice, vanilla, eggs and oil. Gradually beat in the sugar, flour, salt and baking powder. When the batter is smooth, beat the mixture for a few minutes.

Pour a third of the batter into the pan. Add half the apples (make sure they don't touch the sides of the pan). Add another third of the batter, then the remaining apples. Top with the remaining batter.

Transfer the cake to the hot oven and bake it for 1 1/4 hours or until it is firm and golden brown and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Leave to cool, then turn the cake out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Cut into thick wedges for serving. Makes one large cake.