French Apple Cake

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• Servings: 6-8

  Prep Time: 20 Minutes

  Cook Time: 40 Minutes

  Total Time: 1 Hour
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• Ingredients :

• 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling over cake
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used Mexican vanilla)
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 2 baking apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I like Honeycrisp, Fuji or Granny Smith) (3-1/2 - 4 cups chopped)
• Confectioners' sugar (optional), for decorating cake
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• Instructions:
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1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Grease a 9-inch springform or regular cake pan with butter or nonstick cooking spray. If using a regular cake pan, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and grease again.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Using a handheld mixer with beaters, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, aboutt 3 minutes.  Add the eggs, one at a tome, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition.  Beat in the vanilla and milk.  Don’t worry if the batter looks grainy at this point.  Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined.  Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chopped apples.  
4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and even the top.  Bake for 35-40 min, or until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Allow the cake to cool on a rack in the pan.  Using a fine sieve, dust with confectioners' sugar (if using). Cake can be served warm or room temperature, plain or with lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.