For as long as I can remember, Mom made “Mrs. Cheney’s Apple Cake”, or a variant thereof.
Mr. Cheney owned and operated Cheney Orchards in Brimfield Massachusetts. I grew up in the adjacent town, Monson, but Dad grew up in Brimfield, and at one time or another, worked in the orchard for Mr. Cheney.
Mrs. Cheney, his clever wife, was a college-educated (nearly scandalous at the time) home-economics teacher in Brimfield. My Aunt Joann had her as a teacher. Well, Mrs. Cheney was the author of a number of (oddly, apple-related) recipes, and I can remember seeing printed recipes for the taking at the orchard when we visited in the fall.
Herewith, Mrs. Cheney’s Apple Cake (one of many variants):
5 apples, pared & sliced (Macintosh preferably)
½ c. sugar
1 ½ tsp. cinnamon
Mix together and set aside.
3 c. flour
2 c. sugar
1 tsp. soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
4 eggs
1 c. oil
1/3 c. orange juice
2 tsp.
Vanilla
Mix all ingredients together well.
Grease and flour a bundt pan.
Alternate layers of batter and apples, beginning and ending with batter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 90 minutes (1 ½ hours) or until a toothpick comes out clean.
