Cinnamon Crown Cake

You know all those funny e-card pictures floating around Facebook and Pinterest these days?  I saw one the other day that made me laugh harder than most.  "Everyone's in a relationship, getting married, or having babies.  And I'm just over here like 'I love cake.'"  I laughed, and laughed, and laughed, and then realized that was me.  So, I guess the least I can do is share a good cake recipe with you, right?

I consider this one of my mom's signature recipes.  I'm not sure where she got the recipe from, but I LOVED when she'd make it (though I don't remember her making it just for us as a family - there was always an occasion).  These days I don't need an occasion to enjoy this great cake.  Its very much like a coffee cake, so it works for breakfast or dessert.  Or whenever.

It looks like it might be difficult, but its actually very easy.  The trick is in the pan.  I find two things necessary when using a bundt pan.  1) Get a good bundt pan.  Cheap ones don't bake or release properly in my experience.  2) Grease the pan generously and then dust with flour.  Make sure you grease all the crevices, or the cake won't release from the pan properly.

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups flour
1/2 cup applesauce
3 tsp. baking powder
2 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
1/2 tsp. salt
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup quick oatmeal
2 tsp. cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 350.  Generously grease and flour 12-cup bundt pan.  Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup and level off.  In large bowl, combine first 8 ingredients (flour through milk).  Beat 3 minutes at medium speed.  Spoon 1/2 batter into pan.

Stir remaining ingredients into remaining batter.  Spoon over batter in pan.

Bake 55-60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool upright in pan 30 minutes.  Invert onto plate.  You may need to loosen the sides of the cake from the pan with a butter knife.  Serve warm with ice cream or applesauce.

I find that I don't need any sort of occasion to make this fabulous cake.  In fact, my co-workers seem to love me because I selfishly make something because I want some of it, then bring them the rest.  In fact, I put this cake in the break-room first thing one morning.  20 minutes later I came back to find this:

And, yes, I ate the last piece of cake.