Cinnamon Apple Cake

Recipe From: Maura Gallagher.  Made by her for the New Years Gathering in October of 2008.

Preheat Oven to:  350 degrees  

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups  sugar -- divided
1/2 cup  stick margarine -- softened
1 teaspoon  vanilla extract
6 ounces  fat-free cream cheese -- softened
2 large  eggs
1 1/2 cups  all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons  baking powder
1/4 teaspoon  salt
2 teaspoons  ground cinnamon
3  cups  Rome apple -- peeled and chopped (about 2 large)
vegetable cooking spray

Instructions

1. Beat 1 1/2 cups sugar, margarine, vanilla, and cream cheese at medium speed of a mixer until well  blended (about 4 minutes). 
2. Add eggs, one at a time , beating well after each addition. 
3. Combine flour, baking powder and salt.  Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, beating at low speed until blended.
4. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon. 
5. Take 2 tablespoons cinnamon mixture and mix it with the apples in a bowl
6. Stir apple mixture into batter. 
7. Pour batter into an 8-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray, and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon mixture.
8. Bake at 350° for 1  hour and 15 minutes or until the cake pulls away form the sides of the pan. 
9. Cool the cake completely on a wire rack, and cut using a serrated knife.

NOTES : If made in a 9-inch springform pan, reduce cooking time by 5 minutes.

MAURA'S SPECIAL VARIATION: instead of reading recipe carefully, mix the full sugar/cinnamon mixture in with the apples.  Then, when you realize you should have only used 2 tablespoons, sigh, beat head against the countertop, and mix together another 1/4 cup sugar & 2 teaspoons cinnamon to use for the topping.  [I suspect that this weekend is the first time i've followed the recipe exactly, since i was keenly aware that i wouldn't have any backup cinnamon!]

Source:
  "Cooking Light, October 1997, p. 120"