Apple coffee cake

We had a surplus of apples on our tree this year, and I always love to try something new with them.  This cake is so moist, and the original recipe encourages you to make the cake a day in advance so the flavours in the cake deepen.  It is a fabulous cake, and is definitley a keeper recipe. Enjoy!

Adapded from epicurious



3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups oil
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups peeled, cored, and thickly sliced apples
1 cup chopped walnuts ( I did not add)
1 cup raisins (I did not add)
Vanilla ice cream for serving (optional)

preparation
1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch tube pan. Sift together the flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda.
2. Beat the oil and sugar together in a mixer with a paddle (or in a bowl with a hand mixer) for 5 minutes. Add the eggs and beat until the mixture is creamy. Stir in the dry ingredients. Add the vanilla, apples, (walnuts, and raisins  if adding them ) and stir until combined.
3. Turn the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan before turning out.
4. Serve with vanilla ice cream, if desired.