Instructions

1. First, reduce the apple cider. Place 1 cup of apple cider in a pot and simmer until it reduces to ¼ cup, then set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the bowl with water and add the juice from one lemon. Peel and core the apples, and cut in 1/3 inch  thick slices. Keep the apple slices in lemon water to prevent browning.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9×9-inch pan. I like to line it with parchment paper, leaving a large overhang on the sides. That way, you can lift the whole cake from the pan to cool on a rack more quickly, and it’s easier to slice and serve when you remove it from the pan.
4. Sift together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and set aside.
5. Cream butter for a minute, then add sugar, and cream together to combine.
6. Add eggs, one at a time.
7. In a separate bowl, stir together reduced apple cider and heavy cream. Then add ½ of the cider-cream mixture to the cake mixture, followed by half of the flour mixture. Mix to combine, then add the remaining cider-cream and flour mixture and mix to combine evenly.
8. Spread the mixture in the prepared pan.
9. Stick apple slices on top. Stick each apple slice with the outer edges up.
10. Mix cinnamon with 3 Tablespoons of sugar and sprinkle on top.
11. Bake 40–50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Apple Cider Glaze:

1. While the cake is baking, prepare the glaze.
2. Reduce 1 cup of apple cider to 2 Tablespoons. Simmer in a pot, stirring occasionally.
3. Combine reduced apple cider with 1 Tablespoon of heavy cream and add powdered sugar. Whisk and continue adding a teaspoon of cream at a time until you reach the desired consistency. It should be pourable but not too thin. Drizzle over cooled cake. (I like to slice the cake first, then drizzle the glaze over each slice, letting it run down the sides when serving.)