Honey Apple Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine the honey and lemon juice in a large nonstick pot and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the apples, stirring occasionally to coat them with honey. Cook the apples until they are quite tender and have absorbed most of the honey mixture, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside while making the cake. The apples will continue to absorb the honey as they sit.

In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, butter or margarine, brown sugar, and vanilla and almond extract. Beat with an electric mixture on medium speed until well blended, about 1 minute. Add the eggs and beat to incorporate.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the flour mixture to the sugar-egg mixture a little at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl with each addition. Beat on low until blended.

Pour the batter into the prepared springform pan and press to spread evenly over the bottom (it will seem like it hardly covers it). By this time, the apples should have absorbed almost all, if not all, the honey liquid. Arrange the apples on top of the batter and drizzle any remaining liquid over the apples. Bake for 1 hour.

Cool completely. Release the sides of the springform pan and, using a spatula, lift the cake off the base and onto a serving plate.