Patti made this cake when we were staying with her and Eric in Boston. It is delicious warm with icecream an hour or so after it is made, but also keeps well since it is so moist.

Preheat oven to 180C. Butter the sides and base of a 20 cm springform pan.

Beat castor sugar, butter, vanilla and cream cheese with an electric mixer at medium speed until well-blended - about 4 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition.

In a separate bowl, combine the sifted flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the creamed mixture in two lots, beating at low speed until blended.

In a cup, mix together the 1/4 cup sugar and the cinnamon. Stir a couple of teaspoons of this into the cake batter, along with the chopped apples, and mix until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar evenly over the top.

Bake for one hour and 15 minutes, or until a knife inserted comes out clean. Check after 45 minutes and cover the cake with foil if it is browning too quickly. Cool cake on a wire rack.

20 October 2003