Ingredients

2 cups flour

1 cup packed light-brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

½ pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces

5 pounds (about 12) tart apples, such as Granny Smith

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Make crisp mixture:
In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Using an electric mixer or a pastry cutter, cut in butter until the mixture forms pea-size pieces.
Press crisp mixture into pan:
Press 2/3 of the mixture onto bottom and 1 inch up the side of a 9-inch springform pan.

Preheat the oven; peel and slice apples:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel apples, cut into thin slices, and place in a bowl. Pour off any accumulated liquid. Toss apple slices with remaining teaspoon cinnamon and lemon juice.

Assemble:
Transfer apples to the prepared pan, pressing down gently as you pack them in (they will mound above the edge of the pan). Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture on top.

Bake:
Put the pan on an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until golden brown on top.

Cool in pan:
Run a knife around the edge of the pan, and let the cake cool in the pan to set. Serve at room temperature, dusted with confectioner's sugar if desired.

To dust the cake with confectioners' sugar: put confectioners' sugar in a standard sieve, hold it over the cake, and tap the edge lightly.

Coffee cakes