Diane's Apple Cake

1 cup shortening (I like to use butter-flavored Crisco)
2 cups sugar
2 t vanilla
4 eggs
2 cups flour
1 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1 t salt
4 apples peeled, cored and cut in chunks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Using a mixer, beat sugar, shortening, and vanilla at medium speed until well-blended (about 4 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add flour mixture to creamed mixture, beating at low speed until blended. Fold in apples.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 9 x 13 inch pan. Cook for 1 hour. Allow cake to cool in the pan on a rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving.

Makes 12 servings.

Notes:

This is a simple coffee cake style desert. Be sure to cook the cake for at least an hour if not longer. The longer it cooks the more caramelized it becomes.