Overnight Apple Cake

Directions

1. 1
   Preheat the oven to 175F Choose a 6-cup souffle/ovenproof dish, generously grease it with one tablespoon of butter.
2. 2
   Cut a round of parchment to fit inside the dish, generously grease it on one side with the remaining tablespoon butter.
3. 3
   Place the sugar in a bowl.
4. 4
   Zest about 1 tablespoon of the orange zest into the sugar bowl, rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips.
5. 5
   Halve the orange and squeeze its juice into another bowl.
6. 6
   Peel the apples, core them, and thinly slice them into rings (if you don't want to bother coring, simply halve them and thinly slice).
7. 7
   Add the apple slices to the bowl with the orange juice as you work to prevent discoloring, tossing them to coat.
8. 8
   Layer the apple slices, overlapping them, in the prepared dish, sprinkling each layer with a little of the sugar.
9. 9
   Place the parchment round, buttered-side down, over the apples.
10. 10
    Place in the oven for 12 hours.
11. 11
    Remove the apple dish from the oven, there should be a good amount of bubbling juice.
12. 12
    Pressing down on the parchment with an oven mitt, pour off the juice into a sauce pan.
13. 13
    Bring the juice to a simmer and boil until brightly colored and thickened.
14. 14
    Meanwhile, invert the apple cake onto a serving plate.
15. 15
    Drizzle with the juices.