Entertaining with Beth

Preheat the oven to 350F (175C).
Spay a 9" cheesecake pan with baking spray and distribute it well with a pastry brush. Set aside.
Beat together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until nice and fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating in between each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed.
Add vanilla extract and orange zest beat together and set this mixture aside.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, in thirds, gently beating until combined and scraping down the bowl as needed.
Add the apples and pecans and beat gently with the stand mixer, or stir in with a wooden spoon until just combined.
Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and smooth out with an offset spatula.
Whisk together the topping sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle it over the top of the cake batter and swirl it into the batter with a skewer or fork.
Bake for 45 minutes, then cover with a sheet of foil and bake for another 5 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Allow to cool completely and then just before serving run a sharp knife around the perimeter of the pan, to loosen the cake.
Release the spring and transfer the cake from the pan with a cake lifter or large spatula, to a cooling rack or cake stand.
Dust with powdered sugar and serve.