Help! I tried making the apple cake posted by auntbeesbaking but with a couple of changes & ended up with a flaky cinnamon looking crust. Was it because of the changes I made or did I do something wrong in the process?

The changes I made were that I used Cake flour (the recipe didn't specify what type to use) and added applesaue in place of the vegetable oil.

The recipe says to beat the eggs till light & fluffy so I beat the whole eggs. I hope this was right. Also the recipe doesn't call for any baking powder wich I thought was odd but I didn't add it. I baked it in a dark 9x13 pan at 350 for about 45 minutes. Any less time and the center isn't cooked.

Ugh, I'm so frustrated! The cake is delicious aside from the crust but I'd like it to look pretty as well. Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks!