I love apple desserts, especially when I can use freshly picked apples my kids helped harvest.
One of my favorite apple recipes is Jewish Apple Cake. My mom made it when I was a kid and it is has always been one of my favorite desserts.
So why is it called a Jewish apple cake? It's a recipe that is believed to have originated in Poland and is made with oil – unlike most American cakes which are made with butter. Since the Jewish apple cake is non-dairy, it can be eaten in accordance with the Jewish dietary laws that prohibit mixing meat and milk. This is a popular recipe at Hanukkah and Rosh Hashanah celebrations.
In 2023, Rosh Hashanah begins the evening of Friday, Sept. 15, and ends the evening of Sunday, Sept. 17.
At Macaroni KID, we skip the fluff and get straight to the good stuff. No need to scroll through pages of unnecessary content — our recipes are easy to find. Now let's get cooking!
Jewish Apple Cake
Ingredients:
For the apple mixture:
- 6 medium apples, peeled, cored, and chopped to about 1/2 inch. (I prefer to use a mix of apples like Cortland, Northern Spy, and Macs, but you can use any type)
- 5 Tbsp. granulated sugar
- 2 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
For the cake:
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 Tbsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup canola oil or vegetable oil
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 4 eggs
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an angel food cake or tube or bundt pan.
- In a large bowl, toss the chopped apples with the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, canola oil, orange juice, and vanilla extract.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry mixture and combine.
- Add the eggs to the mixture one at a time, mixing well after each addition (the batter will start very thick but will get easier to mix as you continue to add eggs). Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure all ingredients are fully mixed. If your batter is too thick after all the eggs are added, add an extra splash of OJ.
- Place a bit of the cake batter on the bottom of the pan and then layer apple slices over the top of the batter.
- Repeat three times. A thin layer of batter is all you need – you don't need to cover the apples with the batter completely.
- End with batter on top.
- Bake for 90 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool to room temperature before serving.
 oleksandranaumenko | Canva |
