Rosh Hashanah will be here before you know it. As the fall season arrives, so do the apples, making it the perfect time to celebrate the Jewish New Year. I have the perfect sweet treat for a quiet dinner at home or a not-so-quiet family gathering to celebrate. I don't know about your family, but mine can be loud - and that's OK! It just means we're festive.
Former Macaroni KID publisher Whitney Wright shared her family's recipe with us, and we're happy to pass it along for your family to enjoy.
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 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 for those who keep kosher. This is a popular recipe for Jewish celebrations, including Rosh Hashanah, Sukkot, and Hanukkah.
My little guy and I hit a local apple orchard recently to grab some apples to make the cake. When we got home my daughter, son, and I got to work. The end result was amazing and as delicious as I always remember.
 Whitney Wright |
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!
 Whitney Wright |
Jewish Apple Cake
Ingredients:
Apple mixture:
- 6 medium apples
- 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
 Whitney Wright |
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an Angel food cake or tube or bundt pan.
- Wash, peel and core the apples. Slice some for the top and then chop the rest to about 1/2 inch
- 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 and 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 that all of the 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, then layer some of the chopped apples over the batter. Repeat the layers three times. A thin layer of batter is all you need - you don't need to completely cover the apples.
- End with a layer of batter, then arrange the reserved apple slices on top in a pretty pattern.
- Bake 90 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool to room temperature before serving.
Hope you enjoy this Jewish apple cake recipe as much as my family and I do!
 Market Place Designers via Canva |
