Know how to make the best Jewish Apple Cake recipe? It’s so easy that I thought I’d share this moist apple cake that is also loaded with walnuts. You will love this perfect Fall cake!
A Jewish Apple Cake is easy to make and traditionally made for the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah, which is our Jewish New Year.
The new year falls in September which is apple season and also a great time of the year to bake apple recipes.
We always say a blessing over apples and honey for a sweet new year.
This year promises to be a very sweet year-if I must say so myself.
However I guarantee this apple cake can be enjoyed year round!
This dense cake is loaded with 3 cups of chopped and peeled, Granny Smith apples and can be made in a tube pan or a bundt pan.
Just make sure to grease either very well!
This delicious cake received rave reviews from those who tasted it.
So, if you are looking for a great Fall dessert, this moist cake is a winner.
What are the best apples to use?
Granny Smith’s, Fuji, Gala apples or Honeycrisps are great apples for this popular recipe.
What makes this a Jewish apple cake?
This apple cake recipe is made without dairy products. Sour cream can be added but it is not necessary.
Honestly, many Jewish desserts are non-dairy, so they can be eaten following a meal with meat.
Jewish dietary laws state that meat and dairy products should not be eaten together which is why many Jewish desserts are made with oil and not butter.
How to Make Jewish Apple Cake:
This simple recipe does not require a mixer.
In a large bowl, begin by combining the vegetable oil or canola oil with sugar and brown sugar.
You could use olive oil, but I prefer the neutral taste of the above in this fresh apple cake.
Add in some vanilla extract and three large eggs at room temperature.
Mix together the dry ingredients of flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.
Now stir in the chopped walnuts.
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and voila! You are ready to stick this delicious apple cake into the oven.
Now if you want to know the truth, I did tweak this recipe a bit and decided to make this traditional Jewish apple cake a bit less traditional.
OK. I didn’t follow the dietary laws because I added in some sour cream.
Now mind you this is totally optional and this will still be the best cake ever, if you choose to not do this.
Many apple cakes are made with a layer of sliced apples on the top.
The top of this cake is not covered with apple slices because I chose to mix apple chunks into the thick batter.
If you wish to keep this a Jewish apple cake – which means not adding sour cream – you can make a simple glaze of powdered sugar and apple cider to make this a bit more elegant, shall we say.
Personally, I love everything glazed so pour this over the top of the cake to add some extra punch.
I though, actually added a caramel glaze, because well, Fall just yells caramel when it comes to apples, does it not?
No, this doesn’t work with Jewish families that keep kosher because of the butter and heavy cream, though it would work with a dairy meal.
The choice is yours and there are always options!
If you love apple desserts, this is one of the best Jewish apple cake recipes I know of for the Fall apple season!
So hey, get out your large mixing bowl and start baking this perfect Fall dessert.
I’m so happy to be back because I missed all of you and my nice quiet life.
Though it will be awhile before I can share my great adventure, I promise to fill the wait with some mouthwatering recipes.
Are you in?
Here’s to some good cooking ahead!
Just curious though, what are your favorite Fall desserts? I’d love to know!
Need Some More Apple Recipes?
The Best Jewish Apple Cake Recipe
- Prep Time: 30 Minutes
- Cook Time: 60 Minutes
- Total Time: 90 Minutes
- Yield: 12 Servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Jewish
Description
This Jewish apple cake is chock full of apples and walnuts and a bit of cinnamon. A perfect fall dessert with or without a caramel glaze!
Ingredients
3/4 c oil
1 c sugar
1 c brown sugar
2 large eggs (room temperature)
1 T vanilla extract
3 c flour
1 t salt
1 1/2 t baking soda ot 1 t baking soda in Denver
1 t cinnamon
3 c chopped and peeled apples
1 c chopped walnuts
1/2 c sour cream (optional)
Caramel Glaze (optional)
1 stick salted butter
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/4 c mmilk , cream or half and half
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 c powdered sugar
1 1/2 t vanilla extract
Apple Cider Powdered Sugar Glaze (Optional)
1 c powdered sugar
1 to 2 T of apple cider
Instructions
Apple Cake
Preheat oven to 350.
In a large mixing bowl combine 3/4 c neutral oil, 1 c sugar, 1 c brown sugar, 2 large eggs, and 1 T vanilla. Beat until smooth.
Stir together the baking soda, salt, flour and cinnamon. Add to the wet ingredients. Stir until the batter becomes stiff.
Stir in the chopped apples, nuts and sour cream (if using). The batter should be moist, thick and chunky. Add more cinnamon if you’d like.
Using a very well greased tube pan, scrape the batter with a spatula into the tube pan. (A bundt pan can also be used but a tube pan made this pretty easy.)
Bake for 60 minutes or until the cake starts to pull away from the pan and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Cool on a rack, then turn out onto a plate and remove the tube. When cooled completely, glaze with your choice of glazes or sprinkle with just powdered sugar. I also sprinkled a bit more cinnamon on top.
Caramel Glaze:
Melt together the butter, brown sugar and cream in a medium suacepan. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Add a pinch of salt.
Remove from heat and with a handheld mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, add the powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until combine and glossy. This should be pourable.
Pour over cake. It will puddle. Spread if you want. This will set upon standing.
Apple Cider Glaze
Whisk apple cider and powdered sugar together until there are no more lumps. If too thick add another drop of cider. If too thin, add more powdered sugar.
Sue
Wednesday 5th of October 2022
Flour missing
Abbe
Wednesday 5th of October 2022
Hi Sue. 3 cups of all purpose flour. Enjoy!
John / Kitchen Riffs
Monday 3rd of October 2022
This looks terrific! We're eating a lot of apples at the moment, so your timing is perfect. Thanks. (And BTW, thanks so much for those very kind comments you left on my final blog post!)