There's a good chance you've never heard of a Jewish Apple Cake. But trust me, once you make this American Classic it will soon become a family favorite.
Jewish Apple Cake is one of my favorite food memories from my high school years. It was one of the cakes that the girls made in Home EC as a project. A lot of you probably have never heard of Home Ec either.
I could always count on the new class making Jewish apple cake and thankfully I was always asked to sample the cakes the girls in the class made.
This cake truly is an American Classic and is definitely a cake that you need to make. Trust me on this one. Your friends and family will love you forever when you serve them a slice of this delicious apple cake!
What is a Jewish Apple Cake?
A Jewish Apple Cake is a dense cake made with apples. Suspected to have originated in Poland, this delicious cake was well known in the tri-state area of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware.
The Cake is made with vegetable oil, unlike many American cakes, which are usually made with butter. Because it doesn’t contain any dairy products the cake can be eaten after a meat meal under the Jewish dietary laws that prohibit mixing meat and milk.
Did I mention it’s Ah-mazingly Delicious!
What ingredients do I need to make a Jewish Apple Cake?
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make a Jewish Apple Cake. In Chef Speak this is called the Mise en Place which translates into Everything in its Place.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
How do I make a Jewish Apple Cake?
Start by prepping the apples.
In a large bowl, toss the chopped apples with the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
What kind of apples should I use?
When ever anyone mentions baking and apples, the first thought turns to Granny Smith. It may be sacrilege, but I don’t like those apples. And because I’m baking for my family I use the kind of apples I like.
These are the apples I like to use for baking:
- Gala
- Fuji
- Honeycrisp
- Pink Lady
- Winesap
- Jonathon
This is how you should approach recipes. Use ingredients that you like, not necessarily what the recipe calls for (if its an easy substitution).
Prepare the Cake Batter.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, vegetable oil, orange juice, and vanilla extract.
Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir to combine with a spatula or wooden spoon.
Add the eggs to the mixture one at a time, mixing well after each addition (the batter will start out very thick, but will get looser and easier to mix as you continue to add the eggs).
Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure that all of the ingredients are fully incorporated.
Butter and flour a tube pan before adding the cake to the pan.
**It’s best to use a Tube Pan with a Removable Bottom, it makes it much easier to get the cake out of the pan
Add a thin layer of the cake batter to the bottom of the pan, then add one-quarter of the apples on top of the batter.
Add one-quarter of the remaining cake batter over top of the apples, spreading it with a rubber spatula.
The batter will not completely cover all of the apples (it will spread when baking). Really, it will… I promise.
Repeat this process two more times with the remaining apples and cake batter, ending with a layer of cake batter.
Remember the batter will not completely cover the apples. Don’t worry, its okay… trust me, I’m a chef.
Okay, I admit I had my doubts. It’s been decades since I made a Jewish Apple Cake, but it came out better than expected. And the house smelled of apples and a time long gone.
Do I have to use a Tube Pan?
That’s really a tough question, I would use a tube pan aka angel food pan if you have one. If not a 12 cup bundt pan should work, a 10 cup bundt pan might be cutting it too close.
Food stirs memories and this delicious cake certainly brought me back to a simpler time when a delicious slice of cake on the bus home from school made me happy.
How do I get the cake out of the pan?
Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 15-20 minutes before attempting to remove it. Do not let the cake cool completely before removing it.
Most cakes are best unmolded from their pan while they are still warm, otherwise, they may stick to the pan.
If you enjoy this recipe, you may also like these:
Jewish Apple Cake
Ingredients
APPLES
- 6 medium Gala or Fuji apples (frozen peeled apples work too) peeled, cored and rough cut from ½ inch to 1 inch. (4½ – 5 cups of peeled apples)
- 5 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1½ tsp cinnamon more can be used if you like cinnamon
CAKE
- 2¾ cups all-purpose flour sifted
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 2½ tsp vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.
Prepare the Apples
- In a large bowl, toss the chopped apples with the sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.
Prepare the Cake Batter
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sugar, vegetable oil, orange juice, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir to combine with a spatula or wooden spoon.
- Add the eggs to the mixture one at a time, mixing well after each addition (the batter will start out very thick, but will get looser and easier to mix as you continue to add the eggs). Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure that all of the ingredients are fully incorporated.
- Add a thin layer of the cake batter to the bottom of the pan, then add one-quarter of the apples on top of the batter. The batter will not completely cover all of the apples (it will spread when baking). Really, it will… I promise.
- Repeat this process two more times with the remaining apples and cake batter, ending with a layer of cake batter.
- Place the cake in a 350 degree F preheated oven on the center rack in the middle of the oven.
- Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool to room temperature before serving and enjoy!
Nutrition
Phyllis says
I love this cake. My mother had the recipe and when I lived in Butler PA I used to make it all the time. Years later I moved to AZ and I lost the recipe. Thanks for the recipe.
Diana says
Can I substitute artificial sugar for the recipe
Chef Dennis Littley says
Swerve or Truvia can be used as cup for cup replacements but you won’t get the same cake. It won’t rise as much, the cake will be tougher and possible lumpy and might have an aftertaste. To achieve the same results the recipe would need to reworked.
Doug Korb says
Very good, great way to use extra apples. I only had Golden Delicious but they worked fine, I also had to use canola oil, all I had, would definitely recommend, thanks for the recipe
Chef Dennis Littley says
cooking at home is all about using your favorite ingredients and what you have on hand. I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the cake Doug
Wendy Darling says
Can you make this the night before? Is it ok to store in a cake keeper or should it just be loosely wrapped?
Chef Dennis Littley says
yes you can make this the night before, it holds up well. A cake keeper or loosely wrapped will hold the cake well, whichever works best for you.
James A O'Day Jr. says
How full do you fill the pan?
Chef Dennis Littley says
depending upon the size of the pan, if all the batter doesn’t fit leave about an inch at the top
Lynn Stanton says
Can I substitute orange juice with anything?
Chef Dennis Littley says
apple juice will work as a substitute.
Beth says
This cake was divine. I will definitely make this again.
Mary Gere says
Sounds very good, will be making it. How many servings per cake? Thanks!
Chef Dennis Littley says
the recipes says 16
Nellie D Mason says
Denis made the cake twice now. My family loves it. I use a tablespoon of cinnimon. Cut the sugar to 1 1/2 cups. And I also put a glace on it. Perfect for any occasion. Thank you for sharing.
Kayla says
Do you have any suggestions for baking it in a cupcake tin since I don’t have a large pan?
Chef Dennis Littley says
I would add some batter, then apples and another layer of batter in the cupcake pans. just watch your cooking time, it will probably be around 25 minutes
Kayla Lam says
Thank you! This worked out really well. The baking time for me was a bit longer than 25 but other than that it was great!
Diane says
Can I substitute apple juice for the orange juice?
Chef Dennis Littley says
that shouldn’t be a problem. The orange juice adds a little acidity to the mix, if you have a lemon on hand add a tablespoon of lemon juice with the apple juice.
Patti Strickland says
I love this cake and make it often in the fall. To make sure the cake comes out of the pan I use… equal parts shortening, vegetable oil & flour ..mix together till smooth. This will make sure NOTHING gets stuck in your pans. I use it for everything!!
Chef Dennis Littley says
what a great idea Patti, it’s something you can make ahead of time and keep for your baking needs.
Patti Strickland says
ABSOLUTELY Dennis, I keep a jar in the fridge!!
Allie says
I made this cake tonight and the flavor was amazing!! I don’t have a tube pan, so I made half the recipe and baked it in a 9 inch loaf pan at 350 for 45 minutes. The toothpick came out clean. A couple hours later when I went to serve it, the inside was gooey. So I guess it wasn’t cooked through totally. How long do you think I should’ve baked it for?
Chef Dennis Littley says
it probably needed another 10-15 minutes. I was going to try making the cake in a springform pan but expect I’ll run into the same problems. The cake is so dense it needs the smaller area a tube or bundt pan will give you to fully cook.
Gina says
This Jewish Apple Cake is a big hit in my home . Everyone absolutely loves it!! The recipe is extremely easy and it coMes out perfectly every time. Thank you for this delicious cake recipe.
MBS in LA says
A note in the recipe about how long to let the cake cool in the pan and tips on how best to get the cake out of the pan would have been helpful. Even though i greased and floured as directed, the cake came out in pieces. Delicious but couldn’t really serve it.
Chef Dennis Littley says
I’m sorry to hear you had trouble getting the cake out of the pan. I updated the post with tips for removing the cake, thank you for the suggestion.
Googlegoof says
I bake jewish apple cake every year for Rosh Hashana. Kids complain it’s too dense! I know this cake is suppose to be dense. Can you suggest something to make it a little less dense?
Chef Dennis Littley says
Cake flour might help lighten up the cake, it has a lower level of protein. You can also try adding 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda and really whipping the egg mixture to get a lot of air into it. And just mix the flour into it enough to get it mixed in.
Ina Schweitzer says
Made this last night. I don’t have vegetable oil in the house, ever, so I used Olive Oil. Instead of 2 cups of sugar, I used 1 1/4.
The Husband and I are in love with this cake! It’s light, not sweet and you can taste the apples!
Ina Schweitzer says
Meant to give 5 starts, sorry!
Jbean says
Just made this but allergen friendly for my nephew who cannot have eggs or gluten. Used egg replacer and GF flour. Since that flour tends to be a little grainy/pasty and egg replacer tastes somewhat of beans, I added extra flour, OJ, some orange zest, cinnamon, honey and vanilla. I tasted the raw batter (no eggs, so it was ok) and it was fabulous.
Question is; can I freeze this after baking? If so, how do you recommend?
Chef Dennis Littley says
Most cakes freeze well. After letting it completely cool (about 4 hours) double wrap the cake in film wrap and then wrap with foil. If you have large enough ziplock bags you could place it in a bag instead of the extra layer of foil. I wouldn’t keep the cake frozen for more than 6 weeks as the freezer pulls moisture out of anything we freeze.
La Thom says
I see many aspirational comments here; many people planning to bake this cake. I actually made it and I say with certainty that my Jewish mother would be proud of me! This tastes just like what she baked around Rosh Hashanah! I don’t have a Bundt pan in my Covid hideout so I used two loaf pans (had extra on the apples.) Never got to this in Home Ec in my Brooklyn,NY school. I hated Home Ec. I wanted to be in Wood Shop learning to use power tools. Yum and Shana Tova!
Morgan says
Is there an icing that you’d recommend for this cake? Maybe a caramel icing? Thanks!!
Chef Dennis Littley says
I don’t think it needs an icing but a caramel drizzle would be nice.
Barbara Avon says
Yes! We’re Italian and I’m positive that this is also the cake from my childhood. Thank you! Will be making it this weekend.
Anne says
I did not make a Jewish apple cake from Dennis’s recipe. However, it appears to be the same recipe that I do use. I just wanted to say that I make brownies and many other baked goods in cupcake form. People will call them muffins, but these are awesome cupcakes. The only thing is cutting the apples into smaller pieces. You can also stir the apples right into the batter when you’re making cupcakes. I can’t stop eating it though.
Sanna Bhavsar says
What a fabulous recipe! I’ll definitely try it out.
Jo says
Who can say no to apple cake. That is one delicious lloking apple cake. All my favorite flavors in it, simply love it.
Sam says
Wow this cake looks amazing. I wish we made it in home ec! It looks so moist and delicious. Looking forward to trying it.
Heidy says
Your recipe for Jewish Apple Cake should be renamed to award-winning Jewish Apple Cake! The entire family loved it. I will keep this recipe for years to come. It was perfect. Pinning!
MusicCityMissy says
I made this cake last night with early June apples I had in the freezer and it turned out GREAT! This recipe is definitely a keeper.
Paige says
Haha…I took Home EC, though we never made a cake that looked anything as good as this! It really looks moist, and I bet it’s one of those cakes that tastes even better the next day..YUM.
Nicole says
Home Ec was my favourite class (the cooking part, not so much the sewing part). We never made a cake like this, but I really wish we did. Luckily for me, I have all these ingredients on hand (one giant honey crisp apple waiting to be enjoyed, too), and I need to make a point to try this.
Tara says
I took Home Ec and we never made this cake, but I wish we did! It’s moist and delicious and since I’m recently dairy free, it’s the perfect dessert!
Amy says
I think I’m part of the first generation that didn’t have to take home ec — and jeez, I didn’t realize what I was missing! This looks SO amazing! Like an apple pie, but … cake! Which is even better. 🙂 I can’t wait to try it, and make up for all the time I didn’t get to eat this in junior high!
Carol Borchardt says
Ha! I’m here to tell you I DO remember Home Ec and took many a Home Ec class! I don’t remember making this cake, though but now I have to. Love how easy it is for a non-baker like me!
P-and-P says
It looks delicious. 🙂
Rosey says
I haven’t ever heard of it. It sure looks delicious though. I’m all about apple anything.
Cathy Mini says
Aww. this Jewish apple cake looks so delicious. I will save this recipe, yum!
Swathi says
This is delicious apple cake. I need to try it. Good apple cake with cup of coffee is always a bliss.
Catalina says
Apple cake is something that we make very often in my house. I will try your recipe next time!
Heather says
This cake is delicious! My family loved it!
Farrah Less says
I never had this bread before. But that surely taste and look good.
Bolupe says
Hmm, oh yum. I remember baking this cake when I hosted some friends who requested it. It is interesting that you chose to use Pink Lady apples for yours. I used British cooking apples. I never knew Pink Lady apples can be used for baking. It must make it sweeter.
Chef Dennis Littley says
I used Gala apples for my cake, Pink Lady were on the list of apples I recommended. I know apples change depending upon what part of the world you’re in.
Pam Wattenbarger says
I remember home ec in high school, except we never got to make anything that looked as good as this!
Sarah Bailey says
Hands up I absolutely LOVE a good dessert made from apple and this sounds like it would be right up my street.
Crystal Carder says
I might have just found me a new potluck dessert! This sounds amazing!
Beth says
I’ve never heard of a Jewish apple cake, but it looks delicious!
Leslie says
I took Home Ec in high school! Haha, so I have definitely remember a lot from that class. I have not heard of this apple bread though! I know this will be an instant hit in my house!
Natalie says
Oh that crust and flavors…. soooo delicious! I instantly want to make this cake. Have all the ingredients, don’t see why not. Thanks for this recipe!
Jennifer Van Haitsma says
Never had Jewish Apple Cake so this is new to me. Side note: I wish they still had Home EC at all schools. I didn’t have it in high school (I was a 2004 graduate). My mom didn’t really teach me that stuff and I left home not knowing how to do shit for myself LOL.
Tasheena says
This would be perfect to snack on. Looking forward to making this recipe.
Amber Myers says
This looks so good! I love apple treats, so I am excited to try this out. I don’t think I’ve ever had an apple cake before.
Jen Talley says
Delicious! Reminds me of my Aunt’s Jewish apple cake!
Melissa says
Yum! This cake is so good! Thanks for the recipe
Marina says
Jewish Apple cake looks yummy!
Lathiya says
The apple cake looks amazing. I love that you loaded with apple chunks.
Raquel says
This recipe looks delicious and I love how simple it is to make!
Ginny says
What a delicious recipe! The large apple chunks made the cake unique. I use a little bit of a more decorative bundt pan and it was so pretty in that pan too. Thanks for the yummy recipe.
Emily Flint says
I swear I can smell the picture, this looks sooooo good!
Sue says
Great cake! And I am with you on the apple types – I don’t get why everyone thinks of Granny Smith apples for baking. So many other varieties out there to choose from!
Gloria says
Well this certainly does look delicious! Makes a great brunch cake. Perfect for a take along to bbq parties and picnics too.
Michele peterson says
This delicious recipe brought back great memories of my time in Home Ec class! Although we didn’t make Jewish Apple Cake we were introduced to many other recipes that my mother didn’t make at home so it was always an adventure. I like your choices of apples too – I’m not a fan of granny smith apples for cooking either.
Laura says
This recipe is great. So much apple flavor!
Katherine O Shearin says
My mom made this. She always put a layer of cinnamon sugar and pecans at the bottom of the pan. She also added pecans in the batter. She just mixed apples and batter altogether and put the cinnamon and sugar in the batter. It is a recipe that reminds me so much of my mom, every time I make it. Delicious!
Margie says
I make this cake with apple juice or apple cider instead of the orange juice. I also cut back the sugar a bit and add crumbs. If you want less fat, you can also replace the oil with applesauce. Any way you make it is always delicious.