My Mom’s Apple Cake

I need to be truthful from the start on this one:

1. This cake is a CAKE. It’s not going to be a Paleo-Gluten-free-Vegan-Fad-Diet-Version of anything. You want the healthiest apple dessert? I gotcha covered: dip apple slices in peanut butter. Want a fantastic cake that is fine in moderation and comes out perfectly every time? This is your recipe.

2. My mom (and her mom, the wizard behind Grandmom’s Chocolate Cake), always referred to this as “Jewish Apple Cake.” Having grown up Catholic, it always puzzled me why a favorite dessert was decidedly non-Catholic. In fact, many of our family’s traditional foods, Polish in name, are actually Jewish in origin. Lest I make an unintentional gaff, I looked into the origin of “Jewish Apple Cake,” and found this article which explained: “The layered cake has Polish roots…The word ‘Jewish’ had quotes around it probably because the recipe calls for oil instead of butter, and orange juice instead of milk… The juice substitute kept the cake pareve, or suitable for a kosher meal at which meat might be served.” I also learned that this particular recipe is the popular preparation in the Philadelphia area, from where my family hails. So, hooray for history lessons that result in delicious desserts!

3. That photo up there is not mine, as I haven’t yet perfected baking this cake, nor any cake, at 7,000 ft. elevation. {sad trombone noise} So, the photo is from 3liz4 via photopin cc, and looks enough like my mom’s to represent this recipe nicely. Though, in truth, you want it to be a bit more cake-y, like this:

My Mom’s Apple Cake

So, ’tis the season for apples, and I’m feeling a little homesick for my mom’s moist, fabulous, crowd-pleasing cake, and I thought passing it along to you might remedy the I-Can’t-Get-No-Cake Blues. Enjoy!

My Mom's Apple Cake

HealthfulMama.com

A tried-and-true family recipe for Jewish Apple Cake that comes out perfect every time.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Servings 8 -10

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 6-7 apples peeled and sliced
• 5 T sugar+ 2T cinnamon
• 3 c unbleached organic flour
• 2 c organic cane sugar Or try coconut sugar!
• 1 c canola oil You might attempt to use a light olive oil, but it would change the flavor slightly. You may also substitute 1/2 c of the oil for 1/2 c of applesauce, but it will not result in the best consistency.
• 1/2 c fresh orange juice
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 2 /12 tsp vanilla

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350. Grease a tube cake pan or bundt pan.
• Combine 5T of sugar with 2T cinnamon. Sprinkle 3 Tablespoons of the mixture over the sliced apples. Toss to coat. Save remaining cinnamon-sugar.
• Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and beat well to combine.
• Pour 1/3 of the batter into the tube pan. Top with a layer of apples. Repeat, layering batter and apples, with the last layer being batter.
• Sprinkle remaining cinnamon-sugar over the top.
• Bake 1 hour- 1 hour 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Top will be golden brown. Be sure not to skip the toothpick test, and always test in the middle. This cake is dense and you want to be sure it is cooked through.

Notes

Try topping this with nuts or a glaze for a pretty presentation.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Do you have a favorite family recipe or favorite apple dessert?