Jewish Apple Cake
There are some recipes that just feel like a warm hug, and our Jewish Apple Cake is one of them. This isn’t your average light and fluffy cake; it’s something truly special.
We’re talking about an unbelievably moist and tender cake that’s loaded with layers of fresh, sweet apples. As it bakes, the cinnamon and sugar sprinkled between the layers create ribbons of gooey goodness and a perfectly crisp, crackly top. The aroma alone will fill your home with the coziest scent imaginable. It’s the perfect dessert for any gathering. Get ready to fall in love with your new favorite fall tradition. It’s pure comfort, and absolute heaven!
Watch Our Jewish Apple Cake How-to Tutorial
In order to make this cake, you will need a tube pan. When deciding what type of apples to use, I typically favor Honeycrisp, if available. However, any of the following make excellent baking apples:
- Honeycrisp – My favorite apple, hands down! Crisp texture that holds up extremely well while baking with a sweet albeit slightly tart flavor profile.
- Jonagold – A large apple with a tangy sweetness resembling honey. These are great for baking however, they do not store well so use them up quickly during the peak of the season in early fall.
- Braeburn – Very crisp and juicy texture with a mix of sweet and tart flavors. It is believed that this apple resulted from an accidental cross between a Golden Delicious and Red Delicious apple.
- Pink Lady – This apple retains its shape while baking and has a wonderful balance of sweetness to tartness. It does tend to favor the tart side than sweet.
- Granny Smith – A great baking apple that is tart, crisp, and sour.
Jewish Apple Cake Ingredients
Let’s take a closer look at the ingredients that make up this delicious cake.
Flour
I use King Arthur flour for all of my baking needs. (Not an affiliate – just really like their flour!) This specific all-purpose flour has a higher protein percentage (11.7%) than most other brands. A higher protein percentage equates to a stronger flour. All-purpose flour serves a wide variety of baking needs from cakes to pies to some breads.
Granulated Sugar
We use granulated sugar in this cake to not only add sweetness but to tenderize as well. When sugar is added, it results in the flour and eggs forming weaker bonds which produces a more tender cake crumb.
Baking Powder
Baking powder serves as a leavening agent.
Vegetable Oil
Vegetable oil adds moisture to the cake evenly. A cake made with this oil will also stay moister longer than one made with butter.
Eggs
Eggs are important because they give your cake structure.
Orange Juice
Orange juice adds moisture and brightens the cake.
Apples
Apples are one of the main ingredients. It is important to use apples that are best for baking such as Honeycrisp, Jonagold, Braeburn, Pink Lady, and Granny Smith.
Cinnamon and Sugar
Cinnamon and sugar help to enhance the natural flavor of apples.
How To Make Jewish Apple Cake
We have detailed instructions in the recipe that follows but this is a brief overview of how to make this yummy cake.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and baking powder. Add oil and orange juice. Stir until just combined. Add eggs and stir until incorporated. In a separate small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon.
Spread one third of batter in greased tube pan. Add one third of sliced apples on top of batter. Sprinkle one third the cinnamon/sugar mixture on top of apples. Spread another one third of batter, then apples, and another one third of cinnamon/sugar mix. Add last third of batter, apples, and cinnamon/sugar. (Please note: When adding batter over apples, the batter will not fully cover the apples and that is ok. Do your best to evenly distribute the batter between layers. It will fill in as it is baking.)
Bake for 60-90 minutes. (Mine takes about 70 minutes.) Let cake cool 15-20 minutes before removing from the outer pan. This cake stores well (covered) at room temperature for 3 days or for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Removing A Cake From A Tube Pan
It can be a little tricky removing a cake from a tube pan. This is the method I find works for me.
- Let the cake cool for 15-20 minutes. Carefully, run a knife along the outside edge of the pan (the sides of the cake). If using Pam Spray with flour, I typically do not need the knife. It will lift out easily on its own. Gently, lift the cake out using the tube portion of the pan. Let the cake now cool completely (several hours).
- After cake has cooled, carefully run a knife down around the tube portion of the cake and the bottom of the pan. Using your hands, gently lift the cake off the tube pan and place onto a serving plate. You may need someone else to help you with this. Alternatively, you can place a piece of parchment paper (with a hole cut out in the center to fit on the tube) over the top of the cake. Say a prayer (ha) and invert the cake onto your hands (carefully), remove the tube pan, and then place back down right side up onto serving plate.
Tips
- Measure correctly – I highly recommend using a kitchen scale when baking. Because baking measurements need to be exact, using a scale helps to measure as precisely as possible. It quite honestly was a complete game changer for me when I first started using one! I would be lost without it now.
- Room temperature is important! When certain ingredients (eggs, cream cheese, butter, etc.) are listed as room temperature, there are scientific reasons behind this. At room temperature, these ingredients blend together better and result in a smoother batter. Ultimately, you will end up with a better final product!
My Preferred Tools
You may already have many of these items in your kitchen. I recommend the following for this recipe:
- Kitchen Scale – precisely measure ingredients
- Stand Mixer – to mix batter
- Tube Pan – to bake cake
- Peeler – to peel apples
- Cooling Racks – to cool cake and dishwasher friendly!!
Jewish Apple Cake
Ingredients
Note: Gram measurements do not adjust automatically with the serving multiplier.
Method
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a tube pan with Crisco or Pam's Baking Spray (with flour). Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and baking powder. Add oil and orange juice. Stir until just combined. Add eggs and stir until incorporated (try to not mix too much). In a separate small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon.
- Spread one third of batter in greased tube pan. Add one third of sliced apples on top of batter. Sprinkle one third the cinnamon/sugar mixture on top of apples. Spread another one third of batter, then apples, and another one third of cinnamon/sugar mix. Add last third of batter, apples, and cinnamon/sugar. Bake for 60-90 minutes. (Depends on the juiciness of the apples. Mine takes about 70 minutes.)
- Let cake cool 15-20 minutes before removing the outer pan. After removing the cake from the outer pan, let cool completely before removing from the tube part. This cake stores well (covered) at room temperature for 3 days or for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.
Video
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Have a wonderful day!
This is delicious! A keeper for sure! Thanks for the great recipe!
Aww sure! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
It is soooo good trust me you will get addicted great job!!!!
Thank you so much! That is so sweet! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Looks great! Can’t wait to try it. I can smell it through the pictures! 🍎
Thank you so much! The kitchen really does smell amazing when this is baking—can’t wait for you to try it! Thank you so much for visiting and for your kind words!