Mom's Jewish Apple Cake

The scent of cinnamon, sugar and apples, bring back so many childhood memories of my mother in the kitchen baking.  My sisters and I would gather in the kitchen to watch.  These moments were special and unforgettable, because the time we shared in the kitchen with our mother, not only bonded us as a family, but ignited my passion for baking.

My mother's Jewish Apple Cake recipe has been handed down from generation to generation and I would like to share it with you and your family.

The cake is dense, moist and layered with apples, cinnamon and sugar.  During the baking process, the apples, cinnamon and sugar placed on the final top layer of the cake, caramelize rendering a crispy, gooey, cinnamon sugar deliciousness that is amazing.

This is the best Jewish Apple cake you will ever taste.  I mean it!  Now let's get baking....


For the Cake Batter:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

• 4 large eggs 
• 3 cups of all  purpose flour
• 2 cups of sugar
• 3 tsp. of baking powder
• Dash of salt
• 1 cup of oil
• 1/2 cup of orange juice (I use no pulp)
• 2 1/2 tsp. of real vanilla extract

Sidebar:  This cake batter is on the thicker side.

For the Cinnamon Sugar and Apples:

• 4 medium red delicious apples 
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 tsp. of cinnamon sugar

Equipment:

One tube pan.  

Procedure:

• Preheat oven to 350
• Grease and flour the tube pan.
• Peel and core the apples. 
• Slice the apples in half and then slice the apple into thin to medium slices.  Continue to all apples are sliced.  Set aside
• Combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl.  Set aside.
• Place all of the cake batter ingredients into the bowl of your stand mixer.  Using your paddle attachment, mix until combined.  Make sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of your bowl.
• Pour half the cake batter into the tube pan and spread evenly in the pan
• Place half of the apples slices in a circular pattern on top of the cake batter, starting from the inside of the tube pan and working your way out. Make sure you completely cover the cake batter with the apples.  

Sidebar:  The end of each apple slice should be touching the next slice and there should be very little space between the apples.  See below:

Apple slices layered onto the batter and half the cinnamon sugar mixture sprinkled on.

Completed first layer with apples and cinnamon sugar

• After you have covered the batter with half of the apple slices, sprinkle approximately half of the cinnamon sugar mixture over the apples, until each apple is thoroughly coated with the sugar mixture.  (I save a little extra of the cinnamon sugar mixture for the top of the cake).
• Pour the remaining cake batter over the apples and cinnamon, spreading the cake batter evenly.  
• Sprinkle the remainder of your cinnamon sugar over the apples.  You want to make sure you have an extra layer of cinnamon sugar on the top of the cake to achieve the crispy, crunchy top. 
• Place the cake in your oven on the middle rack and bake for approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until the cake springs back when touched and the top is crispy and browned. 
• Remove the cake from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack.
• Once the cake is cool, run an offset metal spatula or knife, whichever you prefer, around the sides of the cake to release it from the pan.  Remove the inner tube first.
• Then holding the inner tube of the cake an on a flat surface, take your offset spatula and carefully place it between the bottom of the cake and the pan and gently turn the pan while you are making a sawing motion with the metal offset spatula.
• Continue moving the spatula between the bottom of the cake until the cake is released.
• Hold the inner tube upside down and with your other hand gently release the cake from the inner tube.
• Once the cake is removed from the pan, place it directly onto the surface you are going to serve it on.

Side Bar:   I typically start checking my cake at 1 hour; then 1 hour and 10 minutes, and so on.  Your cake tester will always have some crumb on it, due to the apples.  What you are looking for is a nicely browned top and few crumbs on the cake tester.  As we discussed in other recipes, everyone's ovens are different and baking times will vary.  Usually my cake is finished between 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Final layer of apples and cinnamon sugar on cake batter

Top  of Jewish Apple Cake with the delicious caramelized apples, cinnamon and sugar.

Ahh, doesn't that look great!

Slice of Jewish Apple Cake layered with apples and cinnamon sugar