The Best Jewish Apple Bundt Cake
My brother-in-law made this Jewish Apple Cake for us a couple of years ago when we were visiting. We liked it so much we’ve been making it ever since. This recipe is slightly adapted from the Jewish Apple Cake Recipe in the Worldwide Ward Cookbook. If you love apple cakes, try my Upside Down Apple Cake next.
We just so happen to have hundreds of apples in our house right now. No kidding! HUNDREDS! Well, half of them have already been converted into applesauce, and another 75 lbs will have their special day tomorrow.
Oh, the recipes we can make with Apples
- Dutch Apple Pie
- Caramel Apple Baked French Toast
- Snickers Apple Salad
- Caramel Cheesecake Apple Dip
- Cinnamon Sugar Apple Salad
- Overnight Apple Pie Oats
I took a break from applesauce to throw one of these bad boys together, and the morale of everyone in the house went up about 10 notches!
I made one tiny adjustment to the ingredients. As good as it was before, it turned out even better!
How to make Jewish apple bundt cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease and flour a bundt pan.
- Beat eggs until yellow.
- Add sugar, butter-flavored Crisco, and vanilla. Mix until well creamed.
- Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until well combined.
- Then, stir in grated apples until blended throughout.
- In a small bowl, combine cinnamon and brown sugar. Set aside.
- Next, pour half of the batter into the bundt pan.
- Then, sprinkle half of the cinnamon mixture over the batter.
- Run a knife or spoon through the cinnamon mixture and batter to create swirls.
- Repeat with remaining batter and cinnamon mixture, making sure to only fill bundt pan 2/3 full.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes.
- Cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake.
- Remove from oven and cool cake completely.
- Run knife along sides of pan and turn out onto a large round plate or cake stand.
- Dust with powdered sugar.
- Enjoy!
Conner told me it is the BEST cake he has ever had, and my husband can’t stay away from it…..There is only a tiny sliver left.
Our neighbor came over tonight to help us fix our computer that crashed. I asked him if he would rather have an apple crisp or an apple cake as a little thank you. He tasted the little sliver of cake that Sim hadn’t eaten yet, and was, like, “OOh, this…this, please!” Have I convinced you to make it yet?
Frequently Asked Questions about how to make Jewish Apple Cake
What can I use in place of butter-flavored Crisco?
The original recipe calls for vegetable or canola oil. Using 1/2 cup softened butter and 1/2 cup oil will give the cake a similar buttery undertone as if you used butter-flavored Crisco. You can also use all butter.
Can I bake the cake in a 9×13 dish?
Yes, but reduce the baking time to 30-40 minutes.
Do I need to squeeze the juice from the grated apples?
No. If the apples seem extra juicy, drain some off. I have never squeezed the juice out of the apples.
Can this cake be frozen?
Yes, but wait to dust the cake with powdered sugar until ready to serve. Cover the cake tightly with Saran Wrap, and then wrap it in aluminum foil or place it in an airtight container, if you have one big enough. When you are ready to serve the cake, thaw it and, then, dust powdered sugar on top.
baker’s tools for an Apple Bundt Cake:
If you love Apple Cakes, you'll love these...
- 4 eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup butter-flavored Crisco, melted and cooled
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 4 cups grated apples
- 4 tsp cinnamon
- 4 Tbsp brown sugar
- Powdered sugar
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Grease and flour a bundt pan. Set aside.
- Beat eggs until yellow.
- Add sugar, butter-flavored Crisco, and vanilla. Mix until well creamed.
- Next, add flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix until well combined.
- Then, stir in grated apples until blended throughout.
- In a small bowl, combine cinnamon and brown sugar. Set aside.
- Next, pour half of the batter into the bundt pan.
- Then, sprinkle half of the cinnamon mixture over the batter.
- Run a knife or spoon through the cinnamon mixture and batter to create swirls.
- Repeat with remaining batter and cinnamon mixture, making sure to only fill bundt pan ⅔ full.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. 55 minutes in my oven is just right.
- Cake is done when a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake.
- Remove from oven and cool cake completely.
- Run a knife along the sides of the pan and turn out onto a large round plate or cake stand.
- Dust with powdered sugar.
- Enjoy!
An apple a day...
Other Apple Cakes
Ummm, this would be appropriate for breakfast, right? 😉
TOTALLY!
What kind of apples do you use? I have some Granny Smiths I need to use.
Granny Smiths will work great! I use whatever I have, but prefer granny smith, gala or red delicious or a mixture is actually my favorite.
I’ve made these for a while now. I just experimented with peaches 🍑 using the same recipe and O, my lawd!!! Delicious
Made this for dessert,used butter and oil. Didn’t have apples so I used pears. Turned out yummy…
Awesome, glad to hear it works well with pears.
Made this today and omg. So bad. The batch makes 2 cakes which she false you state!!!! It’s so sweet it’s disgusting. I now have burnt cake all over the bottom of my oven!
I’m sorry to heat that Erica? How big was your bundt pan? A good rule of thumb for bundt cakes is to never fill the pan more than 2/3 full. If you pan isn’t standard size you can put the leftover batter in a small loaf pan or another pan and bake it too.
That’s what happened to me!! Wow!! I thought I didn’t measure correctly.
Hi, Carolyn. Sorry to hear the batter overflowed. How full was the bundt pan after you poured the batter in it? When making bundt cakes, it’s important to only fill the pan 2/3 full.
I’m very excited to try this recipe, it looks like a winner! I’m all prepped except for the apples – do you grate them with or without the skin? And do you use a food processor or by hand?
Thank you for sharing this amazing founding dessert!
Hi Mildred, Sorry I didn’t see this comment until now. I usually peel them and grate them by hand, but I have also left the peels on and I have also used my food processor. I prefer it with the peels off, but didn’t notice a difference when I used the food processor compared to grating by hand.
Have made this recipe and everyone who ate it asked for the recipe. I did cut the sugar to 1 cup though and it was sweet enough. Very delicious , thank you 😋
I always get asked for this recipe too. I’m going to have to try the 1 cup of sugar now. Thanks for the tip!
Love, Love, Love this recipe. So moist and delicious. I love that it uses grated apples. I used a Bundt pan and it turned out perfect. Thank you for this recipe which is a keeper.
Thanks so much! So glad you love it!
Hi Maria,
I followed this recipe every step. It overflowed in the oven and took an additional 20 minutes to bake. It seems to have too much baking powder. It is still cooling, but looks more like a caramel than a cake.
Hi Susan, What size is your bundt pan? The rule of thumb no matter what size your bundt pan is, is to never fill it past 2/3 full. If you cooked the cake longer than it says and it is caramel like you may not put the correct amount of baking powder. Did you taste it? How it taste?
Do I need to squeeze the juice from shredded apples?
Hi Gina, no, you do not need to. If your apples seem extra juicy you could drain some off, but I have never squeezed the juice out of mine.
Yes you do or else it will over flow!
Made the Jewish Apple cake this week. It was a hit! Love this recipe.
I know, right! I kind of forgot about it, you just made me decide I need to make it this weekend. 🙂
This Jewish Apple cake is delicious. Excelente recipe, made it several time, my family loves it. .
Love hearing this!
Maria, Thank you for this recipe. It is delicious. I liked the shredded apples instead of the slices in most recipes. I will always enjoy sharing this with friends and family.
You’re so welcome Nancy, I love hearing that. Your friends and family are lucky. 🙂
Hi can I make this cake into a Sheet cake recipe?
How do you shred the apples? Grater or food processor, which might be easier. Thank you.
I’ve done it both ways and either way works great. Yes, Food processor is faster. 🙂
I’ve been making Jewish apple cake all my life but with sliced apples coated with cinnamon. I’m excited to try your way!
LoL, I was just reading about Jewish Cake last night and it said the traditional cake has sliced cinnamon coated apples. Maybe my bro-in-laws recipe isn’t as Jewish as he thought! Maybe I will have to try your version!
The recipe I have calls for 7 tables of orange juice. Comes out nice and moist. Also the apples are sliced and then layered concentrically.
Sounds delicious and pretty!
Do you think it would be ok just to use straight butter ?
Yes, definitely.
Hi, do you know the baking time for a 9 inch round pan?
You will most likely need to cut the cooking time in half. Try 25 minutes and then check it and cook longer if needed. Are you splitting the batter and cooking it in two 9″ pans?
I also like using a springform pan for this cake. Same baking time.
Can this cake be frozen? I have a ton of apples now, friends coming in a few weeks, and the need to cook and bake with apples now.
Hi Amy,
Yes, just wait to put the powdered sugar on until after you freeze and thaw it. Also, make sure to cover it tightly or in an air tight container if you have one big enough so it won’t take on flavors of other things in the freezer.
Maria
I have frozen this cake many times, wrapping it up in a few layers of saran wrap. It thaws perfectly in the fridge and serves like just made.
Maria, I’m making this tomorrow morning, but, after checking other recipes that all specify chopped or apple slices, I think that’s the way I’ll go, using your recipe. We are going to visit friends in Wisconsin on Wednesday and I think we will all like it. Thanks for sharing and have a very Happy Thanksgiving.
Hello community,
I am very excited to try this recipe. But I am asking myself
if 350° is for circulating air or for two-sided heat?
I hope you can help.
Thanks in advance.
Christina
Two sided heat. 🙂
Sounds delicious! I am wondering what makes the cake Jewish?
Okay, first of all I am totally honored that you left a comment on my blog Kalyn! You are a food blog rockstar and I have a soft spot for you because you were a teacher. My background is also in Elementary Ed. Which makes me wonder, do all Elementary Teachers love food so much or is it just the really cool ones?
…and I have no idea why this cake is called “Jewish” maybe it’s kosher. 🙂
I have read that the reason it is called Jewish Apple cake is the use of oil instead of butter. That makes it parve and it can be eaten with either meat or dairy. So in a way you are correct in saying that it is Kosher.
That totally makes sense. Thanks for sharing Sharon! 🙂
Another reason why It is called a jewish cake is because Apple cakes and honey cakes are a traditional dish during Yom Teruah
Hello! Can I substitute coconut oil rather than using crisco?
Thank you!
Jenna
Hi Jenna, Yes, that will work fine.
I just read an answer elsewhere while looking for a recipe. Apparently, it’s because it can be eaten during feast days because it is dairy-free.
Oh, that makes sense. Thanks for finding that out!
Made this for my post-isolation coffee girls catch-up this morning. Used only one and a half cups of sugar but otherwise followed the recipe. It was delicious!
Love hearing that Judi!
It is called “Jewish Apple Cake” because it is made with oil (no butter/dairy). This means that in a Kosher home it could be served with a meat meal or a dairy meal. People who keep Kosher are forbidden to mix dairy and meat at the same meal. If butter is used in the recipe the resulting cake could not be served after a meat meal.
Hundreds of apples?! Aww. I want some! You can share with me if you get sick of them. 😉
And that was so nice of you to give your neighbor an option! And to bake for him in the first place. My husband is a computer guy and has done so much computer fixing for free. We’d love it if someone offered sweets in return!
The cake is gorgeous, too! Your changes sound great.
How about if you just come over and make applesauce and apple cake with me. 🙂
I have a slight thing for apple desserts…more than slight, I should say. I absolutely love apple desserts and this is going to be on my mind all morning!! Looks fantastic!
This one is for sure worth making and with all the apples I think you could pass it off as breakfast. 😉
What a wonderful “problem” to have – an abundance of apples, how lucky you are! I love apple desserts and using them in a cake sounds like a great idea! Pinned to make soon 🙂
I’m definitely thinking this cake screams suitable for breakfast!
This cake is perfect for breakfast. As a dessert you can also drizzle caramel sauce on it. Another addition is walnuts and ice cream. It’s really very versatile.
Oh my gosh, you’re making me drool, that sounds amazing!
Sounds wonderful!
It’s not quite apple season here yet where I live, but when they are ready, this will be made. It looks amazing.
Now this is a cake I must try this fall! I love cakes like this!
Fantastic! Cake was an absolute success at the Rosh Hashanah dinner. Followed recipe with the exception of using unsalted butter in place of shortening, making another one this coming week-end!
Yum! So glad you made this cake, It is one of my favorites!
Just curious if you peeled your apples. I did not because I wanted all the apple goodness, but I wonder how much it will affect the texture (it’s in the oven now).
I leave the peel on. You’re all good. 🙂
What would happen if you chose to peel the apples instead? Aren’t the skins kind of tough?
Hi Nancy,
It will turn out awesome with peeled apples. I chose to leave the peels on for the nutrition benefits and haven’t noticed them in the finished cake. Either way the cake will turn out delicious! It’s one of our favorite Fall recipes!
This looks delicious. I’ve seen this recipe using orange juice, have you tried it that way before? I see in your notes about your adjustment and wasn’t sure if it was the omission of the OJ or the Crisco. Thanks 🙂
Never tried OJ…fascinating. I’ll have to give it a try. I omitted the Crisco, and used butter. 🙂
Hello from England!
I’ve just had a piece of this delicious cake for breakfast with a cuppa tea. I had to use light brown sugar instead of white (didn’t have enough white) and used 1 cup of Canola oil (as per original recipe) and it came out beautifully. I will stick to your recipe next time I make this cake, as I bet it will be even more amazing. Thanks for sharing.
🙂 Doesn’t it make a lovely breakfast. 🙂 I’m so glad you liked it!
Cakes cannot be Jewish. Only people can. Just call it apple cake and be more appropriate. I have never seen one in even a huge New York kosher deli, so I seriously doubt there is anything “Jewish” about it. .
Something that belongs to THEM, IS THEIR, not THERE.
Isn’t it funny how we assign names to foods for no apparent reason sometimes. Jewish Apple cake is a very popular cake but doesn’t seem to have any real connection to the Jewish people. I found this on Wikipedia,
“Jewish apple cake is a kind of dense cake made with apples and sold mostly in Pennsylvania in the United States.[1] It has limited known connections to Jewish cuisine. It is thought that this cake is actually a Pennsylvania Dutch culinary item that was erroneously attributed to Jews because it seemed “old world”. It may also be considered Jewish because it contains no dairy, and it may therefore be eaten with meals containing meat, in accordance with Jewish laws of kashrut.”
And thank you for letting me know about the grammatical error in the post. I have fixed it now.
You must be a real blast. :/
Wow.
Their is possessive and is incorrect; so her use of there is correct.
I did the cake a few days ago…delicious. I would need to know the tiny measure please.
Thanks
Bego
Hi Bego, what do you mean by tiny measures?
Really?
Chilebeanz seems like the lonely, bitter type. This cake may just be too happy for her.
If I make this the day before an event, should I refrigerate it until a couple hours before the event, or should I keep it out wrapped in plastic wrap on the counter?
Hi Mallory,
If it is just the day before either way it won’t make much difference, if you put it in the fridge make sure it is covered. I would wait to sprinkle it with powdered sugar until right before serving.
Hope you love it!
Maria
hi, this cake looks lovely.may I just to confirm the eggs , sugar and oil just lightly whisk? do I need to beat up the egg till creamy and double in volume??thank you!
Hi Sin Wei,
You just need to whisk the eggs slightly to break up the yolks, no need to beat until creamy. 🙂
Maria,
You are so sweet to share this cake with all of us. Thank you. When I was a young girl, 8 or 9 my best friend’s mother, Nina, made a Jewish Apple Cake. The family was Italian! Very Italian!!! I loved Nina’s Jewish Apple Cake and asked for the recipe, which she gave to me. I saved it with all my childhood treasures and when I was a teenager started baking it. In my many years of moving from house to house I misplaced it and Nina has since passed on. I’ve been looking for a cake that is similar in taste, texture, and goodness. I’ve tried many but YOURS takes the cake. It is almost exact. Thank you so much for returning such a fond memory back to me in the form of your Jewish Apple Cake.
Awww, this makes me SO happy Juli. I am so glad you found it. There is nothing like being reunited with a treasured food/memory. 🙂
Made this cake the other day. Everyone who tried it loved it. Am making again today thanks for this easy recipe
Yay! You are so welcome Donna. I love hearing that readers like the recipes as much as I do! 🙂
I just made (and ate a piece of) this cake and it is absolutely delicious! I used brown sugar and only 2 eggs because that’s all I had and it came out perfect! I would maybe use less sugar next time since it is a tad too sweet for me. I didn’t use powdered sugar but I am thinking to eat it warm with some vanilla ice cream, yum! Thank you for such delicious recipe. It is my favorite apple cake now!
I’m glad you liked the cake Brenda!!! Maybe I’ll have to try it with two eggs next time I make it. 🙂 And warm with vanilla ice cream sounds awesome!
The cake is in the oven, but now I’m worried that the cinnamon sugar mixture is incorrect. Is it really 4 teaspoons of cinnamon and 4 Tablespoons of brown sugar? It seemed like a lot.
Hi Marguerite, I just made this cake yesterday for some company we had it’s delicious. No fear, it really is 4 tsp cinnamon and 4 tsp brown sugar. 🙂 It does seem like a lot but it’s just right.
So they are both 4 teaspoons? The recipe says teaspoons for the cinnamon and Tablespoons for the brown sugar, but your reply to my question says teaspoons for both.
I have to wait to taste it — I put the cake in the freezer to use for company in a couple of weeks.
I made a typo on my reply to your comment. It really is 4 tbsp of brown sugar and 4 tsp of cinnamon…The recipe is correct the way it is. Sheesh, could I be any more confusing. Sorry about that. The cake you made will be perfect.
This cake was really good! I will definitely make this again, but will try and reduce the amount of white sugar.
My grandmother always used to make this cake for Rosh Hashanah. Except she would grate apples in the batter and use two 9×9 pans and place sliced apples, drizzled honey and sprinkle brown sugar so when you sliced it you would have crunchy sweetness in the middle of the cake. I went ahead and tried this recipe and absolutely love it and plan on making it again.
Glad you like the recipe. The way your grandma made it sounds delicious too.
Is 4 tsp baking powder correct for the Jewish spoke cake?
Yes.
Hi Maria
I was convinced to try your apple cake when I read your blog mention sitting with hundreds of apples. We just bought a new house last fall that has a huge apple tree. We were disappointed that we didn’t have apples. The house and trees are over 30 years old. Well guess what? Yep. It is June 13th and I am Blessed with 300 apples (so far). We have tons more on the tree. Who knew? the owner didn’t tell us the tree gave early summer apples. I have given away some and made apple crips for gifts and the freezer. And I just made your Jewish Apple Cake and live it! Going to make some and freeze them. Thank you!
Wow, I didn’t even realize there were apple trees that produce in the early summer. How fun! Glad you loved the cake. It is a favorite at our house! Good luck with all your apples. My kids love it when I peel and slice apples and squeeze a little lemon juice on them and shake cinnamon and sugar over them. I stir them up that way and serve them as a side dish with dinner sometimes. They love it.
This looks wonderful! My husband really wants an apple cake for his birthday. I was thinking of trying this recipe but am wondering how it would handle being frosted and decorated.
hmm, that’s a good question. I think it would do pretty well if you divided it between to round pans and adjusted the cooking time.
Some recipes you make for the first time and say “gosh why did it take me so long to discover this?” This is that recipe. Thank you for sharing. It is baking once again in my oven right now. What’s the occasion my husband asks… I do not need a reason to bake it!!!!!
Thanks Karen, this makes me so happy!
So good! It’s apple season and my husband came home with a massive amount of apples from his co-workers trees. I had already made and canned a big batch of apple jam but still had more apples than I could eat. So the search for a great apple cake recipe began.
This cake turned out moist, delicate flavour and amazing texture, the pieces of apple are such a nice treat. I didn’t feel like grating them, instead I diced them really tiny. My batter turned out really dense so I greased and floured the bundt pan really well, but it didn’t come loose from the bottom once it cooled. I ended up with a little bit of a puzzle to put together. Next time I will try on a silicone pan. Totally worth doing it again.
Glad you liked the cake. Sorry it didn’t come off the bottom of your pan. Was it still warm when you turned it out? Sometimes if bundt cakes aren’t completely cooled they have a harder time coming out. This cake can also be made in a 9×13 pan. The cooking time will be closer to 30-35 minutes.
I like apple cake with chunks of apple. Do you think you could use big pieces of apple instead of grating??
I haven’t tried big chunks, but I think it will work fine. You could try doing half of the amount in chunks and half of the amount in grated apple just to be safe the first time. 🙂
You do not specify the type of apples to use in your recipe. Does it matter?
Thanks for asking Margie. It really doesn’t matter. I have used many different kinds. Fugi is my least favorite to use, just because it doesn’t have as much flavor as other apples. I really like Granny smith because they offer a little tartness that I really like.
What kind of apples do you recommend?
I like granny smith because I like the slight tartness they give. But I actually usually do a variety of whatever I have on hand. I have have used, gala, red delicious, golden delicious, autumn crisp, and fugi. Fugi is my least favorite to use.
My sweetie has been asking for this cake for a while as his mom always made it for him.
I just made a peach pie and will be making this next week. Wish me luck (although, so far, he has been thrilled with my baking & cooking. Whew!)!
I’m really enjoying reading about you & your family! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Patrica! I am sure your sweetie, will love the cake. 🙂
Hi! I am new to baking and cooking and I am worried l didn’t bake the cake long enough 🙁 I baked it in a 9 by 13 for 50 minutes but there is still a bit of gumminess to the cake. I didn’t want to leave it in for longer though because the top and sides were perfect. It tastes absolutely delicious though! Just a little raw-batter-ish towards the bottom. Any advice? Thank so much 🙂 I am having fun learning!
Hi C. Just cook it a little longer next time. I use a toothpick and poke the center of the cake to see if it is done. If it comes out clean it is done. I use this method on all the cakes I cook to see if they are done.
i want to try this recipe, but 2 cups of sugar seems too sweet. do you think 1 and 1/2 cups is would be sweet enough . considering the brown sugar between the layers.
I think it would be worth trying. Especially if your apples are pretty sweet it should be fine.
I love apple cakes & yours sound delicious. I will try it today. Thank you so much.
Awesome! You will love it! Thanks for taking time to leave me a comment! Have a great day!
What kind of apples
I like to use a mixture of red delicious and granny smith, but it really doesn’t matter, whatever apples you have on hand will work great.
I have used your recipe twice now with no changes and each time the cake has been perfect. I have seen this cake floating around for years & always wondered what makes it Jewish. Finally, one of your comment people explained it…yay! I am a retired teacher. I taught 2nd grade for 18 years and then 6 – 9 for 15 years, loved every day. I only stopped because I was diagnosed with a scary autoimmune disease. As you know, the classroom is just a big pot of bacterial stew! Living in a rural area, I was often given gifts of food. I think that we do like to eat!
So glad you like the cake Lisa! Sorry you had to stop teaching. 🙁
Hi Maria,
I made this with melted cake margarine instead of oil and used a variety of apples called Pink Lady. They are sweet with a slight tang.
I also used some as apple pulp from juicing two of the apples as they were pretty wrinkly to begin with.
Delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Next time I think I will try self-raising flour, which has baking powder already added.
Great! Glad you liked it Carol!
I followed the recipe, but I find it missing something. I used Macintosh apples. Maybe a variety of apples would give it better flavor. I was being a bit lazy and used Pam and it stuck to the pan. I think if I creatively slice it and add powdered sugar, maybe people won’t notice that part of the top is missing.
Hi Alyssa, I usually use a variety of apples or apples that have a sweet and sour flavor. That is a good idea to cut it and try to disguise the parts that stuck with powdered sugar. 🙂
This cake is absolutely delicious!! And helps me step up my “baking from scratch” game 🙂
I’ve made it twice already and the family loves it!
This makes me so happy Nia!
Made this delicious cake and was enjoyed by all.
The only thing I changed was 1/2 cup less sugar because I used red apples.
Thank you for sharing Maria.
It is a five star recipe.
Great idea using less sugar with a sweeter apple choice! So glad you love the recipe as much as I do!
Just made this and it came out great! Big hit with my family. Instead of 1 c oil, I used 1/2
c canola oil plus 1/2 c unsweetened apple sauce and it worked well, will use that substitution again next time.
Great Lauren! Glad to hear the applesauce as a substitution worked well.
Maria, I made the cake and the flavor was great,but I used self rising flour,the cake didn’t rise so I will try again and use plain flour
Yes, Brenda. Self rising flour is best for biscuits. Regular flour or Cake Flour will work great with this recipe.
Had loads of cooking apples so just tried this, really delicious do will definitely make it again!
Yay Kim! I love this cake! Wish I could come steal a slice!
I’ve made this cake twice. Followed the recipe exactly using canola oil. Came out great both times! This is a winner.
So glad to here this! I love this cake so much!
Thank you so much for this recipe!!! i just made this cake and its the best!! only thing i didn’t have butter or canola oil at the time…so i used coconut liquid oil and i beat eggs in mixer..it has risen so well!! its very moist and and delicious!! thank you so much again!!
Hi Sofia, So glad you liked it! I love coconut oil, I will have to try it next time I make it!
How many apples is 4 cups grated?
Depends on the size of the apples, typically three or 4 if they are on the large side. Might need 5 if they are small.
Just out of curiosity, have you used butter in place of the Crisco?
Yes, or canola oil. All of it works fine, but the crisco adds a little different texture and lightness.
Hi Maria, I made this cake and it was so flavourful. However, it came out like a pudding. I was just wondering, is it because I included the juice from the grated apple?
What do you think went wrong?
Thanks!
Hi Gina, I always include the juice that comes from my apples, so that should not have been the issue. I am very surprised to hear it came out like a pudding. I have made it many times and never had that happen. I wish I had an idea of why that would have happened but I am baffled. Did you cook it the full recommended time?
Hi Maria, i did cooked it longer than the required time. I just have to try baking it again and see how it goes.
Thank you!
This was excellent. I made it with gluten free flour and it baked and raised wonderfully! Super delicious!
Hi Maria! Just put my cake in the oven. It smells delicious! Can’t wait to try it. I always make a dozen loaves of banana bread for my neighbors for Christmas. I’d love to make your Jewish apple cake for them this year. Will I get 2 loaves out of this recipe AND how long should I bake it ?
Hi Ellen, Sorry for the late response, I had a baby on the 20th of December and have been blogging very minimally over the last year. I haven’t ever tried that cake as loaves but I can’t see why it wouldn’t work. It should make too large loaves but if it looks like too much batter you may want to also make a small one. It sound like you are a great baker and probably already know not to fill the bread pans over 2/3rds-3/4ths full. I would start with 45 minutes and go in 5 minute increments from there if it isn’t finished baking.
I’ve made this cake at least four times now since the fall apple season and each time the crumbs are licked off the plates! I just emailed this link to a friend who had some yesterday and loved it. Thanks for posting it!
I absolutely love hearing this Sandy! We LOVE this cake at our house too!
Maria, what kind of apples? I have yellow delicious.
Any kind will work, I usually use a combination of red delicious and granny smith. I have also used Gala. I think Yellow Delicious will still work great.
Hello Maria, This Jewish Apple Cake recipe is excellent. The taste was very close to my mother’s recipe. I’ve made it twice now and the second time I reduced the sugar to 1 • 1/2 cups. The cake was moist and very flavorful. Less sweet makes it a nice cake to have with coffee or tea in the morning. I used a tube pan and used bakers spray to coat the inside. No trouble at all removing the cake.
Awesome! I am so glad you liked it and thanks for sharing the tip about less sugar for more of a coffee cake!
What size bundt pan did you use?
I use a 12 cup size bundt pan.
I made this and took it to work it was a success. I had a recipe and lost it so I looked for one on line. Trust and believe this one I will not loose. Love it. Thanks
So glad you found this recipe! It is the best!
hi there! so the cake was done last thursday and became a flop. a delicious one, enjoying every bit of it, but still a flop. my wife just tasted it and it is too sweet for her. and anyway, it is not what it is supposed to be. it has a nice crust, but just beneath it is more of an egg pudding – delicious.
so maybe help me figure what wenr wrong:
1. used spelt flout – not wheat flour.
2. mixed all the ingredients and only then added to the eggs.
3. most important to my mind: added the apples with their juice – which was a lot !
if that could be a reason then you should warn to drain the juice out.
the apples were granny smith. green and crispy.
what do you think ?
B”H next time a sucess.
Hi, I have never drained the juice. It sounds to me like you didn’t cook it long enough. Oven’s can vary greatly, the best way to tell when cake is done it to put a toothpick in the middle. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. If it comes out with batter on it, the cake needs to cook longer.
Hi, I am a Moroccan Jew so i never knew this Polish cake but it looks so delicious. Thanks for the recipe. I want to bake this cake for my mom’s birthday next week. I am a pro with cooking or baking lasagna but i hate baking cakes .I am not a sweet tooth. I am kind of freestyle/don’t like it to be very precise with measuring .My gut chef feeling is that i need to adapt the cooking time but i don’t know exact for how long. Every detail matter with pastry/baking sweets so i don’t want drama on birthday for my mom. I got this 18 cm(7 inch) springform. How long am i suppose to bake it ? How much eggs etc am i suppose to use since my pan is way smaller? I hope you can give me the best recipe. Greetings from the Netherlands, Jo
It sounds like you could just half the entire recipe. The rule of thumb for pans is to never fill it more than 2/3 full.
Thank you so much. Tomorrow is the birthday yeajj. Greetings from the Netherlands.
Delicious!
#septembergiveaway This looks delicious!!! I love the smell of baked good fresh out of the oven in the fall that have apple and cinnamon.. reminds me of wonderful memories of my childhood when I would pick apples from my front yard and bake with my mother.
Awww, love that Karen. You are going to love this cake! And yes, the house will smell AMAZING!!!
#septembergiveaway
Best apple cake! Easy to make.
Family favorite.
Yay! We feel the same way! So glad you like it!
#octobergiveaway
Hi. Is it possible this recipe used to call for vegetable oil instead of butter flavored crisco? If so, can you let me know if it’s still 1cup?
Thanks!
Hi Jess, This recipe could still work with any kind of fat as long as it is one cup in total. You can use whatever you prefer. I like to use the melted shortening because it adds a little something extra to the texture of the cake, but this recipe is so awesome it will taste great with whatever type of oil/butter you choose to use. If you use butter just make sure it is very soft or melted.
I have made this cake for a really long time, and it is perfect every time. I do the half butter half oil and store-bought apples. We just moved to a higher elevation, I made this cake yesterday with the butter flavored Crisco and apples from our apple tree. Usually this cake is moist, I’m embarrassed to say that yesterday’s version is the worst thing I have ever made. Dry and taste horrible. Can you tell me if elevation had a factor in why it turned out bad? Or maybe the apples from the apple tree(they are very different from what I usually use as they are pretty bitter and no juices)?
That is so strange. I am glad you had had previous experience so you could tell something was off. I have never had the elevation make that big of a difference, I am guessing it must have been the more bitter apples. Use melted butter crisco sometimes when I make it and it turns out fine so that shouldn’t have been am issue either. I hope it comes out better next time.