Jewish Apple Cake from Bubba's Recipe Box

Wow - this is one awesome Jewish Apple Cake! And it's definitely a crowd pleaser as the submitter states. It sweet, moist, rises beautifully and is absolutely delicious. I didn't have Rome Beauty apples, so I used a combination of apples that I had on hand. Other than that, I would change a thing with this recipe. Apparently since this recipe has been handed down and made for over 37 years - if it ain't broke, don't fix it! All I had to do with this after it cooled, was to dust it with a little confectioners' sugar as if this beautiful cake needed anything else. Thanks Janyce for a wonderful recipe that I hope many more people try, they'll be glad they did!

Heavenly! To make it healthy version: I replace 1 c oil with 1 c unsweetened applesauce; use 1 c egg beaters instead of 4 whole eggs; reduce white sugar by 1/2 c. For flavor, try replacing the 3/4 c white sugar with brown sugar to mix with the cinnamon and up the cinnamon to 4 tsp - also sprinkle some raisins or dates or dried cranberries for variety. Whole house smelled wonderful. I think with the healthy changes, this would make a nice breakfast addition.

If you want the cake a little more moist, decrease flour by 1/4 cup.

Absolutely phenomenal recipe! I just got a new fridge yesterday, and in unloading and reloading, I came upon a bag of cranberries that really needed to be used - NOW. So I first made cranberry sauce out of them, cooled it, and used it in this cake, in place of half the apples. I scraped 1/3 of the batter in the pan, topped with the cranberry sauce, put in another 1/3 of the batter, topped with the halved apple mixture, scraped in the remaining batter. The flavor is sensational, the texture super moist. Aside from the cranberries standing in for half the apples, I cut the flour back to 2-3/4 cup. I baked it for only 85 minutes. I checked on it at about 45 minutes, and it appeared to be browning early. So I placed a piece of foil on top for the remainder of the baking time. It came out with a nice, crunchy crust on top. I glazed it with a lovely caramel rum glaze: 3 Tb butter, 2 Tb brown sugar, 2 Tb white sugar, 1/4 tsp vanilla, 1 tsp dark rum, 2 Tb whipping cream, combined in a small sauce pan over medium-low heat, until it comes to a simmer. Continue to simmer for 3 minutes. Brush over the warm cake, right after you remove it from the pan. It's not a lot of glaze, but it's quite flavorful, just enough to point up the cake's ingredients to perfection and to impart a lovely sheen. BTW, I will try making it with only apples the next time. Yes, the cranberries and glaze were a little difference, but the cake flavor and texture remained unchanged, and gotta say, they're stellar.

Wonderful and easy!! This is a very tasty, not too sweet cake that is a cinch to make. I substituted 1/2 C. of the oil with applesauce and didn't have the dryness problem some reviewers complained of, in fact mine turned out very moist. I also drizzled powdered sugar glaze over the warm cake and it was a nice touch. I didn't have Rome Beauty apples but just used whatever was in my fruit bin and it was great! I highly recommend this recipe, it is a great brunch cake for Spring!

Heavenly! To make it healthy version: I replace 1 c oil with 1 c unsweetened applesauce; use 1 c egg beaters instead of 4 whole eggs; reduce white sugar by 1/2 c. For flavor, try replacing the 3/4 c white sugar with brown sugar to mix with the cinnamon and up the cinnamon to 4 tsp - also sprinkle some raisins or dates or dried cranberries for variety. Whole house smelled wonderful. I think with the healthy changes, this would make a nice breakfast addition.

I have known Janyce for over 10 years, her apple cake is the best! She broght it to work to rave reviews on several occasions-you go girl!

I use about 5-6 granny smith apples and it tasted great. This is my go to recipe during the fall and winter.

Wow! Great cake- I've made it 3 times now and it is fantastic!! The only alteration I make is to substitute 1/2 C. olive oil and 1/2 C. plain yogurt for the 1 C. vegetable oil. Thanks for sharing!

I just made this cake 3 days ago for my family that was visiting, and they loved it. I took the advice of others and used 1/2 oil and 1/2 apple sauce. The cake really came out moist, and now three days later it is still moist. I may use more apples next time though. I really like the flavor of the apples with cinnamon. I would highly recommend this recipe to anyone!

i wanted to use up the last of my fall apples, so i made this recipe based on the rave reviews it got. i made the following alterations: 1 c. unbleached flour, 1 c. whole wheat pastry flour, 1 c. rolled oats (instead of 3 cups all purpose flour); 1/2 c. applesauce + 1/2 c. canola oil (instead of 1 c. oil); 1 c. egg whites (i had a bunch left over from some lime curd i made a few days back, in the future i'll probably use whole eggs), 2 Tbls. of flax seed meal, and brown sugar instead of white. i made this recipe in two loaf pans since my bundt pan has gone missing, baking them for about one hour, and it turned out great! i like the wholesomeness the oats give the cake, and i think it'll be perfect for quick, easy breakfasts all week!

YUM! I was just looking for an apple recipe that I already have the ingredients for. Having never tried a Jewish apple cake, I don't have much to compare it to, and I had to adjust it slightly for what was available to me. But here's what I did. First of all, I had a bag of McIntosh apples on hand rather than finding Rome apples. Since they are small/medium apples and not large, I used one or two extra. It came to about 6 cups once sliced and cubed. It wouldn't hurt to use more but this seemed to do the job. I didn't have enough vegetable oil so I melted some margarine spread to use instead and it worked fine. I also doubled the cinnamon and only had a 9x13 glass dish to bake it in. Since it was a different shape, it only took a little over an hour to bake. I didn't even have to use an electric mixer either. Just mixing it with a spoon worked well. It does require lots of dishes but is very tasty!

This is a very good cake! I added about 1-1/4 t. cinnamon and one single-serve container of applesauce + canola oil to make up the c. of oil. Didn't use Rome Beauties, I don't know what kind of apples they were - maybe really large Red Delicious (6 c. chopped) - there was quite a bit of juice from the apples and I drizzled most of that on top before baking. Baked about 1 hr. 40 mins. Lots of dirty bowls from this, but worth it. (Tip: use a LARGE bowl to beat the eggs and sugar) I posted pics.

FABULOUS!!! I did however take advise from other reviews and subtracted 1/2 of the oil and added applesauce in place of. I will be making this for a long time to come

Rave reviews from folks at work and even from my mother-in-law! That is high praise! Great recipe for traditional Jewish Apple Cake. I used about 6 different types of apples, as I had been apple-picking in a huge orchard. Excellent results! Wouldn't change a thing!

My husband and Daughter just loved these! Thanks for sharing!

This has to be the best Jewish Apple Cake I have ever had the privilege to taste. It has a wonderful flavor, and is perfect for the holiday season or anytime. MArtha Stewart, eat your heart out! Love it!!

Janyce, Made this the other day to take to a friend's house. It was awesome! Thank you, thank you, thank you for sharing your wonderful recipe!!! D.B.

This is my first review although I use this site for every recipe. Loved it! Added chopped walnuts to the apple layer mixture for a little texture but otherwise made exactly as described. Thanks.

This is the only Jewish apple cake I've ever made, and it was great. I would have liked it a bit moister. When it was hot and first out of the oven it was perfect. Not as moist as I would have liked after it cooled down. I used a rounded top bundt pan, which almost fit all of the batter. I think in a square top pan, it all would have fit. I cut the apples into large chunks. My mom used to use apples, cut in half and then sliced. I think I prefer the slices over the chunks and I'll try this next time. Overall, a fabulous homemade cake!

This was my first ever Apple Cake I made for my husband's birthday and I envisioned it looking like some pictures I've seen. So I decided to melt some butter to coat bottom of bundt pan, sprinkled about 1/4 cup of Brown sugar over that and then layered some thin apple slices on top of that. I then continued the recipe as directed. I couldn't be more happier about a cake! Wish I could share the photo, it looked magazine worthy! Lol - and My husband loved it! He even said it was the best Apple Cake he ever had (including his moms!) Our family devoured it! I am passing this along to family and friends!

I did not care for this recipe. I thought it was heavy and too sweet.

After our bible study on the book of Esther we had a Jewish celebration. I make the Jewish Apple cake first to try out with some friends, they all loved it and wanted the recipe. So on celebration day it was a hit. "Thanks" for all your help with the recipes and cooking instructions.

Was very good. I used granny smith apples. Would definately make it again

I've made this twice. The first time I followed the recipe exactly; the second time I used apple sauce instead of oil. Recipe is easy and I love it.

Love, love, love this recipe. Great flavor, perfect texture and baked up nice and high. I have made many Jewish Apple cakes and this one, by far, has been the best. I used a variety of apples, the juice of an orange and home made vanilla extract. I omitted the salt and used sodium free baking powder. I also used Egg Beaters in place of the whole eggs. The base of this recipe is so good that I plan on trying it with lemon and blueberries then maybe almond and fresh cherries.... this recipe is definitely a keeper! **UPDATE** 5 large Rome Beauty apples, peeled, cored, and chopped 3 cups all-purpose flour (used 1 cup whole wheat, 1 cup oatmeal and 1 cup almond flours) 1 teaspoon salt (Skipped) 1 tablespoon baking powder (used sodium free and added sodium free baking soda) 4 eggs (used egg whites) 2 cups white sugar (still working on a good sub for this) 1 cup vegetable oil (used Fat free mayo 3/4 cup and 1/4 cup oil but will use all mayo next cake) 1/4 cup orange juice (fresh squeezed orange) 1 tablespoon vanilla extract I added and inulin fiber powder and chia bran fiber I am loving this cake and how versatile it is.

A great recipe that brought back fond memories. My Mom made this cake for us all the time when we were growing up and used the same recipe. She never iced it with anything, and when I used this receipt to make the cake recently, I served it plain just the way my Mom used to and it was perfect!

This was a wonderful cake. I always have to change recipes just a little to make it my own. Added some cinnamon to the batter and made a streusal topping with oatmeal, brown sugar, cinnamon and some butter. Baked it in a 9 x 13 pan for 1 hour. Had some really tart apples and was afraid they might be too tart, but they weren't. Served with homemade cinnamon ice cream and everyone loved it.

I only had a 9 inch pan so I used a ramekin in the center and halved the recipe to get the same affect. Came out perfectly! This recipe is dangerously easy. DANGEROUS.

Came out beautiful. I did some extra prep. I lined the bottom of my tube pan with parchment paper. I also omitted the orange juice from the batter. I instead squeezed a fresh lemon and orange into a bowl and added the instructed sugar and cinnamon with the sliced apples and let the apple slices marinate in the mixture. I drained off the marinade and lightly squeezed the apple slices before layering into the batter. I cut the cake in half to easily remove from the pan and and plated the halves together as one whole cake. Couldn't see the seam as to where I cut it with all of the beautifully browned apple slices on the top of the cake. This was a test to make sure I could make this cake for a party I am going to. Success!

Perfect! I have been making this for my kids for years now same recipe just only using 2cups apples and different method of mixing. Used this method with 4 large apples 2 tsp cinnamon and it was sooo good. Not dry at all and very delicate . Will adjust my recipe to this, happy to see it here. Never knew the name .

Very moist and very good. Not too sweet or spicy and looks so pretty.

Very easy to make and is a very showy cake. I made a cream cheese drizzle icing to go over it. I also made a few additions and changes: - added a tablespoon of orange zest. I found it to enhance the apple flavor. - I added a teaspoon of cardamom, ginger, and cloves - I used half Honeycrisp and Granny Smith apples OVERALL: huge hit at the party!

Made exact according to recipe. A lot of work and came out very heavy. For some reason apples did not stay in middle but sunk to bottom. Will not make again. Brought it to a dinner for a dessert. Not happy with it at all. First time I had been disappointed in an all recipe!! Sorry!! Nana

I was looking for the recipe I used to make in the early 70's but this one was drier, although the taste was good. I added some chopped walnuts to the apples just because I could. I would make it again but substitute applesauce for half or all of the oil.

was excellent! thank you! i used almond extract! wonderful, it was more moist the second day! I assume the cake sucked up all the cinnamon-apples juices! YUMMY! it didn't last 2hrs into the morning! AWESOME! next time I'll make the day b4!

Fabulous cake and very easy to make. I substituted applesauce for the oil and it came out very moist and delicious. I got rave reviews. I will be making this cake for a spaghetti dinner at our VFW next month. Thank you very much for the recipe!!!!!!

A friend made this cake for me. It was delicious! I had to have the recipe and make one for myself. The cake is easy to make, moist, tender, and yummy. Be sure to completely butter/grease the pan beforehand. It goes well with tea, for breakfast, to serve to an impromptu gathering of friends, or for late-night dessert. I'm surprised at how much I really enjoy this cake! Use whatever apples you have on hand. Mine were right from the apple tree in my Dad's yard. But I suspect this cake would be great with any apples.

This is by far the most popular cake I serve to my family and guests. It is tender and moist and with lots of fresh apples. I make this cake exactly as Bubba handed down the recipe--it does not require any alterations. Don't mess with Bubba. She knew what she was doing!

I really liked it! I did change the recipe a little bit, I added 1/2 cup of plain yoghurt and 1/2 of oil. Also, I used brown sugar instead of white sugar for the apples, 2 teaspoons of cinnamon instead of 1 and used 2 1/2 cups of flour and it was super moist (maybe next time I will use 3 cups), but still very good. Also had no problem using a bundt mold, it came out perfect.

It took me 60 minutes to bake the cake in a Bundt pan as opposed to the suggested 90 minutes so make sure you check on the cake. I baked this for Rosh Hashanah and received a lot of compliments on it. I would definitely recommend this recipe. I used gala apples and one granny smith in my cake.

I only bake very occasionally, and this cake was easy and came out so moist, that I had some trouble getting it out of the pan. Maybe needed a little extra time in the oven, but after allowing an additional 6 minutes, it passed the toothpick test. Let it sit overnight upside on a cooling rack, Andy the next morning I had to work a bit harder than usual to get it out. I did use oil and flour to prepare the bunting pan, but maybe too much oil or not enough flour. It was a terrific success! Both of my daughter in laws asked for the recipe. I give it 5 stars, because any issues I attribute to my own lack of experience.

This brings me back to bed and breakfast mornings at an inn in Cape May. It is wonderful and so easy to put together. Thanks for posting Janyce!

This is the same recipe that I have been using for years. I misplaced my original recipe so decided to look for one on AR. So happy I found this.

I made this recipe exactly as instructed, it turned out excellent, I would only increase the apple quantity a bit.

Great Cake!!!!! I made it for Thanksgiving and EVERYONE loved it. I should have made two. I followed the recipe exactly as written....I think I may add a few extra apples next time. I made a glaze with powder sugar and apple cider which made it extra good. Thanks I will Keep this recipe forever :)

It was outstanding. The problem was it never made it to the party it was so good. Part of it stuck to the Bundt pan.I attribute it to not having divided the batter and apples evenly. Possibly the heaviness of the apples caused it? I was very careful about greasing and flouring the pan. Attempting the second one this morning for a wedding reception.

I followed the instructions to the "T" and it never cooked all the way through. I even put it in the oven for 1-1/2 hours and it still was all mushy - didn't hold together. The instructions didn't say what kind of baking pan to use but the picture clearly shows it in a bundt pan, so that's what I used. Very disappointed - I had to toss the entire project in the trash can!

My mother in law made the same recipe only used 2 cups of flour instead of 3 cups. I would think 3 cups of flour would make the cake on the dry side. When made with 2 cups of flour this cake is delicious!!!

Good although it overflowed my standard sized Bundt pan by quite a bit.

I followed the recipe 100% and it way overflowed, and seemed a bit too moist inside. Luckily I had a pan under it.

Awesome! I followed some reviews and substituted applesauce for oil. It was great. I’m a new baker, I wonder why this tasted better the next day than it did the day I baked it. Any ideas?

My new go to recipe when I have extra apples! Loved it!

This recipie was fabulous!

Cake did not come out of pan. It was good but got stuck in. I’ve ne Er had this problem before

Awesome every time!!!

The recipe was easy to follow, my only problem was I set my timer for the time for 1 hour and 30 minutes but I could smell it burning at 1hr20min. Must be my oven. I will make it again and try not to over cook it. It was still good, my husband loved it. I will make it again and watch it more closely.

I made it how it said and it was the best apple cake i have ever had!

Loved this recipe. I adjusted the oil to make it less dense. I used 1 cup of applesauce and half cup oil. It turned out great. I also used the granny smith apples so the cake was not too sweet. My husband loved the glaze. It adds just the right touch for those who like icing cakes but not all the sugar and fat.

You are right, just like Bubbe's!!! Delicious! I ate a little for breakfast lunch and dinner till it was gone. Best in a bowl of milk.!

In step 2 you never ever beat eggs with sugar until fluffy!! Instead beat the sugar with the oil until fluffy then add eggs until combined . Then gradually add flour until incorporated . Add orange juice and vanilla. Also cook time is right at one hour @ 350 . One hour 10 min max!! One hour and 30 minutes to one hour and 45 minutes , well you just killed the cake

No

Delicious

Next time, I'll use 3tsp of cinnamon instead of 1. Otherwise, it turned out great.

Very delicious and moist. My husband's family ate the entire thing at Rosh Hashanna dinner! It's now the new "favorite" at home.

i have not made it thought it would be something for the up coming holiday s

It was very easy to bake. I added a little Apple sauce to keep it moist. I will be baking it again soon.

I love this recipe…. Born and bred in Philadelphia this was a staple at every gathering. If you’re looking for something light and healthy this is not for you! This cake is dense, moist, and the perfect comfort food!

Thank you Bubbie whenever you are. This is an easy, fabulous addition to any fall kitchen cooking. I always make it around Rosh Hoshannah.

My favorite recipe!! Comes out perfect and delicious every time I make it!!

I substituted the orange juice with peach nectar as I didn’t have orange juice. It was very good. Will definitely make it again.

Excellent! Delicious even for a couple of days (if not eaten right away). A keeper.

My 13yo daughter followed the recipe as written, but added a brown sugar glaze. (Melt 1/4c butter in a saucepan. Add 1/2 c brown sugar and cook 2 minutes, whisking constantly. Continue whisking and add 1/4 c milk. Bring to a boil. Remove pan from heat and add 1 tsp vanilla. Add 1 2/3 c powdered sugar in 1/3 cup increments, whisking after each addition.)

My 11 year old and future baker wanted to make a cake from scratch so we found this recipe and it was easy for us to make and it tasted delicious. I made it exact from the recipe everyone enjoyed it...

This is a keeper! Had an extra apple and added it just fine. Hubby had seconds which never happens!

It is a delicious cake but I would not recommend pouring the reserved juice over the top. It probably ran down the side and I could not get it out of the pan. I did grease and flour the pan liberally also. That tip was in the editors notes.

I added cinnamon and nutmeg to give it a little spice. I made it in a bundt pan. I do not recommend that since the apples stuck to the pan when I tried to put them on the top. New cook, bad choice. The recipe is very good.

I made it for my family last week. They all agreed, this recipe needs to be prepared again very soon.

The recipe was simple and easy to follow, and the cake was a big hit with everyone here at the shelter where I made it. I have always loved Jewish Apple Cake, and this one was one of my favorites!

It was a good cake, but not great. I substituted Gala apples for the Rome apples because Romes weren't available. Next time I make it I'm going to add at least a teaspoon of cinnamon to the batter, not just to mix with the apples. I will also bake it for 10 minutes less than the recipe calls for. My tube pan is dark and thick and my cake was overdone at 90 minutes. It started smelling "done" at 70 minutes, and I should have probably only baked it 80 minutes. I also made a glaze out of the remaining cinnamon sugar mixture left over from the apples (and added more cinnamon), which I think gave the cake an extra oomph.

A family favorite!! I used freshly squeezed lemon juice, instead of freshly squeezed orange juice!

Very easy to make! I made half and put in a 6 cup Bundt. Perfect size. I did have difficulty getting it out of the pan. Very good! Will try again!

Delicious! Didn't change a thing.

Cake was just ok. Was the last dessert to get eaten.

This recipe is a favorite! This has been my apple cake recipe of choice since 1980 when my mom-in-law gave me the Kappa Guild cookbook. Sometimes I substitute applesauce for the orange juice. Thanks, Iris!

Very flavorful cake. I made the following changes: I reduced the sugar by 1/4 cup and used white and brown sugar in equal parts. I used about 4 oz of sour cream in the batter with the oil. I added white raisins to the apple mixture. I baked in two loaf pans and it took 1 hour 20 minutes to bake. I made a maple glaze for the top: 1/2 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon of heavy cream, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Mix well until smooth, adding more heavy cream as necessary to achieve a pouring consistency. I shared with friends and it got rave reviews. The second loaf, without the glaze, made a wonderful breakfast bread.

This is almost the same recipe published by Bundt Nordic ware in 1973. When I made their recipe the bake time wasn't long enough however this recipe is much closer to what I adjusted to. They called their recipe "Apple Dapple Cake". It has an amazing caramel sauce to pour over but I thought the cake was almost too sweet to add additional sugar to. Ultimately I found my go-to Jewish Apple cake recipe when I have a lot of eggs & apples on hand.

It s so heavenly scented...my neighbors wondered if I was making cinnamon rolls. The fragrances is so delightful! Thank you for posting this cake recipe!

A good core recipe very similar to one I grew up with, but I think it needed more spice and a bit less sugar. I add more cinnamon and some cloves to the apple mixture and add nutmeg to the batter. I also up the apples to 4-5 depending on size and try to do more layering.

Loved it! The best Jewish Apple Cake for certain. I have tried others in the past and this is by all account the one that I will make from now on. I followed the recipe as written except I used a combination of apples I had on hand. This got rave reviews from friends and family. It is on my "make again" list. Thank you for sharing!

Great recipe. I didn't change anything.

Very very tasty cake, lots of flavor!

Delicious! Sliced apples instead of chopping, cut back on sugar and added more cinnamon.

This was a huge hit for me. We all loved it. I have been looking for a great Jewish apple cake, I found it. Very moist and flavorful. I am making a second one only 2 weeks after I made the first one.