Passover Apple Cake
My mother, Faye Grant, has been making this apple cake for her Seders for years. It's the best apple cake you'll ever taste!!
My mother, Faye Grant, has been making this apple cake for her Seders for years. It's the best apple cake you'll ever taste!!
This is SOOO delicious. I agree with a previous reviewer that you should either double the batter or cut down on the apples...I split the batter and started spreading half of it in the bottom of a 9 by 13 pan (as called for) but immediately saw it wasnt near enough batter. so i switched to a 7 by 11 pan, put half batter on bottom, covered with only 3/4 of the apple mixture and topped with half of the batter. So, either double batter of cut down on the apples. i dont understand the negative reviews...trust me, this cake DOESNT TASTE PASSOVER and got rave reviews by my family. if you try ANYTHING, TRY THIS--trust me!!!!!!!!!
Read MoreI was extremely disappointed in this cake. First, I would have used Matzoh Cake Meal, not the coarser Matzoh Meal. Secondly, there was not enough batter to even spread on the bottom of a 9/13" pan, much less make two dough layers. I ended up with the apples on top, without any dough covering them. The "cake" portion was soggy, and I ended up throwing the whole thing out. It was a complete waste time of ingredients and time. Marlene
Read MoreThis is SOOO delicious. I agree with a previous reviewer that you should either double the batter or cut down on the apples...I split the batter and started spreading half of it in the bottom of a 9 by 13 pan (as called for) but immediately saw it wasnt near enough batter. so i switched to a 7 by 11 pan, put half batter on bottom, covered with only 3/4 of the apple mixture and topped with half of the batter. So, either double batter of cut down on the apples. i dont understand the negative reviews...trust me, this cake DOESNT TASTE PASSOVER and got rave reviews by my family. if you try ANYTHING, TRY THIS--trust me!!!!!!!!!
Absolutely wonderful. My boss wanted to know how I got the recipe for his grandmother's apple cake. I do have a suggestion. I read all the reviews bad and good. The only thing I did different was to double the batter when I saw how many apple slices there were once they were cut. There was plenty of batter for the bottom and the top. Kudos to the chef!!!
I made this to practice the dessert for Seder night, and I was skeptical when I making this recipe. I had to press the "bottom" part of the batter into the pan, it was so thick! And when I took it out of the oven, it was very oily (what appeared like oil). I let it cool for a few hours, and when the boyfriend tasted it, he said it didn't taste like Pesach and he would've believed me if I had told him it wasn't! That's the highest compliment, seeing as he dreads Passover food. Thank you!
I was extremely disappointed in this cake. First, I would have used Matzoh Cake Meal, not the coarser Matzoh Meal. Secondly, there was not enough batter to even spread on the bottom of a 9/13" pan, much less make two dough layers. I ended up with the apples on top, without any dough covering them. The "cake" portion was soggy, and I ended up throwing the whole thing out. It was a complete waste time of ingredients and time. Marlene
This was a great Passover cake. A VERY nice change from the box mixes. After reading the other reviews, I used only five apples, and increased the batter to 1 1/2 times the original amount. We didn't have brown sugar, so I had to use regular sugar instead. I also added some raisins to the apple mixture. The entire family adored it! Thanks for the great recipe!
i read all the reviews and agree that the batter needs to be doubled. i made it 3 times in a week, once to try it, second for passover, and third for easter sunday! first go was ok, too much nutmeg tho. i cut that to about less than a 1/2 a teaspoon. the second & third time i doubled the batter, cut back on the nutmeg, and added more brown sugar to the middle with the apples (which i only used about 4-5 apples), and on top, BETTER!! everyone raved about it at both dinners! i will definitely make this again!!!!!
I made this recipe and accidently used cake meal. It is delicious. Hubby did a taste test. Happy to find a good holiday recipe. (It's in the freezer waiting for Passover)
More like an apple cobbler, but HEAVY. Not eaten, in spite of lovely aroma and taste.
This is the best Passover dessert my family ever tasted! Took it to a Temple luncheon and everyone wants the recipe!
This came out really yummy! I followed other reviewers' suggestions of doubling the batter and I atually broke up the recipe into 2 cakes (one for Seder and one for my husband to try at home before I served it to the family)! I baked them in an 8 in. square pan and a 9 in. springform. I also topped both cakes with a brown sugar crumble to make them look a little prettier. The secret to eliminating the bland taste of the matzo is the seasoning. I rarely measure cinnamon and nutmeg out (I know, big sin), I just eyeball a tbs. or so of Pumpkin Pie Spice which I think has the best flavor. I also couldn't find matzo cake meal in any stores, so I just put the matzo meal in the food processor and buzzed it until the texture was just about flour-like. This one's headed for the Passover recipe file!
I made this cake three times during Passover and it was devoured every time. It's a great taste. So many apples! Don't overcook it or the apples will become too sweet. Thanks Shelley!
Delicious recipe for Passover! I will definately make this next year. I served it for dessert, but it also is great for breakfast. I would not recommend freezing the cake, as it ended up a little soggy. The flavor is excellent and the matzoh meal is undetectible.
This was fabulous. I used 9" sprinform pan and microwaved the apples a bit before using. Definitely a keeper for each year
Made it yesterday, in a 9" circular pan, about 4 apples. Just added vanilla to the batter and lemon juice to the apples. Everybody loved it!
Great taste! The texture is "passover" (heavy and "sandy")- but what choice is there this time of year? Go ahead and try it- but don't pay heed to the reviewers who say to double the batter. I made 1-1/2 times the batter and it was too much dough. You want the apples to be plentiful- bec the matzo-meal dough isn't the strong point (don't expect a light and fluffy texture like year round)- the apples are the highlight of this cake so go ahead and use all 8. So basically- keep the recipe as is- don't go messing with the proportions. The batter is much thicker than you are probably used to working with- it's more like cookie-dough- so squeeze in some fresh orange juice...though for me it stayed very thick. I had to spread it using my fingers bec a spoon wouldn't suffice. Bec it was too hard to spread the dough over the apples on the top layer, I made a crumb topping instead using equal parts matzo meal and sugar and a few drops of oil to get the right consistency. It worked out very well.
This is an awesome recipe and does not taste like a cardboard cake. Its more like a torte even sold one at my friends coffee shop by the slice, it is now a very requested item. I did bake it a bit longer and used a springform pan, it was beautiful. For easier cutting I used a serrated knife. Its Passover time again and it was the first request (after the brisket of course lol).
Hello ... Did you mean cake meal rather than matzah meal? I used matzah meal. My cake looked like yours when it ws baked; however, it fell apart when I attempted to slice it, even after being cooled. Thank you for sharing it. Sincerely ... Malky :)
change the size of your pan, a pie dish works better like in the picture. Not enough dough to fit a 9x13 dish, so I had to remove and re-fit into the pie dish. It was delish!!! I added walnuts to give a better texure too, and powdered sugar on top. A hit at the passover dinner.
Now a Passover go to recipe! I used 6 apples (4 granny smith, 1 braeburn and 1 rome). I made one and half times the batter. Not enough to cover the top otherwise. The apples were cut thin (each quarter section cut into three). I am a true believer in more apple variety, the better the flavor and texture. The cake part is nice and moist and crumbly. If I didn't tell my guest it was a Passover cake they would have not believed me. Absolutely delicious!!!!!!!
If you look at the picture, it appears to be a spring-form pan even though the recipe calls for 9x13 dish. I used a spring-form pan and it turned out looking absolutely amazing. I doubled the dough, but didn't use quite all of it, but most. I did sprinkle a mixture of sugar and and brown sugar on top for decoration after baking. Can't wait to taste!
Excellent Passover dessert. Very moist, which is a nice departure from your typical dry Passover cake. More like a cobbler in texture. I used 1 cup of cake meal instead of the 1.5 cups matzo meal. I also added 1/2 tsp almond extract to the batter.
I made this for Passover and it was delicious. I agree with many of the other reviewers who said to double the batter. Otherwise there is not enough for the top of the cake. I would also add a cash of vanilla. I do find it interesting that the picture is a round cake and the recipe calls for a rectangular one....
This was a great recipe considering its a passover cake. It was very good and I served it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The apples were delicious. I only used 6 apples though and found that it was more than enough. :) thanks for the great recipe!
Shelley is right on- this IS the best Passover cake I've ever made. I'll be making this every Passover.
I made it for the last days of the holiday and brought it to lunch at a friend’s home. Rave reviews even from my husband that hates Pesach cake. The hostess wanted the recipe as well and the kids gobbled it up too! This is what I did: I doubled the dough (as mentioned prior), used 5 granny smith apples sliced thin. Added 2 tsp’s of Passover vanilla to both the dough and the apple mixture. I also bought a 9 & ¾” springform pan (at Stop N Shop) and layered it in. A good way to pat the dough in the pan is wet your hands, blot on a towel so they aren’t soaking wet and it’s much easier to pat smoothly in the pan. I then topped the cake with sliced almonds, and sprinkled cinnamon as well as passover "vanilla sugar" on top. Recipe is a keeper and I will make again next year!!
This was the best passover dessert we ever had. The first time I can say we finished it all. Definately put the brown sugar on top. Really adds something to a very good cake.
I teach 6th grade and my class wanted to have a passover meal. Each child made a dish to bring from the recipies I provided. This cake was terrific. All of my class wanted seconds and many asked for the recipie so their mom's could make it at home.
Although this is pretty good, i had a terrible time getting it out of the pan! The top half with most of the apples came out and the bottom half stuck despite the greasing i did before hand. I ended up redoing it in teflon cupcake molds so i could just flip them out. That didn't quite work either so i took a spoon and scooped them into parfait glasses and tea cups. It's cute but looks obviously messed up. I plan on bringing them to passover, sticking them in the microwave for a minute and serving with ice cream and caramel to hide the messiness.
I am not a fan of Passover desserts, but I have to say this cake changed my mind. It was delicious and tasted like apple pie or cobbler. I suggest serving it warm. My daughter loved the apple filling. Definitly beat any Passover dessert I have ever tasted, even my Grandma's! A big hit at sedar.
Great apple cobbler...A day after baking it, I rewarmed it and served it hot! Most delicious side dish to roast.
First of all the cake tasted great!!!! I made it for our annual Seder and it passed the test with 15 people all sampling it. I was very concerned about the 'weight' of the plate. Honestly it felt like it weight a ton when I carried it to dinner. However, it was needless to worry - everyone loved it and it was NOT heavy at all. Okay notes: I took advice and made 1 1/2 times the 'dough' which is more like a cake batter and did use Matzoh cake meal and almond flour combined along with the potato starch. I added a tiny bit of lemon juice to the apples. I used a bundt pan instead of a9x13 and baked it a bit longer. The most trouble I had was removing it from the bundt pan but that my fault for not greasing the pan well enough. After removing the cake I did place it under the broiler to give the top a nice crispness and it browned it up nicely as well. Yes this cake feels very very heavy; however when sliced and eaten it is NOT heavy tasting. Nothing but crumbs left and that speaks for itself. It was a nice change from chocolate and coconut desserts and especially from those tasteless store-bought desserts. I will definitely be making this again next year.
This is awful!! I also did not have enough batter to cover the apples, was soggy on the bottom, took longer to bake. I can't believe this recipe worked for anyone who followed the exact recipe.
Absolutely loved it. I can't understand the negative reviews... this passover apple cake goes down well and takes me back to my childhood. Regarding the Matzoh meal don't go overboard on trying to find Matzoh meal. Crush Matzoh crackers, the more you crush the finer it gets. Regarding the potato starch you get quite a lot when you make your potato Latkes, most people throw the stuff down the sink. while it may be a little more effort its the way it was made years ago...Tradition
Definitely add 1 -2 tsp. vanilla, if not more!!!! We cut the amount of apples in half, but I think we will only cut it by 1/3 next time. Also added cardamom in the dough. Delicious!!!!
I followed advice and doubled the dough. I can't say how it would have worked if I had followed directions exactly, but I can tell you that I wound up with a heavy, tasteless cake. It looked great, tasted awful. I may try it again AS WRITTEN. Had to throw it out, when the batter was doubled.
I have to say that I was VERY DISAPPOINTED with this recipe! The measurements were really far off and you definitely need to halve the apples or double the dough?! No one really liked it and I was embarrassed that I brought it to the seder!
For a Passover cake, it really is great! My non-Jewish family and friends all enjoyed it, but the biggest tesitmonial is my own - a self professed "Passover Cake Hater"!!! This is more than edibile, its really good! Skip the nasty mix and make this instead!
For a passover cake this was not bad. I agree with many of the reviews about either doubling the batter or reducing the apples. This is a very dense cake. Don't expect it to be light! But the flavor is nice.
This was soooo good, people are still asking me about it. I made one for my boss to bring back home to NY and now I'm famous there for this!
I made this for Passover this year and my family loved it. I decided to make it diabetic friendly since we have a few in the family who have to watch their sugar intake. I used Splenda in place of the white sugar and Splenda brown sugar in place of the Brown sugar! We topped it off with a dollop of sugar free whipped topping....Yummy! Thanks for a wonderful Passover friendly recipe!
I made this last week and it was delicious. Really easy to make and everyone loved it. I added more brown sugar than it called for...
Passover baking always seems to leave little to be desired, BUT this "cake" was great and the family decided it was definitely a "keeper". This is more like an Apple Crisp. I added extra cinnamon since we all love it, and served it with vanilla ice cream. Raves from all!
I used the cake four...and it came out great...more like an apple crisp...but everyone loved it!
Great recipe. I've made this for two years in a row and it will be gracing the sedar again this year by popular demand. I agree with doubling the batter or cutting the amount of apples in half. Either way, it's a great dessert with a lot of flavor.
Tasty but it is definetly more of a cobbler than a cake - if you are expecting a cake. Was wonderful with ice cream or cool whip! Would make again.
This recipe was good for a Passover dish. I think I'll stick to my normal recipe for the rest of year. I did as many people suggested and doubled the batter. I don't think there would have been enough for the top if I didn't. The only other change I made was that I didn't have any brown sugar so I used white instead. Definitely a recipe to use next year too.
Delicious but to fit in a 9 x 13 pan you'll need to double to recipe. I made 1 as written, then I made 1 using the dough base. Made in a round pan, 1 layer of the dough then I mixed the apples into the remaining dough and added to the pan. Much more moist cake made my way. Good base recipe.
This was a wonderful addition to my passover sweets. It came out wonderful and reminded me of an apple cake my mother use to make using flour. My only confusion was the picture of a round cake and the recipe stated to use a 9x13 rectangular pan. I used a cake pan and it was wonderful!
I thought the name was misleading....I was expecting a "cake" this is much more like an apple crisp...OK but not great
Definitely needed to use half the apples. It was a little heavy. Tasted ok with ice cream. I won’t make it again.
I made the recipe exactly as written. You have to press the dough out to spread it over the bottom of the 9"x13" pan, but it is enough. Not sure I'd want to cut the apples or double the dough as others have done.
The greatest apple cake ever. People did not believe that it was Kosher for Passover. I only used 3/4 of the top and extra cinnamon, came out more like apple crumb cake.
My family and I thought this was very tasty, especially considering the boxed alternatives for Passover. I added 1/2 cup of walnuts to the apple mixture - added a nice texture. Next time I will probably double the recipe to be able to cover the apples entirely. I find the batter very hard to work with, but once it's baked, it tastes yummy!
This "cake" was inedible and awful. The "dough" is purely matzoh chunks mixed with lots of oil, plus some sugar. For me, it came out hard and chewy, with matzoh bits that jam in the teeth. Differences from other people: 1) I used strawberries rather than apples. I would think that strawberries would be at least as juicy, but perhaps not. 2) Per the comments of many other reviewers, it's difficult to figure out the "correct" ratio of batter to fruit (except that there's general agreement that the ratios in the original are not right.) And 3) I used homemade food-processor matzoh meal, rather than store-bought, since (around here at least) all of the matzoh meal sold in the stores (to take one prominent example, the Manischevitz) -- says "Not For Passover" on the box.
I could not fit all the apples into the pan, and only used half. It was still very yummy. I read reviews that suggested using ALL the apples - even though it seems like too many - and may try that next.
I made this apple cake for Passover and ended up throwing it out after the 4 of us tried eating it. I was so embarrassed and apologetic. I followed the recipe exactly and ended up with a heavy tasteless cardboard cake. I'll never take it again.
This was pretty good for a Passover recipe. I followed the recipe as written except i doubled the batter as other had suggested and it came out really well. My MIL has a Passover birthday this year (and doesn’t like chocolate cake) so I made this and to make it a little more special I made a caramel sauce that I used to frost it. The caramel sauce frosting really helped with the inevitable matzah taste in the batter and made it look more like a Birthday cake. Thanks for a great recipe
Absolutely wonderful, will definitely make again. I don't bake and it still came out great. I would love someone to share a version using honey instead of granulated sugar; I looked for conversions but got nervous! I did double the batter as many reviews suggested, which was perfect.
I did double the batter as other reviewers suggested. I would also highly recommend it. I did use cake meal in place of the matzoh meal . This cake is not overly sweet and it is easy to make. I also sliced the apples thin. The aroma while baking was heavenly! My husband could not wait to tag into it. We were pleasantly surprised that it was very tasty. This recipe is going to be a Passover keeper!
Nope. Just plain nope. Taste might be okay, but the proportions and measurements are so totally off for a cake of this supposed size.
I halved the apples and instead of layering just mixed it all together as it seemed I might not have enough batter. This worked great. The taste was good more like a cobbler but it fell apart when trying to eat it. The next day it was just the opposite and very soggy. The taste is good just not sure about the consistency of it.
This recipe works well with Gluten Free Matzo Meal and stevia-based sugar substitute. After reading some of the reviews, I used a spring form pan with single recipe of batter and 5 apples. Finished cake was over 2 inches tall. The two of us ate 40% of it after supper this evening. Next time, I'll add just a pinch of salt.
I could not find potato starch, so I used tapioca starch. I used honey crisp apples. And I had to double the amount of dough, as other reviewers suggested. But it tasted great, and my co-workers loved it! (And I am not much of a cook/baker.)
RECIPE IS OFF NEEDED TO DOUBLE THE DOUGH RECIPE X 1 BARELY COVERED THE BOTTOM OF THE 9X13 PAN LOTS !!! OF APPLES PROBABLY COULD HAVE CUT BACK ALSO I TOSSED WITH SOME LEMON JUCE TO PREVENT BROWNING ALSO ADDED NICE FLAVOR THE 2ND TIME I MADE THE DOUGH ( FOR ATOP THE APPLES ) I OMITTED THE MATZO MEAL & (DEFINITELY USE MATZO CAKE MEAL I USED THE NORMAL MEAL YOU GET ANYWHERE NOT SEEING ANY OTHER IN 2 STORES ITS WAY TOO COARSE) I USED ONLY POTATO STARCH FOR THE TOP DOUGH & IT TURNED OUT MUCH BETTER I WOLD NOT USE THIS RECIPE AGAIN BUT WOULD SUGGEST USEING COCONUT OR ALMOND FLOUR & DITCH THE MATZO MEAL
Made this for Seder night. Was excellent. Doubled the batter and used a spring form pan. Everytonevloved it.
The flavor was good, but way too many apples for the amount of dough. After I baked it, I ended up putting it in a gluten free pie crust and it came out much better. Next time, I will try do double the dough or cut the amount of apples in half.
As Passover desserts go, this is a good one. If you've ever made or eaten a Passover cake, you know they are typically dry and minimal on flavor. I followed advice of reviewers and doubled the batter which, I felt, was too much because it is very crumbly and overpowered the apples. I'd try the recipe next time... as it is written (trying my hand at Passover humor). Flavor was good in this cake and though it broke apart easily, it would not be considered dry by Pesach standards. Those who ate this apple cake at the Sedar agreed. Thumbs up! Thanks for sharing!
Are you sure? Removing from Saved Items will permanently delete it from all collections. View My Collections