Ukrainian Apple Cake (Yabluchnyk)

I just made this... it was simple and delicious! However, I don't really recommend eating it while it's warm as the cake flavor is almost overpowering while still hot out of the oven. And don't skimp on the apples or the topping even though they may seem like a lot--the balance is perfect! I also uploaded a photo of mine--hopefully it will display soon! :)

I made four of these for my son's school project on Russia. I sampled the cake immediately after baking it and was not impressed. It was dry, not very flavorful and hard to cut through the apples. Fortunately, however, there was way too much food brought in to school, so my son brought home some leftovers. Let me just say, this cake definitely improves with age!!!! On day 2, the cake was so moist and flavorful, and the apples softened nicely which made for easier cutting. Yummmmm!!!! I think I've gained 5 pounds. If you're looking for a simple dessert, that's not overly sweet and has a nice presentation, try this one. I followed the recipe exactly, using a mix of Granny Smith and Jonagold apples. I baked two cakes for 35 minutes and the other two a little longer. Next time I'll stick with 35 minutes. They were just right.

Yes!! Delicious! This recipe is very similar to a German apple cake my mom used to make when I was a kid. Only this one is better because of the streusel topping. I didn't change a thing other than using rice milk and a blob of sour cream instead of the cream (whey allergy). Talk about easy! I love recipes that can be mixed up quickly, tossed in the oven and ready in less than an hour. I did have to bake it for an extra 15 mins but I think my oven is a bit off. I used Jonamac apples and they came out tart and juicy and did not get mushy at all. I'd love to try different types of apples such as Granny Smith, Cortland or Honeycrisp. Next time I might make a double layer of apples just because I love apple desserts so why not pack as many apples in there as possible? The cake part is not very sweet but I love that because the topping and apples balance out the sweetness. Some fruit desserts are too sugary and sticky but this one is perfect. Clean, simple flavor that will surely be a dessert I will make again and again. I'd love to try pears or peaches next time. You must make this cake, you will love it!!! Thank-you so much for posting the recipe.

Oh YUM! Really lovely- the bottom cake layer reminded me of a sugar donut, and the top was really delicious. I made it in an 8" x 8" pan and had to bake it an extra 15 minutes because it was thicker, but it worked perfectly. Thanks for the great recipe :)

This is absolutely wonderful apple cake. My husband and kids loved it. I made the recipe exactly as written. The only thing I did differently was baked it in a springform pan. Next time I think I will try a layer of caramel between the cake layer and apple layer. This is definately a keeper.

I recently made this for a Ukranian Christmas party I was invited too, and it was a big hit! I used mostly all purpose flour with some whole wheat and milk instead of cream, and it worked really well! I was so scared because when everthing was mixed the batter seemed really wet, but it baked thru really well. Thanks so much Olga!

This cake is absolutely wonderful! It has been a favorite of mine. I could eat it all day cause it isn't too sweet. I only added a hint more cinnamon to the topping. Definitely going to make this again! I really like the struesel topping so I'll probably add more of it next time. So if youre looking for something not too sweet to indulge yourself in, try this cake :)

This was a very good, very rich recipe. I am really amazed at how little work it takes to actually make this. I made it with Red Delicious apples but I think the next time I make it, I'll use granny smith. Thanks for a great recipe.

I had lots of apples to use and wanted something different from a regular pie. This recipe was very easy...I doubled the recipe and baked it in two large pie plates. My husband loved it!

I loved this! I made it to celebrate my brother's recent return from Russia and Ukraine (he claimed to have hated all the food, so it was kind of a practical joke to serve him ONE more Ukrainian dish). He actually loved it, as did everyone else at the party. I used fresh pears instead of the apples, and I didn't really measure them (I think it was probably about 3-4 cups). It was really yummy, though I'm thinking that the pears (or, rather, the amount of fruit) made the cooking time a bit longer. I also used a nine-inch springform instead of the 8x8 dish (I really don't think that would have served as nicely). I think next time I make this (and I WILL!), I will bake the bottom layer just a few minutes before adding the fruit so that it's a tad easier to slice into wedges. I served it with really good vanilla bean ice cream, which helped to even out the spiciness of the cinnamon. If you're not a big cinnamon fan, you might want to reduce it a bit. The flavor on the whole reminded me a bit of when my mother made cinnamon toast for me as a child. Yummy!

You have to understand that Europe does not make their desserts as sweet as the US. This was excellent. I tripled the recipe and placed it in a jellyroll pan to feed the masses. I did not deviate at all from the recipe. It was beautiful and delicious! The bottom was cake-like, but hinted taste like a butter cookie. The streusel appeared more like a glaze (which actually was beautiful and gooey-licious). I decided to bake it at 350 until the apples were done, which ended up being about 70 minutes in my oven. Hope this helps :)

This was great. I used milk and sour cream instead of the cream and it worked great.

Delicious! This is a very forgiving recipe. Resources being scarce, I had to get creative and make a substitution for nearly every ingredient. But it still turned out wonderfully! I baked it for 25 minutes as per the instructions, but it probably would have benefited from another 5-10. I added about a tablespoon of Bob's Red Mill multigrain hot cereal to the streusel mix; gave it a nutty and crunchy texture. Very nice :)

Great recipe! I made it for church potluck this evening and it was a huge success! I used both mac and granny smith apples. I did lower the temperature to 350 degrees and baked it for 10 minutes longer, as per the advice of others. Very easy to make. Will definitely make again!

This cake was absolutely delicious!!! It tasted like an apple pie on top of a perfectly moist coffee cake. Best of both worlds. :) I followed the directions exactly, other than I cooked 35 minutes to insure the apples were cooked completely.

Yummy! One of the best apple cake recipes I've ever tried. It's wonderful if you serve the cake with whipped cream.

I made this cake for my Library Book Club last week.We had just finished reading Anna Karenina and I were meeting to discuss the book. I had offered to bring a Russian food. I followed the recipe exactly and it was a hit at the meeting. I made a double batch and my husband was able to eat some of the left over and liked it as well. I plan to make more for him to share at work!

Apples never got super soft, but didn't want to keep baking, otherwise, cake would have been overdone.

Once again, esp to the person, who used water for eggs, coconut oil for the butter and more water to some strange flour concoction and then had the nerve to give the recipe 1 star.... If you don't use the recipe and the ingredients then don't rate the recipe, because you didn't use it!

I used half & half cream, it came out pretty good, but the crunchiness of the brown sugar crumble on top, was a little too much. Otherwise, it was very moist and delish. Maybe next time, I would add some flavor extract into the cake batter to give it extra flavor, like vanilla or almond extract.

I was pleased with the simplicity of this dessert. It reminds me of a cobbler but the crust is on the bottom which makes it great to slice and serve as oppossed to spooning out portions. I added some vanilla to the crust and served warm. Brown sugar topping was great and didn't make the cake too sweet and I could still taste the apples. Yum!

Delicious! Even though I forgot the cinnamon (duh). I made this for a monthly supper club (Russian theme) & it was a hit. I'm assuming it would be 6 stars if I remembered the cinnamon! Thanks for sharing.

This recipe sounded good, and it looked good... but it wasn't what I had expected. It's not a sweet dessert. The only thing that made any sweetness to it were the apples and the topping. The cake part of it was a bit dry and blan for my taste. I don't think I will make this again.

This did not turn out well at all (however it was very pretty). I followed the recipe exactly and ended up with a VERY dry cake that tasted like baking powder and was still raw underneath the apples. I didn't use all four apples (I used 2 1/2), and I'm glad I didn't because I can't imagine how watery it would have ended up if I had. My boyfriend ate a couple of pieces.

I thought the base was a bit dry and the topping lacked flavor. I served it to my Ukrainian and Russian friends and they ate it, but it wasn't a hit.

Yum! I just had a slice because I couldn't stand to wait any longer. :) I think my guests will enjoy it too! I baked it for 30 minutes and the apples are perfect and the cake layer is very good. Not too sweet; a perfect compliment to the apples.

This was easy to make, though I found three apples covered the top well in an 8x8 pan. I had to bake it for another 15 minutes, too. When I was making the topping, I thought the amount of cinnamon might be too much, but it balanced out the rest of the cake well. It's a nice, quick cake to make to use up some apples. Could actually be served as a sweet treat for breakfast, too.

Perfect amount of sweetness.I cut the recipe in half and I used flax seed and wheat flour instead of white flour and it turned out great! I am tempted to eat the whole thing on my own!

So easy to make! Like apple pie but with half the effort! The only thing that I didn't like was the way the brown sugar strussel looked on top of the cake... it wasn't that appetizing (although it did taste good). I used dark brown sugar instead of light brown, so maybe that was the problem. I might sprinkle it around the edge by the crust rather than all over next time. I also dusted with confectioner's sugar. Great dish to make ahead!

Very delicious and moist !! Family loved it, a definate keeper. ( And we didn't even try it with ice cream yet!!) Thanks for sharing !!

I just made this last night for my family and it was a big hit. The flavor was great and my kids loved it with a little milk poured over the top. Follow directions exactly expect double the recipe. Will make again and again.

Good crumb crust layered with apples. The apples don't stick together as well as I had liked in the layers, but they taste delicious and I wouldn't want to add any more sugar to make them stick. The tastes like a box cake mix used to make a crust.

Great recipe, very moist cake. Because of allergies, I substituted water for the eggs, coconut oil for the butter, and coconut milk for the cream. I also left out the cinnamon. I added extra water as using organic milled wheat and let it sit for a few minutes before baking for the baking powder to start acting.Like pancakes, it helps make it fluffier. If using a hard fruit like apples, it works out better to stew them for a few minutes until soft before adding to the cake.

truly delicious, like my mama used to make

yumm! cant wait to try it with different kinda fruits

I used soy milk, and I sprinkled brown sugar on top of the cake before I place the apples on it. It was absolutely delicious! It was gone in less than a hour!

It's delicious. I made one change, which was to use 1/4 cup of brown sugar instead of 1/2 cup, because looking at all the pictures make me think the struesel was a bit loose, and I wanted crispy. I think it was best warm out of the oven, still pretty good later that day at room temperature, and edible but not nearly as good the next day--the cake went stale pretty fast, and the struesel got soggy. Eat it quickly!

I made it for the Eurovision last Sat. I had drawn Ukrania so had to make a traditional dish and I chose this. It was the favourite dish of the night and surprisingly Ukraine also won Eurovision. I made it with apples and used light brown sugar. Only had an 8 inch round enamel tin and only used 3 apples. It was eaten cold with no cream or sauces. It was perfect and I cant wait to make it again.

This recipe is great just the way it is!!! :)

The crust was a little dry.

I made this today and ABSOLUTELY loved it!! It was delicious with a cup of coffee. The grocery store ran out of both brown sugar & butter, so I used margarine and 1/3 cup white sugar instead, and it still turned out super! I also baked for 30 minutes at 375F.

Everyone I had baked it for at a luncheon thought it was delicious!

I'm not a baker...I'm a photographer and BBQ'er. But I thought I'd try this. First time around....the apples did not cook through. But I saw the potential, and changed it up a bit. I took 1/4 cup sugar, 2 tsp cinnamon, and 1/3 cup water and precooked the apples in a 6 qt sauce pot for 30 minutes over low/medium heat. (Simmering, stirring frequently) I let them cool for 10 minutes and then layered them in the cake per the original recipe. I served it warm (Sat 15 minutes in microwave) with softened vanilla bean icecream. And WOW! I can do more than BBQ! Next try.....make more dough and layer it with the apples.

simple and delicious. serve with ice cream.

I absolutely love this cake!! It's soooo good! The flavor and texture are perfect! I lined my 8x8 pan with enough parchment to have overhang on all sides, and that made for easy removal from the pan--alongside easy cleanup. I baked this at 350 for 35 minutes, and I should have probably gone another 5-7 minutes--as the middle was a touch doughy still (my fault, not the recipe's). Oh, and pressing the dough into the pan can be a bit tricky--but if you lightly oil your hands, it makes it a total snap to press in evenly. Really really great cake! Thanks so much for sharing!

AMAZING! The only adjustment I made was to use sugar cinnamon instead of cinnamon, and I made twice as much crumble for the top. I only had two apples on hand, but it was still great and a sure-fire hit with the entire family.

This is a super easy and reliable cake - so versatile. One of the better ones I have seen on this site. Certainly a standby now and wonderful comfort food. Thanks.

This is a very tasty cake. My husband loved it. Unfortunately I did not have cream on hand and was hesitant to substitute, but I was determined to make this. So I used cream cheese in place of the cream and it turned out well. My husband never goes past it without taking a piece. Will do the original recipe nest week.

The only difference was I used canned evaporated milk since I didn't have regular milk on hand.

My husband and I loved it. The kids were less enthusiastic but they did like it. It heated up extremely well and the crust flavor with the cinnamon flavor was very tasty.

This recipe was..interesting. Not bad, but not great either. I wouldn't make it again. Thanks anyways.

This was just okay for us. The taste was good but not necessarily something that I will make again. I prefer an apple cake with the apples mixed into the cake.

This cake was delicious! I keep buying apples in bags since it's a better value...but as a single person I can't always eat them fast enough before they start going soft. I used five apples from the last of a getting-soft bag...and it was great. I used a 9" glass pie dish, and doubled the amount of strudel as many people suggested. Aside from a little juice dribbling over the edge (too shallow), it came out perfect. I ate one slice with whipped cream while it was still hot...and immediately knew that this cake needed to be shared while it was still hot! So I bundled it up and raced down to the fire station where I work to share with the guys. They loved it!

This passed the taste test with us & our neighbors, but won't be making again as it is just way to much work. If we had kept the recipe we'd cut the struesel topping in half, & mix part of the cinnamon with the apples. I felt the topping had way to much cinnamon so it was almost like a burnt taste.

It tastes amazing. A party favorite, especially in the fall it goes with the just of things. I highly recommend this to anyone for any occasion.

I had bought 9lbs of apples to make some pies, but my children and husband enjoyed them so much, I didn't have enough! Thank you allrecipes for giving me a yummy recipe to use up the "left over" apples! This is a keeper~I will try other fruits as they come into season. But next time, I will add a little more sugar to the cake bottom. My littlest one scraped off the apples and left the cake.

Great recipe. I used fresh ( a little sour)plumbs and doubled the streusel topping.

Yum! This was extremely easy and turned out great!

It was very tasty....after I modified the recipe a little bit. Instead of using 4 apples I used maybe 3 (probably a little bit less). When I used 4 the apples weren't cooked all the way. Reducing the apples, however, fixed the problem and it turned out fantastic.

These were super good and I made with both peaches and apples. I actually made them in little muffin tins, so they were bite sized and they held up well (baked for 11min instead) all in all super good!

I was disappointed with this recipe as it did not turn out at all like what I expected. The cake layer wasn't very sweet and tasted like bread to me. And by the time I got the apples cooked to where they weren't crunchy, the cake layer was overcooked and brown against the glass dish.