The Perfect Jewish Apple Cake Recipe

Get ready for Day 2 of our 12 Days of Christmas Recipes series, because today we’re unwrapping a truly heartwarming memory on a plate, Nana’s Jewish Apple Cake! This isn’t just any cake; it’s a treasured tradition that graced my family’s table every holiday season for nearly a decade, thanks to the kindness of a dear family friend’s mother, Nana. Imagine a dense, moist, and perfectly spiced cake studded with tender apples, so irresistible that Nana would freeze and mail it all the way from New Jersey to us in North Carolina! Nana is an incredible cook and baker, a remarkably sweet person who celebrated her 105th birthday this past summer! I am so excited for you to recreate this amazing recipe and bring a slice of this sweet, enduring family memory to your own holiday celebration.

Full recipe is below

NANA’S JEWISH APPLE CAKE

Using either green or Macintosh Apples, peel and cut 4 or 5 into cubes. Blend 2 teaspoons cinnamon with 5 Tablespoons sugar. Sprinkle this combination over the apples and set aside.

Measure into a large bowl:

3 cups sifted flour

2 cups of sugar

1cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

¼ cup orange juice

3 teaspoons baking powder

2-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon salt

Beat the ingredients until smooth. Then stir in one cup broken walnut pieces. Pour one half of the batter into a well-greased 10-inch tube pan. Arrange one half of the apple mixture over it. Then pour the rest of the batter over the apples. Next, arrange the remaining apples on top of the batter. Bake at 350 degrees for one and a half hours. Allow cake to cool in an upright position. (May also be frozen for future use.)

It’s day two of Christmas recipes with Spilling the Sweet Tea. And today we’re making Nana’s Jewish Apple Cake. Baby, when this used to come in the mail from New Jersey, everybody in my house is excited. My father, my mother, my whole family was excited to get this cake from Nana every holiday season. It is definitely a memory on a plate. Baby, this is Nana, and she is 105 years young. I met Nana and her family over 25 years ago and they have been dear family friends of mine and my family for years. Mrs. Cook, I love you and thank you so much for sharing Nana’s recipe with me. The recipe starts by adding cinnamon sugar to four to five diced Macintosh apples. Set your apples aside and you want to measure out three cups of flour. It’s imperative that you sift your flour. Don’t skip this step. You’re going to need two cups of sugar as well as 1 teaspoon of salt. Next, add in 3 teaspoon of baking powder. For your wet ingredients, you’re going to need four eggs. And if you know, you know. I have to take that egg snout out. My mama always taught me to clean my eggs. You’re also going to need 1 cup of vegetable oil and 1/4 cup of orange juice. I use the orange juice without the pulp. Now, add in 2 and 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. And baby, that’s it. That’s all. Just mix up all of your ingredients. And if you did it right, your batter should look a little bit like this. What makes this cake so good is the combination of the sweet apples and the crunchy walnuts. Nana always bakes her cake in a tube pan, so that’s exactly what I did. And so my cake did not stick, I used some Pam baking release. Add half of the batter to the grease pan, top with apples, add more batter, and then finish with the rest of the apples on top. You want to bake this cake on 350° for about an hour and a half. Once the toothpick comes out clean, your cake is done. Allow the cake to cool and just remove it from the pan. Easy peasy. The cake is served with the apples on top. And look how beautiful Nana’s Jewish apple cake is. For so many years, this cake came in the mail for my family from Nana. And it turned out so good. It’s like she shipped it herself. It’s so good. A 10 out of 10. And definitely spilling the sweet tea. Approved. Love you, Nana. Happy holidays.