Ode to an Apple Cake
This cake is perfect for Rosh Hashanah and any special occasion.
Writing this recipe made an old childhood memory pop up. I hadn’t thought about it in a million years. Perhaps it entered my consciousness because in a few weeks Beverly Hills High School will be hosting my 40th reunion. (I’m still undecided about going.)
When I was in the 3rd grade at Beverly Vista Elementary School, and still fairly new to this country, a friend invited me to her Halloween party. I was very excited to attend. At her home, we played a game I had never experienced before — bobbing for apples. I stood in line and waited my turn, watching the other kids to see how the game was played. Afterwards, my face and my hair were soaking wet, but I experienced the thrill of biting into a juicy, crispy apple and being a part of the group. I miss those days of innocent, old-fashioned fun, with actual (non-electronic) games played in the backyard. Games that left us children full of joy.
Did you know that bobbing for apples had its start in Europe hundreds of years ago as a courtship game for young lovers? The female would seek to bite into the apple with the name of her love interest. If she succeeded in biting into the apple with one bob, then fortune favored the lucky couple. If it took two attempts, they could attempt to court, but their love was fated to be short. Sadly, three attempts meant the stars weren’t aligned for this couple. Talk about a “shidduch crisis”!
Bobbing for apples is a game that can be played year-round, but it’s primarily played around autumn and Halloween, also known as peak apple season.
Here’s how to play:
• Fill a large bucket or basin with water.
• Put apples in the water (since apples are less dense than water, they’ll float to the top).
• Have players attempt to grab as many apples as possible using only their teeth—no hands!
—Rachel
It is fitting that the apple is the symbol of Rosh Hashanah — it has a perfect shape, a fragrant aroma and a sweet taste! Not to mention that they are at their peak of freshness at this time of the year.
Juicy, crispy, healthy apples are a fiber-filled nutrient-dense fruit and they are a rich source of polyphenols, an important group of antioxidants.
Apples are always on my shopping list (I’m very partial to honeycrisp apples). And I’m always looking for ways to incorporate them into my recipes. Apart from their obvious use in salads, cabbage slaws and fruit salads, apples have found their way into my curries and my roast chicken dishes.
Of course, nothing is better than baking with apples! Cooking releases pectin as well as a melted sweetness, a concentrated apple flavor and an intoxicating scent.
Of course, nothing is better than baking with apples! Cooking releases pectin as well as a melted sweetness, a concentrated apple flavor and an intoxicating scent.
In our very first Rosh Hashanah article, Rachel and I shared Abe Abraham’s Apple Cake recipe. It’s a winner! Foolproof, fail safe and just plain delicious!
This year, we reimagined this recipe. Instead of using our usual Bundt, we used a springform pan. Instead of dredging the apples in sugar and cinnamon, we left some of them plain for layering on top of the batter. Then we went over the top and made a crunchy apple walnut streusel topping.
This cake is perfect for Rosh Hashanah and any special occasion. It’s a cozy, nostalgic reminder of days past. A sweet taste that portends to a sweet New Year!
—Sharon
STREUSEL APPLE CAKE
Streusel:
½ cup melted vegan butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp cinnamon
½ tsp cardamom (optional)
1 large Granny Smith apple, chopped into cubes
1 cup roughly chopped walnuts
Melt butter in the microwave for 20 seconds.
Combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon, cardamom and melted butter. Then mix in apple and walnuts until they are well combined.
Set aside.
Cake:
5 large Granny Smith apples, chopped into thin wedges
4 eggs
1 cup oil
1/4 cup orange juice
2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 cups flour
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a large bowl, use a mixer to combine the eggs, oil, orange juice and vanilla until well blended.
Add sugar, baking powder, salt and flour. Mix until well combined. Batter will be very thick.
Grease a spring form pan, then pour the batter into the pan. Arrange the apples over the batter, then press them into the batter, so that they are partially submerged.
Sprinkle an even layer of streusel over the top of the cake.
Bake for 1 and 1/2 hours or until golden brown. Keep an eye on the cake, as oven temperatures vary. Test the center with a toothpick after an hour and then every 10 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.)
Let cake cool completely before removing from pan.
Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.
Sharon Gomperts and Rachel Emquies Sheff have been friends since high school. The Sephardic Spice Girls project has grown from their collaboration on events for the Sephardic Educational Center in Jerusalem. Follow them
on Instagram @sephardicspicegirls and on Facebook at Sephardic Spice SEC Food.
