Jewish Apple Cake
Layers of diced cinnamon apples are baked inside this Jewish Apple Cake. This homemade pound cake is topped with a vanilla glaze.
Table of Contents
- Jewish Apple Cake History
- What are the best apples to use for cake?
- How to Easily Peel Apples for Cake
- How to Make Jewish Apple Cake
- Can you bake this cake in a different pan size?
- How long do you allow a bundt cake to cool before removing it from the pan?
- Can you reduce the sugar in this cake?
- Can you freeze apple cake?
- Jewish Apple Cake Recipe
- Apple Cake Recipes
Layers of cinnamon sugar apples and moist pound cake baking in the oven. Doesn’t the thought of that take you back to Grandma’s kitchen?
This is an old fashioned Jewish apple cake recipe that is a must-make. Once your family has a taste, it will become a requested tradition!

Jewish Apple Cake History
Jewish Apple Cake is a dairy free cake that uses oil and orange juice, giving it great flavor and texture. This is often called simply “Apple Cake”.
There are mixed reviews as to where this cake actually came from and if it is actually Jewish. You can find “German Apple Cake” and “Pennsylvania Apple Cake” and they are virtually the same recipe. Jewish? Maybe not. German? Maybe.
Either way, it’s all good. Love research? You’ll like reading about apple cake in this article.
What are the best apples to use for cake?
When you are baking with apples, you want them not only to have amazing flavor, but also to hold their shape. No one wants mushy apples in cake!
The best apples to use for this cake is Granny Smith apples. Their tart flavor pair well with the sweet cake.
Rome, Braeburn, Honeycrisp or Gala apples are also good choices.

How to Easily Peel Apples for Cake
How do you quickly and easily peel, core and slice apples? Let me tell you: Best.Invention.Ever: Apple Peeler/Corer/Slicer. This will make your apple peeling life easier than ever.
Yes, peels have lot of nutrients, but they’ll come loose from the apple pieces as the cake bakes and make for a weird texture in the cake.
How to Make Jewish Apple Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Grease with shortening and flour one 10 inch bundt cake pan (or use cake release or Baker’s Joy spray).
- Combine the cinnamon and sugars together in a medium bowl. Add the apples and toss to coat.

- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix well.

- In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Whisk to combine.

- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients alternately with the orange juice, mixing well between each addition. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.

- Pour ½ of the batter into the bottom of the pan.
- Top with ½ of the chopped apples.

- Pour the remaining batter over the apples.
- Add the remaining apples to the top of the cake.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 80 to 100 minutes. The exact timing will depend on the size and shape of your bundt pan. A toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center should come out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a cake plate to cool completely.
- To make the glaze, whisk together the sugar, vanilla extract and heavy cream. Add additional heavy cream to get desired drizzling consistency.

- Drizzle the cooled cake with the glaze.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Can you bake this cake in a different pan size?
Yes! Use 2 9×5 loaf pans or even a 9×13 baking pan. You make muffins too. Just remember that smaller pan sizes will not have to bake as long.
How long do you allow a bundt cake to cool before removing it from the pan?
It’s important not to let a bundt cake cool tool long in a pan. If you allow cakes to cool too long, the sugar from the cake could end up sticking to the pan.
A general rule is to allow bundt cakes to cool about 10 minutes in the pan before turning it out onto a wire rack or cake plate to cool completely. As always, follow the instructions for the specific recipe you are using. This recipe calls for 10 minute in pan cooling time.
Can you reduce the sugar in this cake?
Yes! You can often reduce white sugar in cakes by at least ¼ of a cup without changing the texture of the cake. We’ve reduced the sugar in this cake by ½ cup (for a total of 1 ½ cups) and it has still turned out fine.

Can you freeze apple cake?
Yes! This cake freezes well. We recommend double wrapping any leftover cake slices. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, then seal it in a storage container, a zippered bag or wrap in foil.
Be sure to let the cake defrost in the refrigerator or at room temperature completely before opening the wrapping. This will help the cake stay fresh.
Jewish Apple Cake
Layers of diced cinnamon apples are baked inside this Jewish Apple Cake. This homemade pound cake is topped with a vanilla glaze.
Servings 15
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients
For the apples:
- 5 medium apples peeled, cored and chopped into ½” pieces (Rome, Gala or Granny Smith)
- 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup white sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
For the cake:
- 2 cups white sugar
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs (beaten)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 cup orange juice
Powdered Sugar Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Grease with shortening and flour one 10 inch bundt cake pan (or use cake release or Baker’s Joy spray).
- Combine the cinnamon and sugars together in a medium bowl. Add the apples and toss to coat.
- In a large bowl, combine the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. Mix well using an electric mixer
- In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Whisk to combine.
- Add the flour to the egg mixture alternately with the orange juice, mixing well between each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Pour ½ of the batter into the prepared pan.
- Top with ½ of the chopped apples.
- Pour the remaining batter over the apples.
- Add the remaining apples to the top of the cake.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 80 to 100 minutes. The exact timing will depend on the size and shape of your bundt pan. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a cake plate to cool completely.
- To make the glaze, whisk together the sugar, vanilla extract and heavy cream. Add additional heavy cream to get desired drizzling consistency.
- Drizzle the cooled cake with the glaze.
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Video
Notes
The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 15 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**
Nutrition
Calories: 331kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 59mg | Sodium: 103mg | Potassium: 193mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 48g | Vitamin A: 152IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 2mg
Recipe Inspiration: Allrecipes
Apple Cake Recipes
If you love apples, try one of these other popular apple cake recipes:
Question: do you drain the apples before adding to the cake then pour the apple juices over the cake before baking? Thanks for your prompt response.. Linda
Awesome recipe!!! Reminds me of my grandmas cakes
Well written recipe, easy to follow, with spectacular results!
Love this recipe. It mixes the apples so it looks pretty when cut