Jewish Apple Cake: The Cinnamon-Apple Bundt That Outlives Every Other Apple Cake
This moist and delicious apple cake is the perfect way to welcome fall and its bounty of apples. Try the easy recipe!
Jewish apple cake is one of the great achievements of mid-20th-century American Jewish home baking. It is tall, moist, cinnamon-apple-rich, and gets better the day after you bake it. It also keeps unusually well, which is part of how it spread; a Jewish apple cake makes the rounds at synagogue functions, family parties, and shiva calls, and it never disappoints. The recipe is straightforward, the technique is forgiving, and the result is the best apple cake in the rotation.
Quick Reference
- What it is: a tall, moist Bundt cake with layers of cinnamon-sugared apple folded through the batter.
- Origin: mid-20th-century American Jewish (Ashkenazi) kitchens, especially in the Northeast.
- Why “Jewish”: the cake is dairy-free (uses oil instead of butter), making it kosher to serve after a meat meal, an important consideration in observant Jewish kitchens.
- Best apples: Granny Smith for tartness, Honeycrisp or Cortland for sweet-tart balance.
- Best season: September through November (peak apple season).
- Storage: 4-5 days at room temperature, the cake actually improves on day 2.
What Are the Best Apples to Use for This Cake?
Tart, firm apples that hold their shape during baking work best. Granny Smith is the gold standard; the tartness balances the sweet cake batter. Cortland, Honeycrisp, Braeburn, and Northern Spy all work well. Avoid Red Delicious (mealy when baked) and McIntosh (turns to applesauce). A mix of two varieties gives the most complex flavor.
Why Is It Called Jewish Apple Cake?
The cake is dairy-free. Traditional Jewish dietary law (kashrut) keeps meat and dairy separate, so a dessert that contains no butter or milk can be served after a meat meal (kosher “pareve”). The cake uses vegetable oil and orange juice instead of butter and milk, which is the structural feature that earned the “Jewish” name. The recipe became most associated with mid-20th-century American Ashkenazi households, especially in the Northeast (Philadelphia, New York, New Jersey), where neighborhood synagogue cookbooks codified hundreds of versions.
Jewish Apple Cake Recipe
Makes one 10-inch Bundt cake.
Ingredients:
- Apple mixture:
- 5 medium apples (about 5 cups), peeled, cored, sliced
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Cake batter:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- 2½ teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt or tube pan.
- Toss the sliced apples with cinnamon and 3 tablespoons of sugar. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add oil, eggs, orange juice, and vanilla. Beat with a wooden spoon or electric mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
- Pour ⅓ of the batter into the prepared pan.
- Top with half the apple mixture.
- Pour another ⅓ of the batter over the apples.
- Top with the remaining apple mixture.
- Pour the remaining batter over the top.
- Bake 60-75 minutes until the top is deep golden brown and a tester comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan 30 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and cool completely.
Tips for the Best Jewish Apple Cake
- Use a tube or Bundt pan. The middle channel helps the dense, apple-heavy cake bake through evenly.
- Grease generously. Apple bits stick. Use baking spray with flour, or butter generously and dust with flour.
- Slice apples uniformly. Quarter-inch slices distribute evenly through the batter.
- Let it rest a day. The cake is good warm, better the next day, and best 48 hours after baking. The flavor deepens and the texture firms.
- Wrap tightly. Plastic wrap or a cake dome keeps the moisture in. Refrigeration dries it out.
When to Serve It
Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year, September or October) is the most traditional occasion. Apples and honey are the symbolic foods of the new year, so apple cake is the natural follow-up. Beyond that, the cake travels well: it shows up at potlucks, brunches, baby naming ceremonies, and shiva calls year-round. American synagogue cookbooks have published thousands of versions; the basic structure is remarkably consistent across them all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Jewish apple cake actually Jewish?
Yes, in origin. The cake came out of mid-20th-century American Jewish (Ashkenazi) kitchens, especially in the Northeast. The dairy-free recipe (oil instead of butter, orange juice instead of milk) makes it kosher to serve after a meat meal, which is the structural reason for the name.
What apples should I use?
Granny Smith for the tart base, with Honeycrisp, Cortland, Braeburn, or Northern Spy for sweet-tart balance. A mix of two varieties gives the most complex flavor.
Can I make Jewish apple cake gluten-free?
Yes, with a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend. The cake structure is forgiving enough that gluten-free versions work well. Add ¼ teaspoon xanthan gum if your blend does not include it.
Why is the cake better the second day?
The cinnamon and apple flavors fully migrate through the batter overnight, and the cake firms slightly into a denser, more satisfying texture. Most Jewish apple cake fans bake the day before they plan to serve.
How long does it keep?
Wrapped tightly at room temperature, 4-5 days. Freezes well for up to 3 months; thaw at room temperature overnight.
This article was published by the Staff at FarmersAlmanac.com. Any questions? Contact us at questions@farmersalmananac.com.
- Farmers' Almanac Staff
- Farmers' Almanac Staff
- Farmers' Almanac Staff
- Farmers' Almanac Staff
I want to make this for my dad for his birthday but he doesn’t remember it being in a bundt pan. His mom used to make it for him and grew up in a Jewish neighborhood in Pimlico and she’s never made it in a bundt pan either. An authentic Jewish apple cake is NOT made in a bundt pan. I suggest making it in a 9 inch springform pan if you want it authentic. Also, after speaking with my grandmother, an authentic recipe does NOT have any orange juice in it either. It should be ALL apple. This coming from a woman who got her recipe from actual Jewish families back in the 40s in Pimlico….Baltimore, MD. In Pimlico, it used to be an ALL Jewish neighborhood.
stacy yopu simply have the wrong cake….this does NOT go in a springform pan in would never cook through the middle and it has always had orange juice in it
I’d love to be able to print the recipes. Can you make them to where we can print them like in your weekly newsletters?
Hi Nancy, we’re working on our recipe section. In the meantime, you can print from your browser. Go to the top menu and select File > Print. Then you can use your print settings to remove headers, footers and background graphics.
Need one for apple pie!!
Hi Donna, we have quite a few! You can see them here and here.