Back Pocket Apple Cake
One month until The Dessert Table: 100 Joyful Jewish Sweets!
One month. It is hard to believe, but September 1st is almost exactly one month from now. And on September 1, my new book The Dessert Table: 100 Joyful Jewish Sweets hits bookstore shelves. (Book tour dates coming soon!)
I am so excited to share this collection of globally-inspired Jewish sweets with you. I think you’re going to plotz over the Almond Croissant Rugelach, the Chai-Spiced Cheesecake, the Orange and Almond Cake, the White Chocolate Tahini Cookies, and so many other recipes. There’s a little something in The Dessert Table for everyone, whether you are a skilled baker or a total newbie, and whether you’re vegan or gluten-free, or a dedicated omnivore.
And, thanks the book’s Back Pocket Apple Cake recipe—which I’m sharing as a sneak peek with paid newsletter subscribers this week—I know you’re going to be set for Rosh Hashanah. Because…and I don’t mean to scare you in the middle of your beach day or frozen margarita, but Rosh Hashanah is also just over a month away. I know, I know. (I know.)
The roots for my Back Pocket Apple Cake can be found in the apple cake my mom made for Rosh Hashanah when I was growing up. Soft and squishy cake crumb, cinnamon aroma that fills the house while it bakes, juicy bites of apple, walnuts (but only if you want ‘em)—you know it when you taste it.
I took that perfect cake base and updated it ever so slightly with a heap of orange zest to brighten up the fall flavors. Think sunlight filtering through swaying autumn leaves, and you’ll get the vibe. I also pushed the limits on just how many apple chunks you can pile into the pan and still technically call it a cake. There are moments while making this recipe that you will worry you have too many apples. You don’t. I promise.
Like the very best apple cakes, this one is dreamy fresh from the oven, and somehow also manages to get even better after a day or two. It’s also the kind of cake that comes together quickly with no special equipment—an easy breezy (yet spectacular) recipe to keep in your back pocket for the holidays or anytime autumn baking.
The Back Pocket Apple Cake is one of three apple-based pastries in The Dessert Table. There’s also an Apple Sharlotka, the book’s cute and cozy cover star. That recipe was shared with me by Jessica and Trina Quinn of the Eastern European-Jewish popup restaurant, Dacha 46. Growing up, Jessica’s family always served apple sharlotka on Rosh Hashanah and at most holiday dinners, and now I do too—alongside a cup of black tea swirled with sour cherry jam, of course.
And then there’s the Hungarian Apple Squares (called almás pite in Hungarian), which sandwiches sweetened, grated apple in between two layers of dough. As I write in the recipe headnote, “As the pastry bakes and turns golden in the oven, the apples cook down and compact into an almost apple butter consistency.” Yum.
Paid subscribers: scroll down for a sneak peek of the Back Pocket Apple Cake from The Dessert Table. For all of the other recipes, make sure to pre-order The Dessert Table now so you get your copy in time for Rosh Hashanah baking!
Back Pocket Apple Cake
The Dessert Table headnote: Apple cakes (called apfelkuchen in German and Yiddish), made with heaping amounts of the sweet-tart autumn fruit, are a standard Ashkenazi dessert for Rosh Hashanah and a welcome treat anytime—especially during apple season. I firmly believe that all Jewish home cooks (and everyone else too) should have a great apple cake recipe in their back pockets. This version, which is inspired by the apple cake my mom made when I was growing up, is excellent. The crumb is light and tender and threaded through with juicy bites fruit. And the apples are accented with orange zest—a simple tweak that adds abundant flavor.
Leah’s note: Since I’m not yet baking for the holidays, I made a half-batch of the batter and baked it in a 9-inch round baking pan for about 35 minutes. The full recipe, which gets backed in a 9x13-inch rectangular pan, is shared below. But feel free to scale down if you’re baking for a smaller crowd.
Makes one 9x13-inch cake
