Apples and honey are a tradition at Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Who doesn’t like apples? Who doesn’t like honey? For many apples are the perfect fruit: fresh, crisp, sweet but not overwhelmingly so, plus they keep dependably in the fridge. They are the season’s go-to fruit. And honey drizzled over fresh-cut apple slices is “gilding the lily.” The combination is delicious and sweet and as close as possible to candy while still being a healthy snack.
Rosh Hashanah Apples and Honey
Jewish apple cake takes the tradition of apples and honey to the next level. Who doesn’t like cake? Especially to a Jewish New Year celebration a towering, delicious apple cake is the thing to bring. It’s a Rosh Hashanah dessert that’s easy to make and has universal appeal. And to make it a tube pan and a peeler and a big bowl are basically the only kitchen tools necessary. As Chef Gusteau says in the movie Ratatouille, "Anyone can cook." In the case of Jewish apple cake it's true.
Recipes for Jewish Apple Cake
Handed down from mothers to daughters to granddaughters over generations the recipes vary in the amounts and kinds of apples used and in the amounts of eggs, sugar, and cinnamon. Some mothers suggest a pinch, others a palm-full of cinnamon plus some nutmeg, too. Spicing is a personal thing; once a home pastry chef has mastered a recipe and it works reliably she can afford to play around, give the Jewish apple cake some surprising zing. Maybe ginger? That would be an interesting twist and would make the party guests guess.
Jewish New Year Dessert
There is a lot of variation in the recipes that can be found online through epicurious.com and foodtv.com. However, they are all alike in keeping with Kosher food laws, they call for vegetable oil instead of butter. This is good news. Here’s a great-tasting cake with very little saturated fat. Plus the vegetable oil makes for a soft crumb that sticks to the back of a fork like a Betty Crocker commercial.
Also the cake is not iced so there’s no fattening frosting either. Jewish apple cake is moist and delicious right from the oven. Friends and family watching their weight and cholesterol will be delighted; they won’t feel so bad about their second helpings of brisket at dinner.
Make Jewish apple cake again and again at holidays; it’ll become the family’s go-to New Year's celebration cake. There won't even be crumbs left on the plate.
