Mod Jewish Apple Cake

This recipe has been in my family for a long time.  It was given to my grandmother by her best friend Dolly. She’s a sweet lady with a sweet Jewish apple cake recipe.  Funny enough, every post I found for this cake recipe is basically the same.  This is tremendously moist and loaded with flavor, easy to make and really hard to screw up, so of course it is going to be a classic fall favorite!

 But if you haven’t gotten the gist of how I roll in the kitchen, by reading my other posts, I have to mess with things and make it my own.  While I loved the super sweetness of this cake when I was younger, I have cut the sugar and fat in my version of the Jewish apple cake and replaced the refined sugar with more natural tasting sweetness and spice, as well as lessening the blow of fat in the oil.  The choice of apple you use in baking is important, so make sure you do your homework and pick the right variety.

I know what you thinking, and before you click the back button and move along in your recipe search because you think I’ve taken the yum factor out of this- STOP!  My version is just as moist, definitely lighter, and actually tastes like apples instead of just sugar!  As pictured, I gave my glistening mini bundt cakes a driz of caramel.  Many versions call for powdered sugar, but to be honest, it just takes away from the apples.  I also detest out of date recipes that still call for salad oil.  Really?  Anyhow, I hope my mod version of this old school cake represents the new generation of healthier home bakers well!

Mod Apple Cake

5 Gala variety apples (peeled, cored, sliced) *If using mini bundt pans, I would grate half the apples that will be layered first, due to the nature of the shape and smaller size of the pans.

2T cinnamon

1/2t mace or all spice

1 t ground ginger

2 cups of flour

1 cup of sugar

1/4c of agave nectar

½ cup of canola oil

1/4c plus 2T low fat or non-fat plain yogurt

4 eggs

3tsp baking powder (I do 2T potato starch and 1 t of baking powder)
2 t pure vanilla

2t apple schnapps (optional but why not?)

1/2t salt

1/2c of apple cider (most recipes call for orange juice)

Juice of ½ lemon

Prepared caramel sauce or if you must-powdered sugar (optional toppings)

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Grease and flour a 9x13 pan, 10 cup bundt  pan, tube pan or
8+ mini bundt  pans

2.  In a medium  bowl, coat the sliced apples with lemon juice, add 1T of cinnamon, mace or allspice, and 4T of the sugar.  Toss together to coat the apples, set aside.

3.  In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, cinnamon, ground ginger, salt, baking powder/ potato starch

4.  In a mixer bowl lightly beat the eggs, add sugar, agave nectar, oil, yogurt, vanilla, apple cider, and schnapps.  Beat until just combined.  Scape down the sides of the bowl to fully incorporate.  At low speed, add the dry ingredients.  Beat at medium speed until a smooth batter has formed.

5.  Pour half batter in pan.  Next, layer with 1/2 of the apple mixture over it. Pour the remaining batter over the apples and top with the remaining apples.  If using a 9x13 pan, bake for 40-45 minutes.  If using a bundt or tube pan, bake for an hour to an hour+ 15 min.  Mini bundts should be checked at 15-20 min. or until a cake tester comes out clean.