March 30, 2022
It's hard to please people with Passover desserts. They don’t expect that they will be any good. Well, dispel the myth with this holiday cake! Its the kind of holiday apple cake people will want to leave room for. It’s a cake to add to your repertoire, your folder of Passover goodies at the ready every spring.
This scrumptious apple cake is my kind of holiday cake. The apples don’t need to be uniform in size. Just slice them into pieces. The sweetness of the cinnamon sugar mixed with the nuts is the perfect backdrop for those apples, and the cake itself is the perfect foil to display all that sweet apple-y goodness.
I baked this cake in a glass 8 inch square dish. I thought it was an easy one to bring to the table as is and not bother to cut into pieces. Although it does cut beautifully, I was just trying to make it easy on myself. It gets so busy when you are serving!
Passover Apple Cake
Adapted from Arthur Schwartz
Ingredients
For The Topping
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (I used pecans)
1/2 heaping cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon (you can also add 1/2 tsp nutmeg and 1/2 tsp ground ginger if you like)
For the Cake
3 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup matzo cake meal
3-5 apples (about 5 cups) peeled, halved, and cut into 1/4-inch thick slices. (I used whatever apples I had in the house)
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
Directions
Preheat oven to 350º F. Position the oven rack in the center of the oven. lightly oil an 8 inch square baking dish. (I used glass so I could serve the cake at the table in it.)
In a small bowl mix together the nuts, sugar and cinnamon combination. This is your topping.
Prepare the apples and mix them with the lemon juice so they do not brown.
In the large bowl of a standing mixer, with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs until well combined on medium speed. Add the sugar, and beat until the mixture is thick and foamy. Beat in the oil, adding in a steady stream. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the matzo cake meal, continuing to beat until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl again with the spatula, making sure everything is incorporated.
Spread 1/2 the cake mixture in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle 1/2 the topping over the batter and then arrange 1/2 the apples over the topping. Scrape the remaining batter over the apples. Next add the rest of the apples, sprinkling them evenly with the remaining topping.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. The sides of the cake should pull away a bit from the pan and the apples will have started to caramelize. You won’t be able to use a cake tester with this cake, because the apple mixture will interfere with the skewer coming out clean.
This cake needs to cool completely before serving. It’s best at room temperature. You can even make it a day ahead. Keep the cake in its dish and cover tightly with plastic.