This kosher Rosh Hashanah Apple Cake recipe is what we think of when we prepare a seasonal dessert for the high holidays. It uses simple traditional holiday ingredients and tastes great with fresh apples. This recipe is kosher, non-dairy, and pareve. Read on to learn how to make the best Rosh Hashanah Apple Cake recipe.
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Why This Recipe Works
- Uses traditional holiday ingredients. Rosh Hashanah is know for a lot of different seasonal foods. The most known is apples and honey. This cake is chock full of apples which gives it that special new year taste.
- Spelt flour makes this cake super yummy! Recently we have begun experimenting with spelt flour in some of our recipes. Our niece Kayla tried it in this recipe, while visiting us from Israel, and were pleasantly surprised at the natural brown color, nuttiness, and sweetness it gives to the cake.
- Easy to prepare. While this is not one of our recipes that can be made in under 30 minutes like our Creamy Cole Slaw or Summertime Red Cabbage Salad, it is super simple to make. Cutting the apples is going to be the hardest part of the recipe. Once you get through that, just mix the ingredients, pour, and bake.
- This cake is pareve and dairy free. Being dairy free makes this recipe very versatile. You can serve it with meat or dairy meals.
9 Ingredient Recipe
One of the great things about this recipe is that for the most part, it uses ingredients that you already have at home. At this time of year you will always have plenty of apples and cinnamon. The rest are just standard baking ingredients except for the spelt flour. After trying this recipe I think you will agree that you should always have some spelt flour around the house.
A Step by step guide to making this recipe
Time needed: 1 hour and 15 minutes
The best Rosh Hashanah Apple Cake recipe step by step.
- Beat oil and sugar.
With a hand mixer set to medium, beat the oil and sugar together until fully incorporated.
- Add eggs.
Add the eggs and then mix again until the batter is smooth.
- Mix in vanilla, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
Add the vanilla, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Mix these in with the mixer as well. After the batter is smooth again, gently mix in both flours with a spoon. It will be thick.
- Prepare the apples.
Cut the apples into ½ inch squares. In a separate bowl mix coat apples with the lemon juice. Pour the batter into the bowl with the apples and stir.
- Bake.
Pour the apple cake batter into a bundt pan or a 9x13 baking pan. Bake at 350ºF for 60 minutes in the bundt pan; bake for 30-45 minutes for the 9x13 pan.
- Cool.
Let the cake cool for 30 minutes before serving.
Recipe FAQ
In a pinch you can use canned apples. Be sure to drain the apples well. The consistency of the batter may be a little more liquidy than usual. Account for this by adjusting your baking time by 5-10 minutes. Check if the cake is done by inserting a toothpick.
Yes, this is a very appropriate question to ask considering Rosh Hashanah is known for apples and honey. The flavor will be a bit different but it should be just as tasty! For every cup of sugar use ¾ cup honey. For this recipe that would mean using 1 ¼ cups honey.
Spelt flour is a great alternative to wheat flour. It contains essential nutrients like iron, magnesium, and zinc. It also has a higher protein content than traditional wheat flour and is a good source of fiber.
Yes. The best way to freeze this cake is to wrap it in plastic wrap and place it into an airtight container. If you do not have an airtight container, you can place it into a large plastic bag and press out all of the air before freezing. The cake will probably need about 1 hour to thaw before serving.
Yes! You can replace the spelt flour with the same amount of white flour.
Try using different kinds of apples
We used Granny Smith apples for this recipe, but there are so many apple varieties to choose from:
- Granny Smith - tart crisp flavor.
- Fiji -crisp, juicy, and sweet.
- Honeycrisp - sweet/tart balance with a light berrylike flavor.
- Pink Lady - sweet and tart with a crisp bite.
- Gala - juicy crunch.
Now that you know your apple options, you can mix and match flavor profiles and discover new combinations. Let us know which is your favorite in the comments section below.
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Did you enjoy this recipe? Let us know by leaving a comment below.
📖 Recipe
Rosh Hashanah Apple Cake
Equipment
- bundt pan or 9x13 baking pan
- separate bowl for apples
Ingredients
- 1 cup olive oil or canola oil
- 1 ½ cup sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups white flour
- 1 cup spelt flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 apples peeled, cored, and chopped into ½ inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Using a hand mixer on medium, mix the oil and sugar until incorporated.
- Add eggs and mix agin until smooth.
- Add baking soda, salt, vanilla, and cinnamon. Mix again until incorporated.
- Turn off the mixer and mix in the white flour and spelt flour by hand. Do not overmix.
- In a separate bowl, toss the apples in lemon juice making sure that they are all coated.
- Pour in the cake batter and mix until combined.
- Bake for 1 hour if you are using the bundt pan or 30-45 minutes if you are using the 9x13 pan.
Notes
Try using different kinds of apples
We used Granny Smith apples for this recipe, but there are so many apple varieties to choose from:- Granny Smith - tart crisp flavor.
- Pink Lady - sweet and tart with a bite.
- Honeycrisp - sweet/tart balance with a light berrylike flavor.
- Fuji - crisp, juicy, sweet.
- Gala - juicy crunch.
Beth says
Can you use all regular flour for this recipe? Thanks
Sharon says
Can I substitute applesauce for some or all of the oil? If so, what is the measurement?