Apple harvesting time is here! It’s an exciting time with so many choices of apples and so many ways to use them. Granny Smiths are the kind I like best. I eat them as is, plus I bake and cook with them. I love the bright green color and the tart taste. They can be found in grocery stores year round, which is another plus.

Kelly prefers MacIntosh apples. They have a much shorter availability. But if I am making something for her, I have to use Macs. Kelly wins on this front; the local orchard grows Macs but not Granny Smiths. We also have a MacIntosh apple tree on our property and no Granny Smith trees. I’ll have to rectify that! Our MacIntosh tree produced 2 apples this year. One was eaten by deer and the other lived to be picked by Kelly & Gilbert. The tree is only 2 years old, so I’m pretty sure we can expect many apples from it in the future.

Kelly & Gilbert pick the lone apple on our MacIntosh tree.

There will be many apple-y things being made this fall. Some of them will be posted here. I’m starting off with my mother-in-law’ Jewish Apple Cake. Nana got the recipe from a neighbor and used it for any occasion when a lot of people were being served. It is dessert for most of us and breakfast for Kelly. It is heavenly!

Jewish Apple Cake

Jewish Apple Cake  (adapted from a recipe from Linda Terry Heuser)  Total Time Required: 1 hour + 45 minutes, Prep Time: 30 minutes, Bake Time: 60 – 75 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 – 4 baking apples (about 1 pound), peeled, cored & sliced
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3 cups flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 cups sugar
• 2-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup orange juice

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine the apples, 5 tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon. When they are well combined, set them aside.

Combine the apple slices with the sugar and cinnamon.

In a stand mixer, combine the flour and baking powder with the 2 cups of sugar.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and sugar.

Add in the eggs, oil, applesauce, orange juice, and vanilla and mix well.

Add in the eggs, oil, orange juice, and applesauce.

Gently fold in the prepared apples.

Add in the prepared apples.

Pour the batter into a greased & floured tube or Bundt pan and bake at 350°F for 60 – 75 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the cake.  It will come out clean when the cake is done. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.

Golden brown is good!

Turn the cake out of the pan and allow it to cool completely.

You can feed a lot of people with this cake!

Serve with ice cream or dusted with powdered sugar, if desired.

Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.

Store the cake tightly wrapped at room temperature.

A delicious Fall favorite!

This moist & dense Fall cake is always a hit!  ~Linda

Jewish Apple Cake  (adapted from a recipe from Linda Terry Heuser)  Total Time Required: 1 hour + 45 minutes, Prep Time: 30 minutes, Bake Time: 60 – 75 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 – 4 baking apples (about 1 pound), peeled, cored & sliced
• 5 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3 cups flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 cups sugar
• 2-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1/4 cup orange juice

Directions:

In a medium bowl, combine the apples, 5 tablespoons of sugar and the cinnamon. When they are well combined, set them aside.

In a stand mixer, combine the flour and baking powder with the 2 cups of sugar. Add in the eggs, oil, applesauce, orange juice, and vanilla and mix well. Gently fold in the prepared apples.

Pour the batter into a greased & floured tube or Bundt pan and bake at 350°F for 60 – 75 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the cake.  It will come out clean when the cake is done. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.

Turn the cake out of the pan and allow it to cool completely. Serve with ice cream or dusted with powdered sugar, if desired. Store the cake tightly wrapped at room temperature.