Apple season is officially here, which means we’re looking for just about any excuse to bake with them. Apple pie and apple crisp are obvious choices, but pastry chef Joseph Feiertag has another suggestion: Jewish apple cake.
His version is packed with thinly sliced apples tossed with cinnamon and sugar, layered through the middle and arranged across the top. The batter gets vanilla and a splash of orange juice, adding a hint of citrus to all that apple and cinnamon. Once it’s out of the oven, a thick slice and a cup of coffee sound like a pretty perfect pairing.
?? SIGN UP to get delicious recipes, handy kitchen hacks & more in our daily Pop Kitchen newsletter ??
Feiertag was eating this cake long before he became a pastry chef at Lehigh University, where he’s worked for more than 23 years. He remembers it from childhood, and his family has now been making it for about 50 years. Eventually, his cousins decided the pastry chef in the family should be the one making it.
When he took over, his family had one important piece of advice: “Don’t overbake the cake!”
Feiertag has picked up a few tricks of his own too, from which apples work best to exactly how thick to slice them. Get Feiertag’s family recipe for Jewish apple cake, plus some of the tricks to make it into a star dessert your whole family will love.
Why This Jewish Apple Cake Is My Family’s Favorite
MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images / Getty Images
Feiertag traces the cake back to his grandmother, who made it for her big annual summer picnic when he was about 10 years old. Years later, his aunt was still making it for family visits and holiday dinners.
As a young adult, Feiertag remembers bringing his girlfriend, who would later become his wife, to visit his aunt, uncle and cousins. “There was always cake and coffee waiting on the table when you arrived,” he says. “Sure enough, the apple cake was there.”
As Feiertag and his cousins started families of their own, they gathered at Aunt Barbara’s house for holiday dinners, with apple cake for dessert. At one dinner, one of their teenagers had a question: Why did they call it Jewish apple cake when the family was Austrian? “And just like that, the name stuck,” Feiertag says. From then on, they called it Austrian Jewish apple cake.
Eventually, his cousins passed the baking duties on to Feiertag. “I was now officially responsible for making the family cake because, after all, I was the pastry chef in the family,” he says.
His family also had one warning: Don’t overbake it. Aunt Barbara, Feiertag says, had a reputation for doing just that “all. the. time.”
Related: Costco’s Sweet and Creamy Fall Dessert Is Finally Back and Shoppers Are Hooked: ‘This Is the Best Thing Ever’
The Pastry Chef Secret: Choosing the Perfect Baking Apple
gerenme / Getty Images
Feiertag’s Aunt Barbara used Granny Smith apples, and they’re still one of his two picks for the cake today. “It has a bold apple flavor, sharp tartness and firm texture that resists breaking down when baked,” he says.
His grandmother likely used Rome or Granny Smith apples because there weren’t nearly as many varieties available when she started making the cake 50 years ago.
Feiertag’s other pick is Pink Lady apples. “It’s sweeter than tart, but also has good texture,” he says. So, if you want more tartness, go with Granny Smith; for a sweeter cake, try Pink Lady.
Ingredients Needed
Anjelika Gretskaia / Getty Images
You don’t need a long shopping list for Feiertag’s apple cake. Most of the ingredients are baking basics, with orange juice adding a little citrus to the batter.
For the cake, you’ll need:
4 eggs 1 cup vegetable or avocado oil 2 cups sugar 1/3 cup orange juice 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3 cups all-purpose flour 3 teaspoons baking powder Baking release spray, for the panFor the apple layer, you’ll need:
2 medium apples 2 teaspoons sugar 2 teaspoons cinnamonHow to Make Jewish Apple Cake
MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images / Getty Images
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Add the eggs, sugar and oil to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix for about five minutes, then add the orange juice and vanilla. Stir in the flour and baking powder until combined. Core, peel and halve the apples, then cut them into thin slices. Place them in a medium bowl with the sugar and cinnamon, and toss until evenly coated. Generously spray the bottom, sides and center tube of a tube pan with baking release spray. Pour in half of the batter, and arrange about two-thirds of the cinnamon-sugar apples on top. Pour the remaining batter over the apples, then arrange the rest of the apple slices on top. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the cake to check for doneness; it should come out clean.Related: Sam’s Club’s New $8 Dessert Serves 16 Squares of Chocolatey, Caramel Goodness
The Steps Most Home Bakers Skip (But Shouldn’t)
Olha Dobosh / 500px / Getty Images
Feiertag says two steps are especially important when making this cake. The first is mixing the eggs, oil and sugar for the full five minutes called for in the recipe.
“This step is important for trapping air pockets in the fat and eggs, and acts like a mechanical leavening, giving cakes and cookies their light rise and tender texture,” he says.
You’ll also want to pay attention to the thickness of the apple slices. Cut them too thin, and the apples on top can burn. “This is why my aunt dusted it with powdered sugar—to hide the overdoneness,” Feiertag says.
Slices that are too thick come with a different set of problems. “The apples sink, causing a soggy bottom, or it takes forever to bake, and you burn the top and you need more powdered sugar,” he says.
Feiertag recommends cutting the apples about as thick as three quarters stacked together.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
Jon Lovette / Getty Images
This Jewish apple cake is a good option if you want to get dessert out of the way ahead of time. Feiertag says it freezes well as long as it’s securely wrapped or placed in an airtight container.
For shorter-term storage, his family kept the cake right on the counter. “We kept ours on the counter for days in an old Rubbermaid cake server,” he says. “It’s ‘vintage’ now, and I probably still have it somewhere.”
If you’re making the cake well in advance, freeze it. Otherwise, an airtight container will help keep it fresh for the next few days.
Time to Dig In
The cake can be served at room temperature, with a little powdered sugar over the top if you’d like. For dessert, try it with vanilla ice cream or lightly whipped cream. And there’s always Feiertag’s family favorite: a slice with a cup of coffee after dinner.
Source:
Joseph Feiertag is a pastry chef at Lehigh University.Related: This Popular Protein Bar Brand Just Turned Apple Pie Into a Fall Workout Snack
Hence then, the article about i m a pastry chef and this classic apple dessert has been an after dinner staple in my family for 50 years was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( I’m a Pastry Chef, and This Classic Apple Dessert Has Been an After-Dinner Staple in My Family for 50 Years )
Also on site :
- ‘The Debut’ Review: Julianne Moore Is Astonishing in Jesse Eisenberg’s Funny and Dizzying Community-Theater Comedy
- 1981 No. 1 Hit, Written by Hank Williams Jr., Is Still an Iconic Salute to Wilder Days 45 Years Later
- The Pioneer Woman’s ‘Darling’ Scalloped Ramekins Are Just $5 and Perfect for Snacks, Dips, and Desserts