Saturday, September 8, 2018

Gluten Free and Vegan Jewish Apple Cake




vegan and gluten free Jewish apple cake
Do you love Jewish apple cake? 
This gluten free Jewish apple cake is moist, easy to make, and delicious! It is very allergy friendly as it is egg free, dairy free, gluten free, soy free, and nut free as well. 



I don't bake much anymore, and I gave my Kitchen Aid mixer to my daughter- in- law, Wendy.  Now on the rare occasion that I do bake, I need a recipe that is simple able to be mixed by hand.

It doesn't get easier than this apple cake.  I mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet ingredients in another. Then I pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a fork or spoon. I pour the batter into a greased pan. 


I decided to use the bundt pan which looks really pretty. This recipe fills the bundt pan to about half and makes a small cake that serves about 8-10. I haven't tried to double the batter, but I have made the batter twice and mixed them when I wanted a bigger cake.


In addition to eating apple cake, we will to ceremoniously be dipping apples in honey. 



apple and honey for Rosh Hashanah

Apples play a major role in celebrating the Jewish New Year along with pomegranates, dates, and figs. Traditionally, we make sweet food in hopes of a sweet new year. In previous years I have posted  Rosh Hashanah recipes for apple and honey citrus salad dressing beets and pomegranate salad, and mini honey cakes.

Cake Recipe: 

Ingredients: 


1 1/4 cups of gluten free flour ( I use 
Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Flour )
3/4 cup of coconut crystals sugar or sugar of your choice
1 and 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder ( I always buy aluminum free) 
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/3 cup of oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 cup (or more if batter is too thick) almond milk  unsweetened)
2 cups of diced apple 
1/2 cup of coconut crystals sugar (or sugar of your choice)
1 and 1/2  tablespoon of cinnamon


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Mix 1/2 cup of coconut crystal sugar and the cinnamon. Toss the apples in half of the cinnamon and sugar mixture and set aside.

Mix gluten free flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium size mixing bowl. In another small bowl mix the oil, applesauce, vanilla, and almond milk. 

Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and mix with a spoon until batter is smooth. If it is too thick, add a little more almond milk.  Put 3 tablespoons of apple mixture on the bottom of the greased bundt pan. Pour half the batter on top and then another layer of apple. Pour the remaining batter on top and sprinkle with remaining cinnamon and sugar.  Bake for 50 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.


gluten free Jewish apple cake at www.realfoodblogger.com
I'm Getting Ready for Fall

It wouldn't be Rosh Hashanah without some other traditional foods like my Mock Chopped Liver  and my  Gluten Free Matzo Balls .


My husband's family is from the Middle East. The Sephardic and Mizrachi Jews actually have a Rosh Hashanah Seder. Their custom is to say a prayer over each of the symbolic foods. Then the food is passed around the table for each person to taste. 


Symbolic Foods for Rosh Hashanah 


 A new seasonal fruit- We recite a blessing of appreciation giving thanks for something new for the season-we usually use pomegranate seeds or fresh figs since they both come out around this time of the year!


2. Pomegranate seeds- symbollic that we should be fruitful and multiply- my mother-in-law always warns us to be careful not to consume too many pomegranate seeds on Rosh Hashanah, as you may have as many children as the seeds you eat! Others say the pomegranate has 613 seeds- the same number as the good deeds ( Mitzvot)  Jews are required to abide by.

3. Leek patties Chopped up leeks made into patties- so that your enemies/or your bad habits should be chopped up and kept far away from you. This is a Sephardic Jewish custom.

4. Dates- Sephardic custom for a sweet new year- European custom is apples with honey

5.  A fish with the head and the tail - symbolic that we should always be at the head not the tail in all our endeavors. ( not at my table- I use a head of broccoli)

6. Black Eyed Peas- symbolic that our good deeds and fortune should increase like the number of peas- This is a custom that originated in Mizrachi ( Middle Eastern Jews) , Sephardic ( Jews from Spain, and is practiced with Jews in the Caribbean Islands as well.

My Notes: 
1. I used Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Flour - 22 oz - 2 pk from Amazon but it is also available in many supermarkets. I find I get the best results.

2. Coconut sugar crystals are lower in glycemic value than regular sugar and contains more nutrients. It is available at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and I have seen it in most supermarkets in the health food or gluten free isles.








apple and honey dish
I put the honey in the center bowl and on the perimeter of the plate I put sliced apples 


Sharing this post on Weekend Cooking ; a weekly event where anyone can share a food related post.


Also shared at Garden Tip Blog Party: Apple Recipes

27 comments:

  1. Wonderful! I haven't baked any apple cake in a while. Your vegan gf version looks absolutely gorgeous!

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    Replies
    1. Angie,
      This apple cake is so easy and so allergy friendly. Just about everyone can eat it unless you are allergic to apples like my daughter in law.

      Delete
  2. Your list of symbolic foods is very complete -- I wasn't aware of the leek patties, and I thought the black-eyed peas were a custom for the Jan. 1 secular New Year, and that they came from African American custom. I'm glad to learn these new ones.

    best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mae,
      The black-eyed pea custom is and has been very traditional with Middle Eastern ( Mizrachi) and Sephardic Jews. My husband's family lived in the Middle East for 8 generations and brought this custom with them to our mixed ( Ashkenazi and Sephardic) table.

      Delete
  3. Apples with honey is my favorite tradition ... though I will be baking on Sunday. I'm thinking of individual apple brioches, if I have the energy. Otherwise it will be apple cake.

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    Replies
    1. The apple brioches sound a lot more creative and interesting. I'm not much of a baker, so it's this simple apple cake for us!

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  4. I love the apple and honey dish! Happy New Year!

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    Replies
    1. Thank you .. it was a gift from a friend and I love it too

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  5. Pinned this delightful recipe. It sure sounds and looks great. Wishing you a sweet year.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you Nancy- so nice to be blogger friends with similar interests

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  6. Replies
    1. Thank you Patrick. Apple cake is a favorite and this one is moist and wonderful

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  7. What a beautiful looking cake! Have a wonderful holiday.

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    Replies
    1. I made it for the holiday, but my kids came a day early and we already ate it. Have to make another one

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  8. What a lovely cake! I made an apple cake this week too, but not for holiday. It feels so seasonally appropriate this time of year!

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    Replies
    1. I saw your cake and it looks amazing. I can't wait to try to make it..

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  9. Classic yumminess! Happy Rosh Hashanah, Judee!

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  10. Yummy apple cake. I love a moist cake. Thanks for sharing the recipe!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. then you will love this easy to make gluten free recipe - it is certainly moist

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  11. thank you Shirley for the good wishes for the Jewish New Year.

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  12. Such a pretty and festive cake and I love your list of the different foods and what they symbolize. ;-)

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  13. Your Apple Cake looks beautiful, Judee. It's perfect for just about any fall celebration, although I love the apples and honey symbolism of sweetness for the New Year. Thank you so much for sharing with the Hearth and Soul Link Party. I’m featuring this post at the party this week. Hope to ‘see’ you there! Have a great week ahead!

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  14. I was so excited to see this post.. Years ago my mother made a Jewish apple cake that was absolutely wonderful. She has been gone over 30 years, and the recipe with her. Now, later in life I have Celiac disease and cannot eat most desserts. So I will definitely try your recipe!

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  15. Hi Judee,
    Your Cake looks fantastic, I would love a slice right now! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday, your post is awesome. Hope you are having a great week and come back to see us soon!
    Miz Helen

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  16. So much flavor and perfect for the Jewish New Year! Thank you for sharing at the Celebrate 365 blog party!

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  17. I would love to try that apple cake! Your whole meal sounds delicious!

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