Jewish Apple Cake with Walnut Crumble (Less Sugar, More Apple Flavor)

When a Classic Meets My Oven: My Jewish Apple Cake Story

There’s something about Jewish Apple Cake that feels quietly confident. No frosting, no drama — just layers of tender cake and cinnamon-spiced apples doing exactly what they’re supposed to do.

Some recipes are like old friends — familiar, a little humble, and somehow always welcome back at the table. This Jewish Apple Cake from 12 Tomatoes is one of those. It’s a dense, apple-layered bundt cake built on orange juice enhanced batter and cinnamon-kissed fruit, the kind of dessert that makes cooler weather taste like nostalgia.

But y’know me — if a recipe works, I stash it in the arsenal… and then tinker. That’s exactly what I did here.

I stayed true to the structure of the original recipe, but made a few small adjustments based on taste, texture, and a lifetime spent cooking. Growing up with a German pastry chef for a mom — yes, a German pastry chef for a mom — will recalibrate your sweet tooth real fast. European desserts tend to whisper sweetness instead of shouting it, so I almost always pull back sugar in American recipes — usually by about 25%. This cake handled that beautifully.

And then there’s texture. Cake is great. Cake with a little crunch and real apple presence throughout? Even better.

RECIPE: My Jewish Apple Cake

Adapted from the 12 Tomatoes recipe

Ingredients

Walnut Crumble (for the bottom of the pan)

¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup Sugar In The Raw Turbinado Cane Sugar
½ cup chopped walnuts
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

Apples

5–6 apples, peeled, cored, and diced into ¾-inch chunks
¼ cup sugar (Sugar In The Raw Turbinado Cane Sugar)
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Apple note: This cake really shines with apples like Honeycrisp or Gala. They hold their shape during baking and bring a natural sweet-tart balance that plays beautifully with the cinnamon and reduced sugar in the batter.

Batter

2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup light or dark brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup neutral oil (vegetable or avocado oil both work well)
¼ cup orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

To Finish

Powdered sugar, for dusting

Instructions

1. Prep the pan & crumble

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease a bundt pan.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar in the raw, and chopped walnuts. Add the room-temperature butter and work it in using a pastry cutter to get things started, then switch to your hands. You’re aiming for a loose, crumbly texture — sandy, not paste-like.

Sprinkle the crumble evenly over the bottom of the prepared bundt pan. This becomes a subtle, crunchy top once the cake is inverted and adds a little surprise to each slice.

2. Prep the apples

Toss the diced apples with the sugar and cinnamon.

I go with a ¾-inch dice instead of slices here. You get defined pockets of apple throughout the cake rather than soft layers that melt away — more texture, more bite, and a sturdier slice.

Set aside while you make the batter.

3. Make the batter

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the granulated and brown sugars until well combined. Add the oil, orange juice, and vanilla and mix until smooth. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients until just incorporated.

4. Assemble

Pour about one-half of the batter into the bundt pan over the crumble. Layer in half of the apples. Repeat with the other half of the batter and the remaining apples.

No need to be precise — rustic layers are part of the charm.

5. Bake (and trust your instincts)

Cover the pan with foil and place on a sheet pan. Bake for 45 minutes.  Remove the foil and continue baking for another 30 minutes.

Test with a toothpick. Mine needed an additional 7 minutes uncovered to fully set the center. When the toothpick comes out clean, you’re there.

6. Cool & serve

Let the cake cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, then invert onto a serving plate. Once fully cooled, dust generously with powdered sugar just before serving.

Baker's Notes & Variations

This is one of those cakes that rewards confidence. After you’ve made it once, you’ll start seeing all the little ways it can flex without losing its soul.

Apple Choices Matter

Honeycrisp and Gala are my go-to apples here. They hold their shape during baking and bring their own sweet-tart balance to the party, which is especially important since the sugar in the batter is intentionally restrained.

Granny Smith will work if that’s what you have, but I’d recommend mixing them with a sweeter apple so the cake doesn’t lean too tart.

Dice vs. Slice

I dice the apples into ¾-inch chunks instead of slicing. This gives the cake structure — real pockets of apple throughout — instead of soft layers that melt into the crumb. You get texture, definition, and a sturdier slice that holds up beautifully.

On Sugar (or Lack Thereof)

This recipe is a great example of why you don’t always need the full amount of sugar listed. I reduced the sugar by about 25% from the original recipe, which lets the apples shine and keeps the cake from feeling heavy or cloying.

If you prefer a sweeter cake, feel free to bump it back up — but I’d encourage you to try it this way at least once.

That Walnut Crumble

The crumble on the bottom isn’t traditional, but it’s staying in my version. The combination of flour, sugar in the raw, walnuts, and room-temperature butter creates a subtle crunch that contrasts beautifully with the soft cake.

Tip: Start with a pastry cutter, then switch to your hands. You’re aiming for loose, sandy crumbs — not a dough.

Not a walnut fan? Pecans work just as well. Or skip the nuts entirely and keep it simple.

Bundt Pan Notes

Grease the pan well. Like, really well. Between the apples and the crumble, you want zero sticking drama when it’s time to flip.

Let the cake cool about 20 minutes before inverting — too soon and it can break, too long and the crumble may stick.

Baking Is Paying Attention

Ovens vary. Apples release moisture. Bundt pans conduct heat differently. All of which is to say: trust your toothpick.

I baked mine covered for 45 minutes, uncovered for 30, then gave it an extra 7 minutes when the center said it needed just a bit more. That’s not failure — that’s paying attention.

Serving & Storage

This cake is excellent the day it’s made, but somehow even better the next day. Store it covered at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for longer keeping.

Dust with powdered sugar just before serving — it’s all the decoration this cake needs.

Want to Play?

Add a pinch of nutmeg or allspice to the apples
Swap orange juice for apple cider
Add a splash of bourbon or brandy to the apple mixture
Serve warm with lightly sweetened whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Just don’t overthink it. This cake is sturdy, forgiving, and very happy to meet you where you are.

Why This One Sticks

Jewish Apple Cake is meant to be simple, sturdy, and unfussy — the kind of cake that shows up on holiday tables and somehow tastes even better the next day.
Pulling back the sugar lets the apples do the heavy lifting. Choosing apples like Honeycrisp or Gala keeps their structure intact. And dicing the apples instead of slicing them gives the cake more definition — little bursts of apple in every slice instead of layers that disappear into the crumb.

The walnut crumble on the top adds just enough texture to keep things interesting without stealing the show.

This is exactly the kind of recipe you keep around, bake often, and quietly make your own over time.

And honestly? Those are the best ones.

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