Although I usually make an oil based apple cake for Rosh Hashanah, this year I wanted to try something new and this may just become my new holiday apple cake. It’s moist with a full apple flavour since you get a couple of pieces of apple in every bite. It’s also delicious on its own without the caramel glaze.
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup cake and pastry flour, sifted
1-1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp each cinnamon and salt
1/4 tsp each ground ginger and ground cardamom
3/4 cup hard parve margarine, softened
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp apple juice
3 cups chopped apples (about 3 apples)
Caramel Glaze:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup non-dairy full fat liquid coffee creamer (or whole fat coconut milk)
1 tbsp parve margarine
Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease sides and bottom of an 8-1/2-inch or 9-inch springform pan; set aside.
In bowl, whisk together all-purpose and cake and pastry flours, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cardamom; set aside.
In bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or using hand held beaters, beat margarine with sugar until light and fluffy. One at a time, beat in eggs, beating well after first addition before adding the next egg. Beat in vanilla. Using wooden spoon, stir in half of the flour mixture. Stir in apple juice. Stir in remaining flour mixture and apples.
Scrape mixture – it will be quite thick – into prepared pan. Bake in centre of preheated oven for 55 to 65 minutes or until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 30 minutes. Unmould cake from pan and set on cake plate to cool completely.
Glaze: In heavy bottomed saucepan, combine sugar and ¼ cup water. Bring to boil over high heat. Stir once to help dissolve the sugar. Reduce heat to medium; boil gently without stirring but washing down sides of pan with brush dipped in cold water, for about 8 minutes or until sugar has turned a deep amber colour. Averting face, immediately pour in non-dairy creamer and butter. Lower heat and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is liquefied and has thickened slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool slightly.
Hinda Davis