Jewish Apple Pecan Cake

Jewish apple pecan cake is a Rosh Hashanah and holiday tradition that’s earned its place far beyond the Jewish calendar. The cake is dairy-free (pareve, in kosher terms), built on vegetable oil instead of butter, with orange juice in the batter giving it a citrus lift that plays beautifully with cinnamon-coated apples.

The cake bakes in a tube pan with apple slices layered through the middle and piled on top, creating a striated, moist cross-section when sliced. Granny Smiths are the apple of choice for good reason: their tartness holds up against the sweet batter and they don’t turn to mush during the long bake.

Pecans add a buttery crunch through the crumb. This is the kind of cake that gets better on day two, once the apple juices have soaked further into the cake.

Pro Tips

• Slice the apples thin (about ⅛ inch) so they cook through fully without staying crisp in the cake.
• Toss the apples with cinnamon and sugar at the start. The macerating time pulls juice out and concentrates the flavor.
• Grease the tube pan thoroughly and dust with flour. This cake sticks if the pan isn’t well-prepped.
• Start checking at 1 hour. Ovens vary and overbaking dries out a cake this rich.

Variations

• Swap pecans for walnuts (the more traditional choice) or skip the nuts for nut-free.
• Add a teaspoon of vanilla and a splash of bourbon to the batter for deeper warmth.
• Top the cooled cake with a simple powdered sugar glaze or dust with cinnamon sugar.