Jewish · Authentic-ish Jewish
Apple Cake
460 kcal a serving, against 625 for the traditional version. That is 165 kcal off, or 26%, with 7.3g of protein. Serves 8. 1 hour 30 minutes.
What the traditional version is
A proper Jewish apple cake means a batter thick with plain flour, eggs, caster sugar and an alarming amount of vegetable oil, with big cubes of Bramley or Granny Smith apples folded in.
What changed, and what each change costs
Half the oil swapped for applesauce
The original cake is basically an oil bomb. Applesauce gives moisture and some actual fruit flavour, not just lubrication.
What it costs you. It keeps the crumb from drying out quite as fast as just cutting the oil, but you lose the almost fudgy chew. By the second day it's more like a fruit loaf, and if you don't wrap it up the edges will go a bit tough. The real cake would last a week. This one, not so much.
Reduced sugar from 300g to 220g
Pulling back on sugar saves a good chunk of unnecessary calories, and the applesauce sweetens things up too.
What it costs you. You lose the thick, crackly crust on top. The first bite is less like a sugar hit and more like an actual cake. If you miss the crust, you can cheat and sprinkle a little extra sugar for a special occasion.
Increased apple from 400g to 500g
Trying to make up for the missing richness, I up the fruit. More apple means more bulk, more bite and, if you're lucky, a fresher flavour. A bit of extra vitamin C to ease your conscience.
What it costs you. It isn't foolproof. Stuffing in more apple makes the cake softer and more fragile. Give up on perfect slices. Get your fork out.
Dropped the eggs to 3 (150g) and added 50g fat-free Greek yoghurt
Cutting one egg trims a little fat and the yoghurt helps the crumb stay springy with all that applesauce. You get a bit of extra protein in the process.
What it costs you. It's a bouncier crumb and a little less golden. If you want that deep yellow, you'll just have to use all the eggs.
Slightly more baking powder, from 12g to 14g
To counter all the extra moisture from applesauce and yoghurt, you need a bit more lift or you'll end up with pudding, not cake.
What it costs you. The cake rises taller, but you do lose some of the denseness that's part of the original's character. Sometimes change is just necessary.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 625 | 460 |
| Protein | 7.4g | 7.3g |
| Fat | 32.9g | 17.3g |
| Saturated fat | 4.7g | 2.6g |
| Carbohydrate | 75.9g | 70g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 1.2g | 1.6g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Jewish prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, eggs, milk.
The method is in the book
The first bite is honestly great - moist, full of apple, and sweet enough for most. But it's not the Jewish apple cake I'd expect to inherit from my gran. The oil-swap trick keeps it light in the right ways, but sacrifices that dense, rich crumb you can only get by pouring in half a bottle. The second day, the cake will be a bit stale, and the top is missing its old-school crust. Still, you get twice as much apple, a cleaner finish and more cake for your money if you don't mind eating it the same day you bake it. If you want a version that lasts the week, just make the original and pretend you don't know any better.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Jewish, along with 52 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.