About the Recipe
I post this delicious recipe for the October Jewish holidays with the same loving and unearned authority as I do commenting on your parenting as a childless person. I am not Jewish, but I greatly enjoy the religion, its customs, and its foodways to the point of being a little jealous. I understand and respect the fasting holidays, but as an admitted Passover seder sycophant, I'll drop hints like boots for an invitation for brisket. I'll happily receive your homemade Shavuot blintzes with eager, loving hands. The person loitering around the sukkah, inhaling your Aunt Sadie's intoxicating chicken soup and kreplach? Guess who... But I have made and brought this pretty, tasty apple cake to my friends' homes to celebrate all that brings us together, to overcome adversity, and look forward with hope. It was always well received and I was once endearingly called Zeeskeit. And it was good. Happy New Year and see you at the market!
-Christine, Market VP and tzimmes addict
Ingredients
8Â ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, more for greasing pan
1 â…“Â cups plus 1 tablespoon sugar
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
2Â large eggs
2Â cups all-purpose flour
2Â teaspoons baking powder
4 Gala, Honeycrisp, or other flavorful apples, peeled, cored and cut into 8 slices
½ teaspoon Calvados, cognac, or apple brandy
1Â teaspoon freshly grated ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan and set aside.
In bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine remaining 8 ounces butter, 1 1/3 cups sugar and the salt. Mix until blended. Add eggs and whisk until smooth. Using a spatula, gently fold in the flour and baking powder until thoroughly mixed, but do not overmix. Fold in a few of the apple slices and spread batter evenly in pan.
In large bowl, toss remaining apples with liquor, ginger and cinnamon. Arrange apple slices in closely fitting concentric circles on top of dough; you may end up with extra (snack away!). Sprinkle remaining 1 tablespoon sugar over apples.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into center of cake dough comes out clean and apples are golden and tender, about 75Â minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.