Paleo Apple Cake for Rosh Hashanah

I tend to go into a state of denial about the start of Fall, even though I love the weather. I feel real sadness over the end of summer fruit; The berries! The peaches! The plums! Summer is my favorite time for fresh produce, and I don’t let it go without a few tears shed.

And then of course the fresh apples start to make their appearance at the markets, and I notice that Rosh Hashanah is coming up (soon!) and I start to have a change of heart. While it’s not officially Fall yet, it’s definitely time to transition to cooler weather and Fall produce.

I should mention that I’m eating raspberries and blackberries whilst I type this, so I’m clearly not totally over it.

Being typical Me, I noticed it was almost Rosh Hashanah, oh, a couple of days before Rosh Hashanah. Considering it’s A: been a while since I posted a recipe and B: I was raised Jewish and feel compelled to celebrate the holidays with traditional foods, it made sense to create a special recipe for The Jewish New Year.

Cliff’s Notes on this holiday: It is customary to ring in the New Year with sweet foods, to symbolize a sweet year to come. Apples dipped in honey, Challah, Honey Cake and Apple Cake such as this one are all traditional foods to enjoy on this holiday. The Rosh Hashanah recipes that you don’t see on this blog will be in The New Yiddish Kitchen, which will be hitting shelves in March of 2016.

Of course this simple cake is wonderful any time of year, and I’m relatively sure I’ll be enjoying it for breakfast tomorrow. Maybe the next day, too.

Looking for a sweet honey-apple treat that is nut-free and AIP? Head on over to Predominantly Paleo where my partner in crime has a recipe for Honey Apple Tartlets just for you!

L’Shana Tova! 

Paleo Apple Cake for Rosh Hashanah

prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 35-40 minutes
makes: 1 9 inch cake, serves 8-10

for the apples:

4 apples, peeled, cored and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 tablespoon brown butter ghee
1 tablespoon raw honey
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

for the cake:
1/4 cup brown butter ghee, melted, plus more for greasing the pan
1/2 cup raw honey
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups almond flour
1 cup tapioca starch, plus more for greasing the pan
1/4 cup coconut flour
3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon organic cane sugar, optional

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9 inch springform pan with brown butter and tapioca starch.

In a large sauté pan over high heat, melt the 1 tablespoon of brown butter and add the apples, tablespoon of honey and cinnamon. Saute for 4-5 minutes, stirring often, until the apples begin to soften and brown a bit. Remove from the pan and set aside.

In the same pan, melt the remaining 1/4 cup brown butter and add the honey. Transfer to a large bowl and add the eggs. Whisk to combine. (If using vanilla extract instead of powder, add it here)

Sift the almond flour, tapioca starch, coconut flour, baking soda, salt and vanilla powder into the wet ingredients and whisk to thoroughly combine.

Pour a little more than half of the cake batter into the prepared pan. Arrange half of the apples in a single layer on top. Pour over the remaining batter, and top with the remaining apples. Sprinkle with cane sugar, if desired.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool before removing from the pan and slicing.

Recipe notes:
– I love the taste of brown butter in this recipe, but if you want it to be dairy-free for Kosher purposes, palm shortening will work as well. 
– Placing the springform pan on a baking sheet will prevent the bottom of your cake from getting too brown. 
– I personally like cinnamon to be subtle, but if you want more of a strong cinnamon flavor, feel free to use 1/2 teaspoon. 
– Raw honey has a stronger flavor which is wonderful for this cake, but any honey will work just fine.

 

 

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