Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, will take place in a couple of weeks, bringing with it the autumnal flavors of apples, pomegranate, and dates. I wanted to try and come up with a cake that will encompass these flavors. I started with a base recipe for apple cake that I received from my sister and added to it chopped dates, pomegranate molasses and a floral decoration for a festive look.
Wow, am I happy with the outcome!! The cake is moist, rich with flavor, but not overly sweet. The pomegranate molasses is a must! Don’t skip it! It adds fruity tartness that complements the sweetness of the apples and the dates. And the cake is beautiful, if I may say so myself. Hope you give it a try…and let me know what you think.
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 red apples unpeeled
3 eggs
¾ cup (150g) sugar
1 cup (200cc) oil
2 cups (280g) flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
3 cups (2 large apples) peeled and cubed into ½ inch
1 cup chopped Medjool dates
4 tablespoons pomegranate molasses (found in Middle Eastern stores)
Preparation:
Place one cup sugar and one cup water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat.
Cut the 2 red apples in half, lengthwise, and remove the seeds. Slice each half into very thin slices using a mandolin, a food processor, or a knife. Place the apple slices in the syrup to soften them.
Preheat oven to 360F.
In a mixer, on medium speed, mix the oil with the sugar and eggs. Add the applesauce.
Reduce speed to low. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Add the apple cubes and the chopped dates and blend them in.
Pour the batter into a greased 9” pound cake pan.
Drizzle on top the pomegranate molasses and using a wooden skewer, swirl it into the batter.
Decorate the top of the cake with the sliced apples. Roll each slice into a flower cone, peel side up, and stick it in the batter. Repeat with the rest of the slices, making sure the slices are placed very close to one another. It’s ok if you have some leftover slices.
Bake in the preheated oven for 50 – 60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
