Remember the Kugel Quandary I had recently? Well, in case you were not yet confused about kugel, here we go.
Honestly, I am highly uncertain about posting this recipe as a kugel. It’s a cake, really. But when it comes down to it, a sweet kugel (such as this one) is really nothing but a great excuse to eat dessert halfway through your meal. And how can anyone not like that?
To avoid confusion, I am going to call this a cake, going forward. Call it a sailboat if you want. The important thing is that you make it and thoroughly enjoy it.
Now, a little bit of background on this cake. A number of years ago, just before a holiday, my father came down with a nasty infection and had to be hospitalized. My entire family was upset about spending a holiday without him. I had prepared a batch of this cake, and though it was the least I could do, I sent half of it along for him to eat while he was there. When the holiday was over, I went to visit my father in the hospital, and he informed me that this cake gave him a taste of home, even in a gloomy hospital setting. “This cake,” he explained, “was my Happy Holiday.” (For my Hebrew-speaking readers, he said, “it was my Simchas Yom Tov.”) Since then, this cake has been known in my house as Happy Holiday Cake. (Or, for the sake of accuracy, Simchas Yom Tov Kugel.)
Is it really that good, you ask yourself? Make it and see for yourself. And if you are concerned that a cake that can be responsible for a holiday’s worth of happiness is difficult to make, think again. This is wondrously simple.
Apple Cherry Layered Crumb Cake:
Adapted from Kosher By Design Entertains
Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup canola (or vegetable) oil
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
3 large apples
cinnamon
1 can cherry pie filling
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking pan.
Mix together flour, sugar, vanilla, oil, egg and baking powder until coarse crumbs form. (I use a mixer for a seriously easy experience, but you don’t need to use one.)
Peel and dice apples. Toss with some cinnamon. Spread 1/3 of the crumb mixture on the bottom of the prepared baking pan. Arrange apples on top of the crumbs. Spread another third of the crumbs over the apple mixture. Pour the cherry pie filling over the crumbs in the pan. This can be a bit tricky, as the filling is sticky and slightly hard to spread. I find that it spreads best when placed in small globs across the pan, then gently spread over the entire thing. Spread remaining crumbs over the cherry pie filling.
Note that none of the crumb layers will be very thick.
Bake at 350 for 50-60 minutes.
Enjoy!
Linking this to Sweets for a Saturday, Apple Blog Hop
Thanks for being a part of our apple blog hop! I love crumb cakes and yours looks absolutely divine.
apple cherry crumb cake – what a delish combo! 🙂 welcome to our #applelove bloghop!
I really enjoyed this post. Love that your lovely *cake* brightened up the holiday for your then, hospitalized Dad. So sweet.
Look delicious I love this!
OMG, this looks amazing, but the story about your Dad was awesome.. really tugged at the heart…and now you have this delicious, family tradition ‘cake/kugel’ 🙂 This is why cooking/baking is LOVE.
Totally food is prepared with love !! Otherwise it doesn’t taste good !!
I know this is a kugel but I’m making it for Friday night dessert 🙂
one layer will be cooked plums instead of cherry pie ( cos I have them in the fridge needing to be cooked )
I just know my family will love this recipe !! Thank u :)!
Thanks for all of the Yummy food this holiday. Just for a change, I used to use plums instead of cherry pie filling when I wanted it to be a little less sweet (and when I suddenly discovered that I didn’t have any pie filling). Your Mother
I love Kugel but have never had it with fruit it in, yum!
YUM sounds delicious! And what a comforting recipe for the holidays. I don’t think I’ve ever had kugel and I’m not quite sure why! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I have a similar recipe, with only the cherry filling, that I love. I tried this one, and that additional layer adds so much. It’s delicious.
MMMMMMMMMMM,..;what an appetizing endresult!
Making it agin, it was a huge hit last time. Substituting strawberry for cherry this time and looking forward to serving it (and eating it!)
Wish the canned cherries had a healthier alternative. Too much sugar and food dyes!!
You can make your own cherry pie filling! Recipe here: http://overtimecook.com/2012/06/26/homemade-cherry-pie-and-a-lattice-crust-tutorial/
Thank you so much,for the alternative suggestion.to the canned cherries. Have a sweet year!
Hey, I have made many apple kugels over the years, this one was especially good! Thanks!
This looks so good I want to make it for shabbos. Which apples should I use? Thanx
You can use granny smith apples for a more tart flavor, or any baking apple you like!
Thanx
I made this on Thursday for Shabbos and it was delicious, but by Shabbos day the crumb topping had become soggy. How can I prevent this in the future? Thanks!
Where do u use the cinnamon, mixed with the apples or on top?
Updated now.
What a beautiful story, and the recipe sounds GREAT! Do you have any idea if this kugel is still good after freezing?
Yes, it freezes nicely.
I know this post is 2 years old, but I just made this tonight and put it in the freezer for Shavuos. Would you reheat it or just defrost and bring to room
Temperature and serve it that way? Thank you!
Has anyone tried this with 1/4 less sugar? Think it’ll be sweet enough?
I haven’t tried it that way, but I would guess it would work.
I took a chance and it came out sweet enough. The cherry pie filling is very sweet so that adds to the sweetness of the whole cake. Thanks! Great recipe it was a hit!
can I replace the apples with something different? strawberries perhaps?
I know this is a very old post but I’m looking to make this for ur! I’m having someone who for medical reasons can’t have baking powder. Will it come out ok without? Or can I add something instead?