Classic Cake Company, with locations in Cherry Hill and Sewell, is revving up for the upcoming holiday season and Chef Robert Bennett is breaking with tradition. The chef is offering up the company’s own Jewish Apple Cake recipe.
“I truly believe in the relationship of it. God bless anyone who tries their hand at a recipe. No one does it exactly the same. Technique has so much to do with it. Keep it simple.”
With that keep it simple philosophy, Chef Bennett noted a trend in more Kosher requests from non-Jewish customers. He suggests the strict requirements of the Kosher food industry for pure ingredients are the key to the attraction.
Classic Cake has a complete Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur menu including a recently added new treat Chef Bennett credits to a friend from a France. The Shana Tova is a thin almond cake with caramelized apple compote and a soy milk-honey Bavarian mousse finished with a chocolate glaze. The dessert is Parve, made without any meat or dairy ingredients.
Still not ready to do it yourself? The bakery holds free classes once a month after the store closes at 7pm. Past Classic Cake Academy hands-on seminars include sorbet and chocolate.
“I get to meet our clientele and learn their likes and dislikes,” says Chef Bennett. “It’s good practice for any business.”
Jewish Apple Cake
6 apples, Granny Smith preferred
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
5 Tbsp. sugar
Batter Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups flour, sifted
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
2 1/2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch bundt pan.
Peel, core, and chop apples into chunks. Toss with cinnamon and sugar and set aside.
Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, orange juice, sugar, and vanilla
Mix wet ingredients into the dry ones, then add eggs, one at a time. Scrape down the bowl to ensure all ingredients are incorporated.
Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Spread half of the apples over it. Pour the remaining batter over the apples and arrange the remaining apples on top.
Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, or until a tester comes out clean.
And remember – If you really mess it up, Chef Bennett and Classic Cake have you covered.
Classic Cake Company
www.classiccake.com
Short Hills Towne Center
480 Evesham Road
Cherry Hill, NJ 08003
T: 856-751-5448
Tuckahoe & Hurffville-Cross Keys Roads
Sewell, NJ 08080
T: 856-262-7400
Colleen Wood, regional editor for Camden County, maintains her blog jerzEATS.com by making food discoveries and retrying old haunts in and around New Jersey. She loves a good deal and learning how to make restaurant dishes at home. After spending her college years up at Boston University earning her journalism degree, Colleen returned to our great state as a marketing assistant by day and dance teacher and restaurant enthusiast by night! A foodie by birth, Colleen credits her mother for her love of good food and talent in the kitchen, and hopes they’ll one day get to open a bake shop!
