Passover Apple Cake

Note, if you do not like coconut, you may not care for this recipe. On the other hand, if you love coconut but are not supposed to eat it (because of the saturated fats) this recipe may be a Godsend. It has no coconut, but it sure seems like it does!

I started with a recipe from The Kosher Gourmet Cookbook by Mildred Miller and Bascha Snyder and found a few ways to add fiber (typically lacking in Passover foods). Here are my changes:

• Used 7 apples instead of 6.
• Left the peel on the apples.
• Used whole wheat matzo meal. (This was not planned. When I got to this step of the recipe, I suddenly realized I only had whole wheat matzo meal, so I reduced the amount from 9 tablespoons (= ½ cup + 1 tablespoon) to 8 tablespoons (= ½ cup).)   Even with the whole wheat matzo meal, the cake is light and airy. I'm now thinking I should have left the measurement at 9 tablespoons and have changed the recipe below accordingly.

Today, I tried this recipe for the first time. The whole thing is too sweet for my taste. I'm mixed on the lemon-apple favor combo. At first I thought the batter needed some cinnamon. After discovering that the the apples take on the texture of coconut (very convincingly), I'm thinking that the cinnamon could be left out. The cake texture was very much like a macaroon cake!

Note: Do not cover this cake! After it cooled, I covered it and when I came back  it was soggy. I uncovered it. It sat overnight uncovered and now has the texture of macaroons. I guess I should be glad I found a Passover cake recipe that's not dry . . . and a heart-healthy way to approximate macaroons!

Apple Mixture

• 7 apples grated (do not peel the apples)
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1½ teaspoon cinnamon

Batter

• 9 eggs, separated (I used large eggs)
• ½ cup sugar
• 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon whole wheat matzo or regular matzo meal
• 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon potato starch
• juice and grated rind of 1 lemon (I suggest a small lemon or half of a large one)

• Preheat oven.
• Grate apples in food processor. Remove any large pieces of apple peel.
• Combine apple mixture ingredients and set aside.
• Beat egg whites until stiff and set aside.
• In another bowl, beat yolks and ½ cup sugar until thick and light.
• Stir in the matzo meal and potato starch.
• Add one-third of the egg whites to the batter to lighten it. Fold in the remaining egg whites.
• Pour half the batter into an ungreased 9x13 baking pan.
• Bake at 325°  for 25 minutes.
• Remove from oven. Spread with apple mixture. Spread remaining batter over apples.
• The original recipe said to bake it another 20-25 minutes, until brown. I found I had to bake it nearly 35-40 minutes to get the top to turn a light brown. Perhaps that's because I reduced the amount of matzo meal and my lemon was so large. I have posted this recipe to show the amounts I would try next time and suspect that will bring the baking time closer to 20-25 minutes.