Christmas

Old Fashioned Apple Jelly Cake

by:
September  1, 2013
4.4
5 Ratings
Old Fashioned Apple Jelly Cake
Photo by Rocky Luten
  • Serves 12
Author Notes

My mother used to make this cake for holidays when I was a child. It's a basic pound cake, but there is no creaming in this recipe, which results in flat, thin layers as opposed to light, fluffy ones. The preferred jelly is apple, but really, any will do. For best results, make the cake a few days ahead so that jelly can be absorbed by the cake layers. (Picture will be forthcoming when I make one again.) —walkie74

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 4 layer cake pans
  • 2 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 5 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla flavoring
  • 2 sticks of butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1 jar of apple jelly
Directions
  1. To make the cake:
  2. Butter the cake pans or treat them with non stick spray. Set aside.
  3. Combine all dry ingredients into the mixer.(you may want to drape a kitchen towel over the mixer for the next step.) Blend for five seconds.
  4. Stop mixer and add half the butter pieces. Blend butter in, then add the rest of the pieces. Keep mixer running and add eggs one at a time, beating each one in well before adding the next. Add milk slowly, then add flavoring
  5. Once all ingredients are blended, pour mixture into cake pans. Bake at 325 for 15-20 minutes per layer, or until layers are golden around the edges and a toothpick comes out clean. Allow layers to cool in pan, then turn out onto a clean dish towel or cooling rack.
  6. To assemble the cake:
  7. Place the bottom layer of the cake onto a serving platter. Spread apple jelly over the layer, then place the next layer on top of it. Continue until all the layers are used up. Frost cake with the rest of the jelly, then serve to an appreciative audience.
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    cadskie
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8 Reviews

cadskie
cadskie April 16, 2023
M y grandmother made a similar cake. She baked two thick layers of yellow cake. After it cooled she cut the layers horizontally to make four pretty much equal layers. She spread a thick layer of apple jelly (as she put it, she smushed the jelly with a fork to make a soft layer.. The first layer was placed cut side down on the jelly layer. she did the same with the next 3 layers smushed jelly with cut side down..She said it was important to cut the layers so the cake would absorb the jelly. she then used aluminum foil to cover and seal the cake. It had to sit in the refrigerator at least overnight to let the cake properly absorb the jelly. The final cake had no jelly visible since it had all been absorbed. As a kid I like to peel off a layer and eat it like a pizza slice. It was incredibly moist and delicious. An aunt tried for years to improve on it using different jellies and lemon curd. Some were pretty good but none were as good as the original with a tart apple jelly.
 
4patsy
4patsy December 26, 2022
This cake was so so, but it was toooo crumbly when it was cut. It set for 2 days before I cut it. Needs improvement.
 
Foodie1986
Foodie1986 October 29, 2020
This is an excellent layer cake! I was able to follow the instructions very well. In order to cut the butter into pieces I used cold butter. Thought it would compromise the overall product since the butter was not at room temperature. Didn't make a difference at all! I used guava jelly instead of apple jelly. OMG! Delicious! This layer cake is versatile. It can be used as a base for a coconut cake, lemon cake, yellow cake with chocolate frosting, or Italian cream cake ---- just add coconut and almond flavorings for a coconut cake or add lemon flavor and zest for a lemon cake.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
 
Erika
Erika September 3, 2018
I tried it, not as much flavor as I would like in the cake.
 
Bruce Y.
Bruce Y. March 15, 2018
It sounds good, but this person needs to learn how to write a recipe. The ingredients should be listed in the order they are used, not just randomly, as these are. Also, the baking instructions aren't well written. 15-20 minutes per layer actually means 60-80 minutes, since there are four layers. It would be better to leave "per layer" out, unless you are baking them one at a time. Most experienced bakers can figure all this out, of course, but it would be good if an inexperienced baker could use the recipe, too, without getting confused.
 
Simone S.
Simone S. December 24, 2016
Omg I have searched and searched for this recipe and I kept finding apple stack cake which is not the same!! growing up in Alabama my grandma used to make this and no one could get the recipe from her! Thank you I can't wait to try this recipe!!
 
Yvonne
Yvonne November 11, 2014
I have been looking for this recipe to surprise my husband for the holiday,
sounds like the one his grandmother
will give it a try . Thank you
 
didi
didi February 9, 2014
This sounds just like the apple jelly cake that my grandma made, and it was sooooo yummy! She added coconut between the layers and it was to die for. I will be baking this cake soon. I was thinking about it several days ago. thank you for this website
Dee