Fruit Kuchen

My sister Esther shared this classic with me many years ago. It’s a moist, delicious cake that can be made with apples, peaches, plums, apricots, or a combo of all. I’ve updated it and present it here with two ways to make it. Yields 1 tube pan

Directions

Prepare the Fruit Kuchen

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Grease a tube pan and set aside.

2. In the large bowl of a mixer, combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center and add the oil, eggs, juice or soy milk, and extracts. Mix together well.

3. Mix the apples, sugar, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Fold the apples into the batter until well distributed throughout. Pour the batter into tube pan. Top with sliced almonds, if desired. Bake for 50 minutes, or until ready.

4. Alternatively, pour half the batter into the pan. Sprinkle the apples on top and cover with the remaining batter. If you’d like, you can combine another diced apple with one and 1/2 tablespoons sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the top. Bake as above.

Tips:

For a low-fat version of the cake presented here, you can use just 1/4 cup oil and 3/4 cup applesauce, or 1/2 cup each. The trick is to add the applesauce
at the very end and mix just until incorporated. Otherwise, your cake will be rubbery.

Notes:

This can also be made in a 9×13-inch (23×33-centimeter) baking pan. Check for doneness after 45 minutes. If making a combination of fruit, you should have about two cups of fruit in total.