Jewish Apple Cake Reimagined: The Revolutionary Wina Apple Kugel — Vegan, Oil-Free, Naturally Sweetened, and Perfect for Shabbos & Rosh Hashanah

The full Jewish apple kugel recipe follows these introductory notes—or jump ahead here if you’re in the kitchen already.

The Reshaping of Kugel: A Succulent Tale of Tradition, Ethics, and Apples

The Layers of Kugel

In the vibrant, layered culinary tapestry of Jewish Vienna, where every dish whispers of history and adaptation, our Apple Kugel—our mouth-watering, healthy vegan Jewish apple cake—stands as a particularly poignant testament to tradition reimagined. Some might even call it “Rothschild’s Apple Kugel”—a clickbait-worthy, yet surprisingly true, title given that the original recipe, meticulously chosen from countless others we gathered, indeed hails from a Rothschild kitchen. This isn’t merely a replica, though; it’s a living creation, born from the deep immersion that Michi, my wife, and I shared in the Hasidic and Litvak communities of Bnei Brak. There, Michi meticulously researched kugel’s origins, diligently gathering and tasting their cherished kigel recipes—the delightful Hasidic Yiddish pronunciation of this comforting baked pudding that anchors countless Shabbat and Yom Tov tables.

From Bnei Brak to Zürich to Vienna

Our particular rendition, a tribute to thorough research, found its closest traditional analogue in the exact seven-ingredient version perfected by our friend Mrs. Rothschild from Zürich—no, not that Rothschild, or the other one, but one whose culinary prowess truly stood out. Unlike our final creation, the original Rothschild version relied solely on generous layers of sugar, nuts, and apples that caramelized beautifully in the oven. (It’s worth noting that many Jews abstain from eating walnuts on Rosh Hashanah due to various customs, including the numerical value of the Hebrew word for “nut,” egoz, being the same as “sin,” chet, and the belief that nuts could interfere with High Holiday prayers.)

Instead, our adaptation interweaves that history with Michi’s cherished memory of her grandfather’s Viennese apple cake and streusel, transforming it into a vibrant, healthy vegan creation. The recipe is not 100% Whole Food Plant-Based (WFPB) by the strictest definition, but it comes very close and fully aligns with the spirit of WFPB and SOS-free (no added sugar, oil, or salt) eating. While the base relies on whole foods like fruits, nuts, and minimally processed flours, we also use a few standard baking helpers—cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, cream of tartar, and seltzer—that are not whole foods in their natural state but are common in WFPB baking to create a light, airy texture without eggs, oil, or refined sugar. The cake is inverted, crowned with a natural streusel of toasted nuts and apples—a tribute to her grandfather, a Viennese communist baker, whose own apple cake with streusel has, sadly, been lost to time.

Apples and Their Meanings

What makes this apple (and cinnamon) cake so profoundly Jewish? For one, it’s a staple for Shabbos and Yom Tov meals, often served alongside the main course as a sweet side dish—perfect for those of us who have always wanted to eat dessert first, or at least with the meal. It is especially appropriate for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, because of the apple. On Rosh Hashanah, we dip apples in honey to symbolize our hope for a sweet new year, a wish for blessings and prosperity in the months to come. For Pesach (Passover), this kugel adapts beautifully—simply replace the flour with very fine matzo meal (only if you eat kitniot, the legumes and grains some Ashkenazi Jews avoid on Passover).

But let us be very clear: a kugel—even this apple kugel—is not a dessert in the classical sense, nor is it a cake. By definition, a kugel is designed to accompany the savory dishes of a Shabbos or Yom Tov meal, often eaten alongside cholent or other hearty mains. It belongs to the meal itself, not to the dessert course. The true Rosh Hashanah cake, traditionally, is the Lekach (honey cake). Our apple kugel, then, stands in that in-between space so characteristic of Ashkenazi cooking: a sweet dish meant to sit comfortably at the table beside savory foods.

Indeed, the very presence of kugel, in its myriad forms, speaks to the continuity of generations, a culinary embrace of community and tradition that transcends geography. With my eager assistance in the crucial testing and tasting phase, Michi meticulously documented a traditional Apple Kugel featuring a rich, moist dough studded with toasted, coarsely chopped walnuts.

The apples themselves, beyond their simple sweetness, resonate with profound Jewish symbolism—from the promise of a sweet year contained in their crisp flesh to the mystical depths of Kabbalistic thought, where they represent blessing, beauty, and even the Divine presence. In the Song of Songs, the Jewish people themselves are likened to the apple tree, symbolizing their unique relationship with the Divine and their singular place among the nations.

A Dish Shaped by Time

Historically, kugels were often steamed in round pots or pockets, sometimes placed inside a larger pot of cholent (a slow-cooked Shabbat stew) to cook alongside it. While many modern kugels are baked in square or rectangular pans, the original round shape gave the dish its Yiddish name, “kugel,” from the Middle High German kugel, meaning “sphere,” “globe,” or “ball.” This linguistic echo grounds it firmly in its authentic Jewish character.

Ethics, Health, and Innovation

The apple kugel’s traditional version, which included eggs and oil—and thus also the animal cruelty inherent in industrial egg farming—was typically prepared as parve, meaning that, in terms of Kashrut (Jewish dietary laws), it could be eaten with both meat and dairy meals. But our story does not end with preserving tradition; it continues with how tradition evolves alongside our own journey.

For decades, this kugel graced our Shabbos and Yom Tov meals, a beloved fixture in our home. Now, as our lives have evolved into a post-religious, radically egalitarian, and progressively minded path, so too has our culinary heritage. We have meticulously adapted this cherished heirloom into a vibrant, healthy vegan, almost Whole Food Plant-Based, SOS-Free version. This isn’t just vegan; it is a comprehensive commitment to well-being.

And the cooking method? A revelation in itself. This innovative kugel is partially prepared like a cupcake—in mere minutes, in the microwave—before being finished in the oven (though in a pinch, for example in hot weather, one could skip this last stage). The result is not only delicious but incredibly energy-efficient, a small yet significant step toward a more sustainable kitchen.

While Biskuit is technically a type of sponge cake, in Viennese baking it often takes the form of the famous Wiener Masse (Viennese sponge). Traditionally, this involves whisking eggs and sugar over a hot water bath until the mixture becomes light, airy, and stable, then baking it into a fine-pored, golden sponge base—the very foundation of countless tortes. What makes the Viennese version distinct is its remarkable balance: both fluffy and creamy, yet with enough stability to serve as the perfect cake base. A related form, the Wiener Biskuit, achieves similar lightness but is enriched with butter for extra moistness.

Reimagining this in a plant-based, SOS-free context poses a unique challenge. Vegan sponge cakes are relatively easy to achieve with oil and sugar, producing a fluffy, moist texture in minutes. But without oil, refined sugar, or eggs, the challenge deepens considerably. Here, aquafaba—the whipped brine of chickpeas—becomes our ally, mimicking the whipped egg-sugar foam of Wiener Masse. Folded gently with minimally processed flours, it allows us to recreate, in spirit, the same airy, structured lift of the Viennese tradition.

But no—this recipe could not truly be considered a Wiener Biskuit-Masse. The defining characteristic of that Viennese sponge is the inclusion of fat, typically melted butter folded into the batter at just the right temperature (around 45°C). Since our recipe is meticulously designed to be oil-free, it cannot technically be classified as such. Instead, it is best understood as a vegan adaptation of the classical French Biskuit method, which is also fat-free. That makes our creation an even more direct and skillful parallel to that technique. And yet, like a true Wiener Biskuit, the result is saftig und feinporig—moist and fine-crumbed.

In this way, our Apple Kugel draws not only on Jewish culinary roots but also on the classical techniques of European patisserie, remade for a new ethical and health-conscious era.

Vienna Reimagined

Just as the Wiener Masse defined the foundations of Viennese tortes, our Wina Apple Kigel seeks to define a new foundation—one that honors tradition while embodying today’s values of health, ethics, and sustainability. This is a culinary dialogue between past and present, a celebration of flavor and ethics that continues to nourish us, echoing the enduring spirit of adaptation that defines Jewish life. This is particularly true here in the historic heart of Vienna, where new Jewish energy is bubbling with, for example, small independent progressive minyanim, a young local Yiddish Bund chapter, a Standing Together movement, and more.

A Sweet Segulah for the Future

This isn’t just a recipe; it is a statement—a testament to how tradition can be honored, reimagined, and made relevant for our times. A “Viennese Kugel” may once have been only an idea, but with this ethical and innovative deliciousness, Vienna is poised to be known for a kugel uniquely its own, aligned with its progressive spirit.

In the spirit of Jewish teachings that discourage lashon hara (negative speech that spreads harmful energy), we embrace its opposite—speaking positively about the future we hope to see. A new, progressive Vienna. A belief that our words and intentions can help bring good things into being.

This cake, infused with intention, becomes what we might playfully call a culinary segulah—if protective charms can come in the form of baked goods, then surely this qualifies as our talisman for a sweet and hopeful future.

We present to you the revolutionary Wiener Apple Kugel—or Wina Apple Kigel.
A dish that is as much a blessing as it is a cake.

Amen—and a sweet and hopeful new year!

For the record:
The Original (non-vegan) Mrs. Rothschild Apple Kugel Recipe

Ingredients

Eggs: 3 whole eggs + 1 extra egg white (the extra egg white is used to replace baking powder, which our discerning palates could always taste)
Refined Sugar: 1 cup
Vanilla Sugar: to taste
Lemon Juice: 1-2 drops
Oil: 1/2 cup (a good, neutral oil is recommended)
Flour: 1 cup
Apples: At least 3 large, sliced
Walnuts: for the bottom of the pan
Cinnamon: to taste

Instructions

Prepare the Batter: Separate the eggs. In a bowl, beat the egg yolks with the refined sugar, vanilla sugar, and lemon juice. Add the oil and flour, mixing to form a batter.

Whip the Egg Whites: In a separate, clean bowl, whip the 3 egg whites and the 1 extra egg white until stiff peaks form. Gently fold these into the batter.

Layer the Cake: Grease and flour a baking pan. First, sprinkle the walnuts evenly over the bottom of the pan. Next, spoon a layer of the batter over the walnuts. Add a layer of the spiced apples. Repeat these layers, finishing with the remaining apples on top.

Bake: Place in a preheated oven at 175°C (347°F) and bake for approximately 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

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