Fresh Apple Torte -- Ruth’s Caramel Apple Tradition, in Cake Form

Halloween in Oceanside. I am not a Halloween person — I am a Jew from the Bronx, and the Grand Concourse did not do Halloween with any particular enthusiasm. We trick-or-treated because the neighborhood expected it, and Sylvia made costumes because Sylvia could make anything with a sewing machine and a grudge against store prices, and Irving handed out candy with the expression of a man who was tolerating a gentile holiday for the sake of neighborhood harmony. But now I am a grandmother, and grandmothers do not get to be ambivalent about Halloween, because toddlers in costumes are the most extraordinary thing the holiday produces.

David sent photos of Ethan dressed as a doctor — a tiny lab coat, a stethoscope borrowed from David's actual medical bag, a serious expression that suggested Ethan was prepared to make a diagnosis. "He wants to be like Daddy," Jennifer wrote. My heart expanded to a size that should have required medical attention of its own. Sophie, at seven months, was dressed as a pumpkin. She looked confused and orange and perfect.

I did what I always do for Halloween: made caramel apples for the neighborhood children. This is not an Ashkenazi tradition. This is a Ruth Feldman tradition, born twenty years ago when David and Rebecca were trick-or-treating and I decided that the Feldman house would give the neighborhood something homemade. The caramel is from scratch — sugar, cream, butter, vanilla, cooked to exactly the right temperature that makes it stick to the apple without breaking teeth, which is a narrow window that requires attention and a candy thermometer and the understanding that caramel, like teenagers, responds best to patience and consistent heat.

Mrs. DeLuca came over in the evening. She is eighty-two and does not celebrate Halloween, but she has never turned down a caramel apple, and I have never failed to save her one. We sat on the porch and handed out candy to the small goblins and princesses and superheroes of Oceanside, and she told me about Halloween in her childhood in Bensonhurst, and I told her about Halloween on the Grand Concourse, and we agreed that the holiday is better now because the costumes are better, and the candy is better, and we are old enough to eat as much of both as we want without anyone telling us to stop.

I wrote a short post for the blog — about making food for holidays that aren't yours, about how a Jewish grandmother making caramel apples is an act of cultural participation, of saying: this is my neighborhood, these are my neighbor's children, and I will feed them regardless of the holiday because feeding is what I do. The caramel stuck. The children smiled. The night was cool and good.

That night on the porch, with caramel on my fingers and my neighbor’s stories in my ears, I kept thinking about apples—how they’re the quiet heart of the whole holiday, present in every caramel apple but never really the point. So the next morning I decided to make them the point. This fresh apple torte with caramel glaze is my way of honoring that cool October night: the apples get the attention they deserve, and the caramel stays, because some things you don’t give up. Here’s how I made it.

Fresh Apple Torte with Caramel Glaze

Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 50 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes | Servings: 10

Ingredients

• 3 medium apples (Honeycrisp or Granny Smith), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (for topping)
• For the caramel glaze:
• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of fine salt

Instructions

1. Preheat and prepare. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Butter a 9-inch springform or round cake pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper and butter the parchment.
2. Make the batter. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and 3/4 cup granulated sugar together with a hand mixer or stand mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then mix in the vanilla extract.
3. Add dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir just until a thick, smooth batter forms — do not overmix.
4. Layer the apples. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Arrange the apple slices in overlapping concentric circles across the top, pressing them lightly into the batter. Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar evenly over the apples.
5. Bake. Bake for 45–55 minutes, until the torte is deep golden, the center is set, and a toothpick inserted into the cake (not an apple slice) comes out clean. The apples should be tender and caramelized at the edges. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before releasing.
6. Make the caramel glaze. While the torte cools, combine the brown sugar, butter, and heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, then bring to a gentle boil and cook for 2 minutes without stirring. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and pinch of salt. Let cool for 5 minutes — it will thicken as it sits.
7. Glaze and serve. Transfer the torte to a serving plate and drizzle the warm caramel glaze generously over the top, letting it run down the sides. Serve warm or at room temperature. The caramel firms as it cools, just as it should.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 310 | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Carbs: 44g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 115mg