• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Effie Caldarola
          • John Garvey
          • Father Ed Dougherty, M.M.
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
  • CR Radio
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe

A slice of apple cake a day to keep the quarantine blues away

March 29, 2020
By Rita Buettner
Filed Under: Blog, Open Window, Recipes

Today I drove to my parents’ house to pick something up off their porch. I talked to them with gestures and smiles and voices muffled by their storm door. Then I stopped at my sister Treasa’s house and waved to her and her husband and children through the glass.They were all smiles and giggles and cuteness as I waved and blew them kisses, and it was adorable how excited they were by such a tiny interaction.

On the way home, though, I cried. This is how it has to be right now, and I accept that without question. But the interactions forced me to acknowledge something I had pushed aside. This whole social distancing experience is not easy.

Yes, we have FaceTime and Zoom and Skype and other ways to stay in touch. But I miss real physical interactions. And It’s OK to admit that these tools are wonderful, but not at all adequate replacements for the real deal.

As I drove home feeling a little sad, I saw a sign outside Smyth, a local family-owned jewelry store.

“Stay strong,” it said.

I was very touched by those words, written as they were by someone who is probably searching for strength right now.

Still, I am not going to tell you to stay strong. If you’re like me, you don’t need one more assignment or activity to add to your list. And there’s something to be said for admitting you are lacking in strength and need the help of others and God.

All I can really offer today is a recipe for a delicious apple cake. I thought I would share it with you in case you like to bake while in quarantine.

After all, we aren’t going anywhere for a while, and this cake cooks for almost two hours. The only strength you will need is for stirring and not eating five pieces in a row. But I won’t judge you if you do. Apples are super healthy, you know.

Jewish Apple Cake

Mix in large bowl:

6 large apples, peeled and sliced very thin

2 tsp. cinnamon

¼ cup sugar

Put in large bowl and beat until smooth:

3 cups of flour

2 ½ cups of sugar

½ tsp. salt

3 tsp. baking powder

1 cup canola oil

4 eggs

7 Tbsp. of orange juice

2 ½ tsp vanilla extract

Grease tube pan well. Put in small amount of batter, then apples, batter, apples, batter, apples, batter, apples on top. Don’t stress if you run low on apples for the top or if you have fewer layers than it says here. Making this cake is supposed to be stress-relieving. Trust that it will be OK because it will.

Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Let it cool in the pan for about one hour while the house smells amazing and everyone drools. Then take it out of the pan and serve it. It’s good fresh. It’s good the next day. It’s good four days later. I think that’s about as long as we’ve had one last before the platter is licked clean. It’s delicious with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, but it’s perfectly wonderful on its own, too.

If you try it, I hope you enjoy it. And I hope you’ll have the chance to see the smiles of some of your loved ones today, even if you can’t be with them in person.

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

Rita Buettner

Rita Buettner is a wife, working mother and author of the Catholic Review's Open Window blog. She and her husband adopted their two sons from China, and Rita often writes about topics concerning adoption, family and faith.

Rita also writes The Domestic Church, a featured column in the Catholic Review. Her writing has been honored by the Catholic Press Association, the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association and the Associated Church Press.

View all posts from this author

| Recent Commentary |

Question Corner: Jesus became man so I could become God?

The mental health crisis crosses all boundaries and ages

Hold the tuna casserole; pass the crab cake this Lent

Question Corner: Do we relax our Lenten fasts on Sunday?

Pope Francis: 10 titles for 10 years

| Recent Local News |

Sister Joan Cooper, O.S.F., dies at 94

Pathfinders: Five Archdiocese of Baltimore women who made history

Sister Elizabeth Ellen Kane, O.S.F., dies at 81

RADIO INTERVIEW: Dining with the Saints

Archdiocese dispenses with meatless obligation for St. Patrick’s Day

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Papa Francisco: Sin la fuerza del Espíritu Santo, la evangelización es publicidad vacía
  • New Orleans Auxiliary Bishop Cheri dies at 71; archbishop thanks God ‘for his life, ministry’
  • Confession, indulgences express and strengthen communion, speakers say
  • Pro-life groups seek commitments on federal abortion limits from 2024 GOP contenders
  • Pope: Without power of Holy Spirit, evangelization is empty advertising
  • West Virginia parishes, people help Ukrainians find safe haven in Mountain State
  • Rosary project supplies ‘long-range, heart-changing weapons’ to Ukraine
  • Bishop calls ‘reproductive justice’ lecture series with abortion doula ‘scandal,’ ‘unworthy’ of Notre Dame university
  • Movie Review: ‘In Viaggio: The Travels of Pope Francis’

Search

Membership

Catholic Press Association of the United States and Canada

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2023 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED