This is a great cake. Right away I decided I wanted to add 1 T. of cinnamon instead of what it called for. We are a cinnamon family, especially when it comes to cinnamoned apples. I added 1/4 t. salt to bring to enchance flavors since I believe that all recipes need a little salt. Yes, it seems that 5 apples is a lot, but it's not. The apple takes the cake in this recipe.

What a great recipe! After reading other reviews, and then trying this recipe out myself, I also thought there were way too many apples.. But I was wrong. :) The batter expands, so once it bakes, it doesn't seem like too many at all, and they definitely make the overall cake more moist. Some changes I made : 1) For the apples, I used 3 Golden Delicious and 2 Granny Smith, and I didn't peel any of them. 2) I used 1/2 c brown sugar and 1/2 c white sugar. 3) Alongside the cinnamon and vanilla, I also added nutmeg, lemon extract, and cocoa (which added a GREAT light chocolately taste). With all those ingredients, I never measure exactly.. I just kind of use my best judgement. But I would guess that I used about 1 tsp nutmeg, 1 tbsp lemon, and 2-3 tbsp cocoa. 4) Finally, I didn't add walnuts (although I definitely would in the future - I was just making this for my bf's house and he doesn't really like nuts in cakes), but instead I added raisins. Once again, didn't measure how much.. but I would guess 3/4 c. My only complaint is that the batter was kind of difficult to mix.. and then once I added the apples it was REALLY difficult to mix. Was a bit discouraging - thought I did something wrong.. But the cake came out great. :) Thanks for the recipe! Will definitely make this one again.

This is the ugliest cake - going into the oven - but, when it is done - WOW! I've made this many times and find peeled/cored Granny Smith apples work best. My Romanian friends say, "savuros" (sp?) Try lightly sprinkling it with cinnamon-sugar before baking. Check out the picture I took the first time I made this cake - its only gotten better. Petrecere frumoasa!

Was looking for something not terribly sweet to fix after all the Christmas goodies. This was perfect. I did make a carmel glaze for the people that wanted a little extra sweetness added to theirs.

This is fantastic. Wow. I could have eaten the whole thing myself. I drizzeled a butter and sugar mixture over the warm cake as a glaze. Thanks for the great recipe.

This is just like what my grandmother (Romanian, of course, she immigrated to Canada with my grandfather) used to make, she called it Appelkuchen (not sure of spelling). She diced the apples finely probably because her teeth were not so good anymore. This tastes best about a day or so after cooking and, for a cake, keeps quite well. Any substitutions detract from the authenticity and longevity of the cake; applesauce spoils much faster than oil, I always say that the bacteria, mold etc. have healthy tastes, they don't eat junk foods as they have no nutrients! So it is not healthy, but a delicious hearty spice cake that anyone not overly concerned about their diet will enjoy a slice of. It tastes a bit like apple pie or apple sauce but as a cake. And it does have a lot of apples, so you get a good dose of fruit. Alright enough rambling but I am happy to have found this recipe and be able to make my grandmother's cake!

This is a delicious cake. We have many friends in Europe and have stayed in their homes and eaten their homemade food. Unlike American cakes, this has all of the earmarks of a cake from Europe- simple, real ingredients and not overly sweet. Like a previous reviewer, my daughter and I made this for a 5th grade International Day luncheon. All of the kids liked it! We made this cake with Pippin apples, which is my favorite pie apple. When I make this recipe next time, I will add a 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of salt, though it is just fine without it.

It was really good, too sweet for me but next time I'll just reduce the sugar. The cinnamon taste was perfectly in balance with the apples. One of the best apple cakes I've made/eaten this year!

Thanks for submitting this recipe. My family loved it! The only change I would make the next time is I would cut the apples smaller.

I made this exactly as suggested, we really didn't like the texture or flavor. Sorry.

I was looking for a recipe to make for a Romanian friend and I found this one. I tried it and she said that she hadn't tasted this cake since she was home in Romanania. It is just like her mom used to make! My family loves it too!

This was a great cake. I am not a nut fan and did not include them either. My son was doing a report on Romainia and I am glad that this is a really from there. They all liked it and I was lucky to get a piece. One of the children liked it so well he wrote it down for his mother. It was so easy to make and used ingrediants that most people would have at hand. Will make again for my family.

This is a great cake! My boyfriend is romanian and he claimed that he ate similar cakes in his childhood! Very easy to make and turns out great every time!!!

This recipe is wonderful! I live in Holland and they do not sell vegetable oil like they do at home in America, so I had to use corn oil and it turned out perfectly. I used Braeburn apples since our choice of apples are not the same as they are in the states. I think using Braeburn apples was far better than the typical American apples I've grown up eating. This cake is even better the next day when kept in an air-tight container; it actually makes the cake more moist. I used the walnuts like it called for, but I made this again a week later and did not use them. I'm not a fan of nuts in recipes, but I think this recipe is perfect with the nuts but even better without them!! Simple ingredients, easy to make and absolutely delicious. I couldn't ask for any better! ***After consulting my neighbor who happens to have moved to Holland from Romania, she told me that this in it's traditional Romanian form does NOT involve walnuts at all. Just thought I'd pass that bit of information along.***

This cake is SUPER. Did not change any of the ingredients. Did make a mistake by not reading ahead in the recipe and put all the dry ingredients together and then adding them to the dry. Folded the apples and walnuts in at the end. All come out wonderful. I used to make this cake 40 years ago when we went camping. Lost the recipe. So glad to have it back. Just a pleasure to serve.

It tasted good the first day - but way too many apples. The cake fell apart and was terrible the next day - had to throw it all out as it became a soggy mess.

My son and I made this as part of a school report on Romania. It was a huge hit at school and he came home with an empty pan and tons of requests for the recipe. Now months later his class has requested that he bring it for their Valentine's Day Party. (I don't normally think of apple cake for Valentine's Day but it's what they want.) It is very easy to make and tastes good. Obvisously, it is a hit with kids.

I was recently given a bunch of apples and have been searching for recipes to use these apples up. I had never had romanian apple cake before so I'm not sure if this is what it's supposed to tast like, but I didn't care much for this recipe.