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Rosh Hashana Honey Cake

Source of Recipe

Berniece


Recipe Introduction

Honey cake is often the choice for dessert. This can be bought from bakeries this time of year or supermarkets sometimes offer entire prepared meals for many religious holidays. It's also easy to prepare. In their new "The Mile End Cookbook: Redefining Jewish Comfort Food from Hash to Hamantaschen," Noah & Rae Bernamoff, owners of Brooklyn's Mile End Deli, present a version they adapted long ago from an acclaimed baker who was a neighbor of theirs. It's bursting with the flavors of orange juice, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg -- a full cup of honey -- then served topped with toasted almonds & crème fraiche.

List of Ingredients

Honey Cake


1 cup orange juice
1 cup honey, plus more for drizzling
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 large eggs, brought to room temperature just before using
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup canola oil
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
toasted almonds, for topping (optional)
powdered sugar, for topping (optional)
crème fraiche, for serving (optional)


Recipe


Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Combine the orange juice & honey in a large saucepan.

Place it over medium-low heat, bring it to a simmer.

Simmer until the liquids have come together & you can no longer feel any honey sticking to the bottom of the pan; about 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat & add the baking soda.

Stir to combine, then set the pan aside.

In a large bowl, combine the eggs & sugars.

Whisk vigorously until smooth.

Then, add the oil & whisk until the mixture is completely emulsified & smooth.

Pour the reserved orange juice mixture into the egg mixture & whisk for a few seconds to combine.

In another large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg & salt.

Mix together with a spatula.

Pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients & whisk, scraping down the sides with a spatula, until any lumps are eliminated; 10 to 15 seconds.

Grease a Bundt pan with oil or cooking spray & dust the pan liberally with flour, tapping out any excess.

Pour the batter into the pan & bake on the middle rack of the oven until the surface of the cake starts turning a dark golden brown; about 15 minutes.

Rotate the pan 180 degrees & tent it lightly with aluminum foil.

Continue baking until a thermometer inserted into the center of the cake reads 200ºF; another 20 to 25 minutes.

Cool the cake completely on a wire rack.

Invert the cake onto a serving plate & drizzle it with honey.

Top with toasted almonds & powdered sugar.

Serve with crème fraiche.

Yields 8 to 10 servings