Perfect Rosh Hashanah Honey Cake

by: RonitTreatman

Sat Sep 01, 2012 at 12:01:00 PM EDT

Have you ever baked a honey cake that was too dry, gooey, or left a bitter aftertaste?  I have produced these and many other flops.  As a result, I embarked on a quest to discover a foolproof recipe.  I encountered it in Marcy Goldman's A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking.  Her rich fragrant cake is the perfect treat to serve your guests or bake for your hosts when celebrating Rosh Hashanah.

More after the jump.

• 1 cup of mild honey such as clover, acacia, or alfalfa
  
• 1 ½ cups white granulated sugar
  
• ½ cup light brown sugar
  
• 3 ½ cups flour
  
• 1 cup vegetable oil
  
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  
• ½ teaspoon salt
  
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  
• 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  
• ¼ cup whisky
  
• ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
  
• 1 cup freshly brewed quality coffee
  
• 3 large eggs
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1 tablespoon baking powder

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
   
2. Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl.
   
3. Coat the interior of a 10 inch Bundt cake pan with vegetable oil.
   
4. Pour the batter into the pan.
   
5. Bake for 60 to 70 minutes.  This cake is ready when the center springs back easily when touched.
   
6. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to rest in the Bundt pan for 15 minutes.
   
7. Invert the cake onto a serving platter.