Apples and honey every September. It’s the Jewish New Year again, and I am back in the kitchen experimenting with recipes. I already shared Aunt Jane’s Apple Cake. This year’s Apple Honey Cake was not overly difficult to make, but the dough is wet and dense. If you are going tall (think angel food tin), put your oven rack in the lowest position before you forget. When you fill your cake pan, leave space at the top to allow for growth, at least an inch and a half. Don’t over-fill your pan. You will likely need to tent the top, so the apples don’t catch, and the top of the cake doesn’t burn. I have not experimented yet with gluten-free flour with this cake, but I want to share my progress as I make it.
Ever wonder about the symbolism of apples and honey for the Jewish new year?
Adapting our Apple Honey Cake
This recipe is not perfect until you’ve added your touch to it. That’s why we encourage you to play with your food. Call your inner chef to come out and play and change up this recipe. Here are some ideas–
- Try this cake with chocolate chips instead of apples; sprinkle in the middle and on top of the cake.
- Skip the apples and top the cake with sliced almonds.
- Make this batter and pour cupcakes topped with apples.
Notes: I made this in a 7-inch angel food cake pan. It would have done better in a 9″ angel food pan. Regardless of the pan you choose, place the cake onto two stacked sturdy baking tins before setting it into the oven. You can also make this cake in a bundt cake pan, a 9x13x2-inch sheet pan, or in loaf pans. The less tall you make this, the less time will be needed for baking.
Apple Honey Cake
Ingredients
For the Batter
- 3 1/2 c all-purpose flour
- 1 c coconut sugar
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp. ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 c fresh orange juice
- 1/4 c whisky or more orange juice
- 3/4 c coconut oil melted but not hot
- 1/2 c coffee warm strong
- 1 c Eastern Shore Honey
For the Stuffing/Topping
- 2 granny smith apples peeled, cored and cut into 1/2” pieces
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice fresh-squeezed
- 1 tbsp. coconut sugar
- 1 tbsp. Eastern Shore Honey
- 1 tbsp. flour
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Grease pan. Note: when you grease an angel food pan, use coconut oil, and add a thin layer of flour evenly rolling it from top to bottom to sides. You can also line the bottom with lightly greased parchment paper. Take your time. Be vigilant. Don’t miss spots.
- Peel and core the apples, cut into 1/2” pieces add the cinnamon, lemon juice, coconut sugar, flour and a drizzle of Eastern Shore Honey, set aside in fridge.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, add vanilla, orange juice and whisky.
- In a pyrex measuring cup combine the the warmed melted oil, warm freshly made coffee and honey. This will make combining everything much easier.
- With an electric mixer on slow speed, combine the ingredients well to make a thick smooth batter. It’s almost the consistency of peanut butter.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared angel food pan to the half-way point. Add a single layer of apple. Fill batter to a little shy of top and add a layer of apples to the top of the cake. Tent the top with foil to prevent burning while baking.
- Place the cake pan on 2 baking sheets stacked together and bake until you pass the toothpick test. For angel and tube cake pans, it will take 60 to 70 minutes; loaf cakes, 45 to 55 minutes. For sheet-style cakes, the baking time is 40 to 45 minutes.
- Let the cake stand for 15 minutes before removing it from the pan. Then invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Video
Nutrition
