Majestic & Moist New Year's Honey Cake Recipe

"Found @ dianasdessertsdotcom & contributed there by Marcy Goldman, author of A TREASURY OF JEWISH HOLIDAY BAKING. It was further defined as a RECIPE FOR THE JEWISH HOLIDAY: ROSH HASHANAH-JEWISH NEW YEAR'S. Marcy said "I like a New Year's honey cake to be extra moist & sweet, as good on the day of baking as it is days later. This one is QUEEN OF THE REALM - Rich, nicely spiced, majestic in taste & stature. I went through many variations & tasting sessions until I was satisfied w/this definitive cake. 1 taster gave it the ultimate compliment by saying THIS 1 RECIPE IS WORTH THE PRICE OF THE BOOK. Like most honey cakes, it's a good keeper & can be made up to a couple of days ahead." (Times were estimated by me, but hard to do as baking time was variable & depended on pan size. So I opted to pick her preferred pan size & show that baking time) ENJOY!"

Step by Step Method

Step 1

I like this cake best baked in a 9-in angel food cake pan, but you can also make it in a 10-in tube or bundt cake pan, a 9x13-in sheet pan or three 8x4.5-in loaf pans.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Lightly grease the pan(s). For tube & angel food pans, line the bottom w/lightly greased parchment paper. For gift honey cakes, I use "cake collars" (available from Sweet Celebrations) designed to fit a specific loaf pan. These give the cakes an appealing, professional look.

Step 3

In a lrg bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt & spices. Make a well in the center & add the oil, honey, sugars, eggs, vanilla, coffee, orange juice & rye (or whiskey).

Step 4

Using a strong wire whisk or an electric mixer on slow speed, combine the ingredients well to make a thick batter, making sure that no ingredients are stuck to the bottom of the bowl.

Step 5

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan(s) & sprinkle the top of the cake(s) evenly w/the almonds. Place the cake pan(s) on 2 baking sheets stacked together (this will ensure the cakes bake properly w/the bottom baking faster than the cake interior & top) & bake until the cake springs back when you touch it gently in the center. For angel & tube cake pans, bake for 60-70 min. For loaf cakes, bake for 45-55 min. For sheet-style cakes, the baking time is 40-45 min. This is a fairly liquid batter & (depending on your oven) it may need extra time. The cake should spring back when gently pressed.