Honey Cake

Rosh Hashanah is around the corner, and that's exactly the time for a lovely honey cake. A beautiful honey cake, tall and very soft, with a gentle honey flavor. Honey cakes are usually very sweet, but this one is sweet just to the right degree, and if you like, you can skip the glaze and dust it with powdered sugar.

Before you start

• To get the cake out of the pan in one piece, grease the pan well with oil or margarine and dust it with flour. Then turn the pan over and tap out the excess flour.
• Let the cake cool completely before you unmold it.
• You can skip the chocolate glaze and dust it with powdered sugar instead.
• The coffee doesn't make the cake taste of coffee, so no need to worry.
• You can bake the cake in 2 loaf pans, but remember it will need less time in the oven.

Ingredients for a 9-inch (22 cm) Bundt pan or a 9½-inch (24 cm) round pan

• 4 large eggs, at room temperature.
• 130 g sugar (½ cup + 3 tablespoons).
• 160 g honey (½ cup).
• 10 g instant coffee granules + 120 ml hot water (1 level tablespoon instant coffee + ½ cup hot water).
• 100 g vegetable oil (½ cup).
• 240 g all-purpose flour (1¾ cups).
• 1 teaspoon baking powder.
• ½ teaspoon baking soda.
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional).

For the glaze

• 60 g dark chocolate.
• 30 ml soy milk or non-dairy cream (2 tablespoons).
• 1 teaspoon canola oil.

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

2. Grease the whole pan with oil or margarine and dust it with flour. Turn the pan over and tap out the excess flour (if you're using a different pan, you don't need to flour it; just grease it lightly).

   

3. Stir the instant coffee into the hot water and set aside to cool.

4. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk, whip the eggs and sugar for a few minutes, until pale and fluffy.

5. Lower the mixer speed, add the honey and mix.

6. Pour in the oil in a thin stream until absorbed. Pour in the coffee in a thin stream too, until absorbed.

7. In a large bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon.

8. Add the dry mixture to the mixer bowl a little at a time, mixing only until combined (don't overmix).

9. Finally, fold the batter with a spatula to make sure no flour is left at the bottom of the bowl.

10. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 40–50 minutes (I recommend checking the cake after about 40 minutes and adding more time if needed).

11. Let it cool completely. Then run a small offset spatula around the sides of the pan, carefully turn it over and unmold the cake.

    

12. For the glaze: in a microwave-safe bowl, combine the dark chocolate and soy milk. Melt in short bursts until completely melted (stir between bursts).

13. Add the oil and stir.

14. Spoon the glaze over the cake.