Even though Tom and I aren't Jewish and don't observe Jewish holidays, I couldn't resist the urge to make a honey cake for Rosh Hashanah. I love the fact that honey is associated with Rosh Hashanah to signify a sweet new year.
I picked a recipe from epicurious.com that has received rave reviews -- the "Majestic and Moist New Year's Honey Cake" from A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking by Marcy Goldman. As I was setting up the ingredients on the kitchen counter to make the cake, Tom noticed that I had pulled out a bottle of The Macallan 25 whiskey. He pointed out that I didn't need to use such an incredibly expensive bottle of whiskey to make the cake. Of course I knew that already -- but the bottle was a wedding gift from a close family friend, and since I don't drink alcohol at all, I figured that using the whiskey to bake something would be the only way I could enjoy it.
This spice cake smelled absolutely heavenly as it was baking. The aroma and appearance of the finished cake were both reminiscent of gingerbread, and Tom and I could hardly wait for it to cool so that we could taste it.
This cake was very dense and moist, with a wonderful shiny outside crust. I made the cake in a tube pan, which I thought turned out great -- each slice had plenty of chewy crust around the edges. I used a mild clover honey for the cake, and I don't think the finished cake had a strong honey flavor -- but it had a complex and warm spice flavor. Also, the entire cake definitely had an overall boozy quality to it -- you could clearly taste the alcohol. I thought the sliced almonds on top were a terrific addition, contributing both flavor and texture.
I received a lot of great feedback on this cake, with several people telling me it was one of the best honey cakes they had ever tasted. I loved the spice flavor and the wonderful moistness of the cake, but I found the boozy flavor unpleasant -- the reason why I don't drink alcohol is that I don't like it. As an experiment, I made this cake again substituting additional orange juice for the whiskey, and I liked the results much better. Tom prefers the whiskey version.
I plan on making this cake again (and again!). It was delicious and pure comfort food. While it doesn't need any embellishment, I suspect that it would be out of this world with whipped cream or ice cream. This cake is perfect for the fall and winter -- and it certainly is a lovely and sweet way to start a new year!
Recipe: "Majestic and Moist New Year's Honey Cake" from A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking by Marcy Goldman, available on epicurious.com.
I picked a recipe from epicurious.com that has received rave reviews -- the "Majestic and Moist New Year's Honey Cake" from A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking by Marcy Goldman. As I was setting up the ingredients on the kitchen counter to make the cake, Tom noticed that I had pulled out a bottle of The Macallan 25 whiskey. He pointed out that I didn't need to use such an incredibly expensive bottle of whiskey to make the cake. Of course I knew that already -- but the bottle was a wedding gift from a close family friend, and since I don't drink alcohol at all, I figured that using the whiskey to bake something would be the only way I could enjoy it.
This spice cake smelled absolutely heavenly as it was baking. The aroma and appearance of the finished cake were both reminiscent of gingerbread, and Tom and I could hardly wait for it to cool so that we could taste it.This cake was very dense and moist, with a wonderful shiny outside crust. I made the cake in a tube pan, which I thought turned out great -- each slice had plenty of chewy crust around the edges. I used a mild clover honey for the cake, and I don't think the finished cake had a strong honey flavor -- but it had a complex and warm spice flavor. Also, the entire cake definitely had an overall boozy quality to it -- you could clearly taste the alcohol. I thought the sliced almonds on top were a terrific addition, contributing both flavor and texture.
I received a lot of great feedback on this cake, with several people telling me it was one of the best honey cakes they had ever tasted. I loved the spice flavor and the wonderful moistness of the cake, but I found the boozy flavor unpleasant -- the reason why I don't drink alcohol is that I don't like it. As an experiment, I made this cake again substituting additional orange juice for the whiskey, and I liked the results much better. Tom prefers the whiskey version.
I plan on making this cake again (and again!). It was delicious and pure comfort food. While it doesn't need any embellishment, I suspect that it would be out of this world with whipped cream or ice cream. This cake is perfect for the fall and winter -- and it certainly is a lovely and sweet way to start a new year!
Recipe: "Majestic and Moist New Year's Honey Cake" from A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking by Marcy Goldman, available on epicurious.com.
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