honey cake with caramelised apples

honey cake with caramelised apples

• 25 Sept 2022

Growing up I loved the honey cake my Grandmother used to make for Rosh Hashana (Jewish New Year). She died many years ago and I don't think I've had honey cake since then. This year I had a hankering for some and turned to Honey and Co for the recipe. 

The type of flour used in the recipe wasn't specified so I used plain flour. The cake when baked had quite a crater, so I remade it using self raising flour. The crater wasn't quite so deep the second time around but it was no big deal because the crater was going to be hidden anyway.

As apple dipped in honey is traditionally served at Rosh Hashana I topped the honey cake with some caramelised apples from an Aran Goyoaga recipe and a few toasted flaked almonds.

Here's the recipe for you, which makes a small loaf. For all my recipes I use a 250ml cup, a 20ml tablespoon, unsalted butter and 60g eggs. My oven is a conventional oven so if you have a fan-forced oven you may need to reduce the temperature by 20°C.

Honey cake with caramelised apples

Ingredients

75mls boiling water
1 tea bag

175g SR flour

½ tsp bicarb soda

Pinch salt

½ tsp ground ginger

½ tsp cinnamon

100g caster sugar

170g honey

100ml vegetable oil

1 egg

Caramelised Apples

1 large firm and juicy apple such as a Granny Smith

50g caster sugar

15g unsalted butter

15ml apple cider vinegar

15ml vanilla extract

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp ginger

1-2 tbs boiling water, if needed 

 

To serve
1 tbs toasted flaked almonds

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C conventional. Grease and line a small bundt pan with baking paper.

Combine the boiling water and tea bag in a mug and allow to steep for a few minutes before draining the tea bag. Sift the flour, bicarb soda, salt and spices into a small bowl.

Combine the sugar, the honey and the egg in a mixing bowl. Add the oil and stir thoroughly until well combined. Add the flour mixture in thirds alternating with the still warm tea until all ingredients are combined and no lumps remain. 

 

 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated 180°C conventional oven for 25 minutes before rotating the tin, then bake for a further 20-25 minutes or until the cake feels springy to the touch and a tester inserted into the centre should come out clean.

Let cool 15 minutes before removing from the tin. Slide a knife around the edges to help loosen the cake if necessary and then transfer to a cooling rack while you prepare the apples.

Caramelised apples

Peel, halve and core the apple. Cut each half into slices that are about ¼ inch thick.

Heat a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the bottom of the pan and cook until it melts and turns a light amber colour. Carefully stir in the butter, vinegar, vanilla, and spices, as the caramel may splatter.

Add the apple slices and toss to coat with the caramel. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10-15 minutes, turning the apples occasionally. Try not to mush them too much. The apples should be slightly soft and caramel colored. If the caramel thickens too much, add a little boiling water before letting the apples cool in the pan. 

 

To serve, brush 1-2 tbs of the apple caramel over the top of the cake. Top the cake with the caramelized apple slices and then sprinkle over the almond flakes.

 

The honey cake tasted just as I remembered and was a hit with the neighbours. The caramelised apples were simply delicious and I can see I'll be making them again. As for the second cake I made, there is only 1 slice left and I admit to eating at least 3/4 of the loaf. 

 

See you all again next week with some more baking from my kitchen.

 

Bye for now,

 

Jillian