Honey Cake 2014

Lekach 2014

(Honey Cake)

Adapted from The Complete American-Jewish Cookbook by Blue Heron Kitchen

For Janet

Recently, my dear friend, Janet sent a package of interesting and old books, food-related, that she’d acquired. This recipe comes from one of them. The book, The Complete American-Jewish Cookbook, published in 1952 by The Homemakers Research Group, is browned at the edges with curled pages and black and white photos. The book is wonderful. It is ‘scholarly’, defining the laws of kashruth, with a handy glossary of “special Yiddish terms” like “brith millah”, the ritual circumcision that takes place on the eighth day after birth and “synagogue”. For Jews (and probably for many folks who follow a religion) food accompanies pain and suffering. #eatingdisorder #comfort

Other, more positive terms are in the glossary, such as “arba kosot”, the four cups of wine you drink at every seder, “balabusta”, an efficient housewife, and my fave, “beryah”, a “jewel” of a homemaker.

The Yiddish term “lekach” made it into this little glossary. Mazel Tov!

I like “Golden Blossom” brand honey. If you can’t find it, use a light honey.

I like this recipe because it doesn’t call for that hot coffee or tea ingredient. (However, it’s interesting that at the end of this recipe, the editor adds a “variation” for a more “economical cake”, reducing the eggs from 6 to 4 and adding ½ cup of hot coffee or hot tea, diluting the honey with the hot liquid, a convention in so many honey cake recipes.) In fact, your recipe may call for this technique!

When I see a recipe calling for six eggs, I have a panic attack that I’m going to have to separate them and separately whip the whites. Not this one. You’ll beat whole eggs for about five minutes in an electric mixer.

Old Eastern European recipes called for rye flour (wheat flour “back then” was expensive and rye flour made a toothsome and heavy cake that was baked slowly for hours.) This one calls for pastry or cake flour. Nice.

One reason why honey cake is always on the dry side is because nobody adds the dried fruit and nuts. Add them. They'll keep the cake (relatively) moist (and add flavor.) Get some good quality citron (Italian markets .. try Eataly, Chelsea Market, Arthur Ave. or any good Italian market. Get a schtickle (a little piece) of candied citron .. not the gooey stuff.) It’ll last forever and you’ll have it for the winter months when your cakes and other confections call for dried fruit.

There’s so much bitterness in the world. Just make some cake. Eat some. Share the rest.

peace and love,

jane

Lekach

Ingredients:

3 ½ c. cake or pastry flour, scooped and leveled

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. ground allspice

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

½ tsp. ground cloves

6 eggs, size large, room temperature

1 c. granulated white sugar

1 c. honey (coat liquid measuring cup with oil for an easy pour)

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil (Canola is good)

2 Tbsp. brandy (good quality)

½ c. raisins (organic, if possible)

½ c. chopped nuts (almonds, toasted, cooled, chopped – or walnuts, pecans, your choice.)

¼ c. chopped citron

Procedure:

Mis en place:

Prepare a tube pan with a removable bottom by coating it with oil. Cut out a piece of parchment paper and line the bottom and coat the top of that too. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 300º F.

In a large bowl, measure flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices and whisk together.

Measure out your honey.

In a small bowl, combine dried fruit and nuts and mix together.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat eggs until combined.

Gradually add the sugar and mix for approximately 5 minutes (KA speed #5) with paddle or beater blade.

Add honey and oil and beat until combined.

Add brandy and fruit and nut mixture and mix until combined.

Dump in flour mixture and beat well until just combined.

Transfer batter to prepared tube pan and bake in preheated oven for approximately 1 hour (more or less, depending on your oven), in the center of the oven, until cake is golden and toothpick comes out clean.

Invert pan until cake is cold.

Like all cakes that have strong, aromatic spices, this cake will taste better after a day or two (or three).

After cake is completely cool, wrap well. 

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