Honey-Spice Cake (Lekach)

Name: Honey-Spice Cake (Lekach)
Total time: PT0D0H0M
Yield: serves 10-12
Ingredients: Butter, for greasing pan; 2 3 ⁄ 4 cups flour, plus more for pan; 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon; 2 tsp. ground allspice; 2 tsp. ground ginger; 1 tsp. baking powder; 1 tsp. baking soda; 1 tsp. kosher salt; 1 cup sugar; 6 eggs, separated; 1 cup canola oil; 1 cup honey; 1 ⁄ 4 cup fresh orange juice; 2 tbsp. orange zest; 2 tbsp. Grand Marnier; 1 1 ⁄ 2 cups confectioners' sugar

Serves
serves 10-12

TODD COLEMAN

Perfumed with honey and citrus, this spiced cake is a classic at Jewish holiday tables. To make this recipe pareve for meat meals, replace the butter for greasing the pan with canola oil. This recipe first appeared in our October 2011 issue along with Katie Robbins's story Season of Rejoicing.

Ingredients

Butter, for greasing pan
2 ³⁄₄ cups flour, plus more for pan
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. ground allspice
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup sugar
6 eggs, separated
1 cup canola oil
1 cup honey
¹⁄₄ cup fresh orange juice
2 tbsp. orange zest
2 tbsp. Grand Marnier
1 ¹⁄₂ cups confectioners' sugar

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Instructions

Step 1

Heat oven to 325°. Grease and flour a 4-qt. Bundt pan; set aside. Whisk together flour, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, baking powder and soda, and salt in a bowl; set aside. Beat 3⁄4 cup sugar and egg yolks in a bowl on medium-high speed of a mixer until tripled in volume, about 4 minutes. Stir in oil, honey, 2 tbsp. juice, zest, and Grand Marnier. Add dry ingredients; stir until just combined.

Step 2

Beat egg whites in a bowl on high speed of a mixer until soft peaks form. Add remaining sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Fold whites into batter. Pour into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of cake comes out clean, about 60 minutes. Let cool and invert onto a serving plate. Whisk remaining juice with confectioners' sugar; drizzle over cake.

Heat oven to 325°. Grease and flour a 4-qt. Bundt pan; set aside. Whisk together flour, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, baking powder and soda, and salt in a bowl; set aside. Beat 3⁄4 cup sugar and egg yolks in a bowl on medium-high speed of a mixer until tripled in volume, about 4 minutes. Stir in oil, honey, 2 tbsp. juice, zest, and Grand Marnier. Add dry ingredients; stir until just combined.
Beat egg whites in a bowl on high speed of a mixer until soft peaks form. Add remaining sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Fold whites into batter. Pour into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of cake comes out clean, about 60 minutes. Let cool and invert onto a serving plate. Whisk remaining juice with confectioners' sugar; drizzle over cake.