Apple Honey Cake

Fall has arrived and I’ve neglected my blog :(. Though I do post often on instagram so you can catch me there. The summer was pretty busy and I got to visit really great places and I’ll share that in another post.

In Houston, one day it’s 100 degrees and humid and the next it’s 84 with clear skies, hello fall! Unfortunately, it doesn’t last long but we do get to take advantage of comforting recipes. Especially for Rosh Hashana where we celebrate a sweet new year with apples and honey. This apple and honey cake is the perfect, almost coffee cake like end to a filling meal.

My mom distributed recipes to most guests to help her prepare for this meal. I got the apple honey cake though I assume it’s because I’m the only one who went to pastry school and I enjoy a good challenge. It’s surprisingly easy to make and it looks gorgeous once you’ve cascaded the apples around the raw dough.

To me, quality ingredients are key. I opted for organic honeycrisp apples and they held their crispness and didn’t get soggy- the best baking apple. I will definitely make this recipe again but I may add a bit more ginger or even cardamom for a kick.

Print Recipe

Apple Honey Cake

adapted from The New York Times recipe

Servings

Ingredients

For the Cake

• ½ cup unsalted butter plus butter for greasing pan
• 1 ½ cups all purpose flour plus flour for dusting pan
• ½ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon sugar for sprinkling apples
• ¼ cup raw honey
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 2 ounces candied ginger diced
• ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 medium apples peeled and quartered
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

For the Glaze

• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup honey
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Servings Ingredients For the Cake ½ cup unsalted butter plus butter for greasing pan 1 ½ cups all purpose flour plus flour for dusting pan ½ cup sugar 1 tablespoon sugar for sprinkling apples ¼ cup raw honey 3 eggs 1 tablespoon grated ginger 2 ounces candied ginger diced ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest ½ teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons baking powder 3 medium apples peeled and quartered 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon For the Glaze ¼ cup sugar ¼ cup honey 3 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions

Make the Cake

1. Heat oven to 325 degrees and position a rack in the middle of the oven. Butter and flour a 9-inch cake pan, preferably a springform pan.
2. With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar, then add honey and whip for 1 minute, until fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, until well incorporated, then whip for 2 minutes. Stir in grated ginger, candied ginger, and lemon zest.
3. Whisk together flour, cinnamon, salt and baking powder and add to bowl, mixing briefly to make a stiff batter. Pour batter into prepared pan.
4. With a paring knife, cut slits in each of the apple quarters on the rounded, outer part of the wedge, slicing partway through at 1/8-inch intervals. Arrange apple quarters slit-side-up over the batter. Sprinkle surface with 1 tablespoon sugar.
5. Place cake pan on a baking sheet and put on middle rack of oven. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until an inserted skewer emerges dry. (It took about 52 minutes for me) If cake is browning too rapidly, tent with foil until done. Cool on a rack, then carefully unmold.

Make the Glaze

1. Put sugar, honey and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved and mixture bubbles, about 2 minutes. Paint surface of cake and apples with warm glaze. Cake will keep for several days, tightly wrapped, at room temperature.