Makes two 9″ x 9″ cakes.
Prep time: 30 mins | Cooking time: 1 – 1½h
Many hold that the Rosh Hashanah seder should begin with the traditional apple dipped in honey or sugar, but we feel that this cake should be an ‘also’, rather than an ‘instead of’, and have saved our ode to apple and honey for the end. Deliciously moist and warmly spiced, it is a perfect way to end your festive meal, and just as great served with a cup of tea the next day – if it lasts that long!
Ingredients
- 6 Granny Smith Apples
- 225g Honey
- 225g Date Syrup
- 250g Golden Caster Sugar
- 1 tbsp Caster Sugar
- 150ml Sunflower Oil
- 600g Self-raising Flour
- 5 Eggs
- 300ml Hot Water
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- ½ tsp Ground Ginger
- ½ tsp Mixed Spice
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- ½ tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
- 2 tbsp Margarine
Method
- Preheat your oven to 190°C / 170°C fan (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F)
- Measure out your ingredients and grease your two cake tins with margarine. This will help enormously when the time comes to bring everything together!
- Into the smaller of your two mixing bowls, sift together the flour, baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ginger and ½ tsp mixed spice, and set aside.
- Into the larger mixing bowl pour the honey, date syrup, sugar and oil.
- Add the bicarbinate of soda to the 300ml water. It will bubble a little. Give it a stir, then add the water to the honey mixture in the large bowl.
- Use a whisk to mix all the wet ingredients, ensuring that the sugar has fully dissolved into the mixture.
- Add 5 eggs to the mixture, and beat in.
- Slowly start adding the dry ingredients to the liquid ones whilst whisking, making sure all the flour is incorporated at each stage. You may find an electric whisk easier than a balloon whisk at this point.
- Set aside the batter and mix 1 tbsp cinnamon and 1 tbsp sugar in a bowl,
- Peel and core the apples, and slice them into thin wedges (approx 5-7mm thick.
- Toss the apples in the cinnamon and sugar, then layer on the bottom of your greased cake tins in an overlapping pattern.
- Ladle or pour half the batter into each tin, and bake for 1 – 1½ hours.
- After 45 mins, check on the cake, and, if browning, you may wish to loosely cover the cakes to prevent them burning.
- The cake is cooked when a skewer comes out dry from the cake and it is firm to the touch.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
- When cooled, turn out onto a plate and serve.
Store in a cool, dry place wrapped in foil or in a metal cake tin for up to 5 days.
(Image Credit: Sophy Weiss Photography)
