Apple Cider Honey Cake

Name: Apple Cider Honey Cake
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 12 to 14 servings
Cuisine: jewish
Ingredients: 2 pounds/910 grams Granny Smith apples (about 5 or 6 apples), peeled, cored and cut into medium chunks; 3/4 cup/150 grams light brown sugar; 4 tablespoons/56 grams unsalted butter, or use 1/4 cup/60 milliliters grapeseed or other neutral oil; 1/2 to 1 1/2 cups/118 to 355 milliliters apple cider; 3/4 cup/170 grams melted unsalted butter or 3/4 cup/177 milliliters olive oil, more for the pan; 2 1/2 cups/310 grams all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda; 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder; 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 3 large eggs; 3/4 cup/177 milliliters honey; 1/4 cup/60 milliliters whiskey; Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Recipe from Alex Levin

Adapted by Joan Nathan

Apple Cider Honey Cake — Gabriela Herman for The New York Times

Total Time: About 2 hours
Rating: 4(937)
Comments: Read comments

Alex Levin, the pastry chef of Osteria Morini in Washington, adapted this Rosh Hashana honey cake recipe from his grandmother, an accomplished baker, though he put his own touches on it. Mr. Levin took out the cloves, allspice and raisins, and added an apple cider compote to the batter, which moistens the cake and gives it a caramelized apple flavor that deepens the cake beyond honey and spice. With its combination of apples and honey, it's a lovely and symbolic finale for a New Year's celebration. —Joan Nathan

Featured in: Classic Rosh Hashana Desserts Get a Professional Upgrade

or to save this recipe.
Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
Subscribe
Share
Print Options
Include recipe photo

Ingredients

Yield:12 to 14 servings

For the Apple Cider Butter

2pounds/910 grams Granny Smith apples (about 5 or 6 apples), peeled, cored and cut into medium chunks
¾cup/150 grams light brown sugar
4tablespoons/56 grams unsalted butter, or use ¼ cup/60 milliliters grapeseed or other neutral oil
½ to 1½cups/118 to 355 milliliters apple cider

For the Cake

¾cup/170 grams melted unsalted butter or ¾ cup/177 milliliters olive oil, more for the pan
2½cups/310 grams all-purpose flour
1teaspoon salt
1½teaspoons baking soda
3½teaspoons baking powder
2teaspoons ground cinnamon
3large eggs
¾cup/177 milliliters honey
¼cup/60 milliliters whiskey
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy.

Preparation

Step 1
Prepare the apple cider butter: Combine apples, light brown sugar and butter or oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is reduced and appears soft and golden, 15 to 20 minutes.
Step 2
Let mixture cool slightly, then transfer to a large measuring cup and add enough apple cider to make 3 cups/710 milliliters. Transfer mixture to a food processor or blender and purée until smooth. (This can be made up to 1 day ahead.)
Step 3
Prepare the cake: Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 325 degrees. Generously grease a 10-inch Bundt pan.
Step 4
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.
Step 5
In another large bowl, whisk together eggs, prepared apple cider butter, honey, melted butter or oil and whiskey. Whisk in the dry ingredients until smooth.
Step 6
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes or until firm to the touch and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool for 30 minutes, then carefully unmold cake and let cool completely on a wire rack. Before serving, transfer cake to a platter and dust with confectioners’ sugar.

Ratings

4 out of 5

937 user ratings

Have you cooked this?

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Comments

VinXpert7 years ago

Alcohol does NOT completely burn off: "A study conducted by the US Dept. of Agriculture’s Nutrient Data Lab calculated % of alcohol remaining in a dish. % of Alcohol Retained in baked or simmered dishes WITH ALCOHOL STIRRED INTO the mixture:
•15 mins = 40%; •30 mins = 35%; •1 hr = 25%; •1.5 hrs = 20%; •2 hrs = 10%; •2.5 hrs = 5%.
Some alcohol remaining could be of significant concern to recovering alcoholics, parents & others who have ethical or religious reasons for avoiding alcohol.

Kristin7 years ago

Sadly, the 'cake' recipe followed accurately yielded a spongy disappointment. I think the ratio of flour to liquid (eggs and applesauce) and leavening (baking powder and soda) is incorrect.

Try another applesauce/spice cake recipe!

KC7 years ago

I would omit the "Cider" from the title of this recipe as it hardly even factors as an ingredient. I used a variety of windfall apples of varying sweetness and tartness and ended up with more than 3 cups of apple butter so technically no need of the cider. I followed the rest of the recipe to the letter and it came out perfectly. Dense, moist and earthy, closer to banana bread in crumb. If I make it again, I'll try Calvados (apple brandy) instead of the whiskey and add walnuts.

Laulani6 months ago

This cake is fantastic, just as written. I think the key, for the folks who had pudding-like results is to a) make sure you really cook down the fluids as you are caramelizing the apples and b) only add as much cider as you need to make up the 3 cups. It won’t be much. On a second bake, I swapped unrefined coconut sugar for light brown sugar because the birthday girl preferred it, and it turned out great — the coconut’s caramel notes are great in the cake. Overall, a keeper.

Olivia7 months ago

The cake was not very apple-forward. Mostly just spices and the whiskey came through a bit. Not a terrible cake, but not what I was looking for in an apple honey cake

Texture great flavor fine7 months ago

Tastes like a honey cake. It was very similar to the other honey cake I made this year that was a wine based cake. It’s a spice cake. It’s fine. It’s dairy free. Serve with some fruit to make it zing?

Private comments are only visible to you.