Apples and Honey Cake with Crumb Topping

With the New Year fast approaching, I try to come up with new ideas to refresh my holiday cooking. I have a different more traditional honey cake recipe on the blog but since I know there are many people who are ambivalent about honey cake, I decided to incorporate apples into it (but not so’s you notice, they are chopped very fine and they almost dissolve into the cake) and I love that since apples dipped in honey are one of the symbolic foods for a sweet New Year. (I am doing a post on symbolic foods too, stay tuned!).

What it turns out to be is not quite a honey cake and not quite an apple cake but gives you an almost caramelized deep flavor that even those who aren’t fans of apple cake or honey cake will embrace. I tested this out on my neighbors Lisa and Murray and on my grandson Noam and of course, DH and my mama. It was a hit. As is often the case with a honey cake, the next day the taste was deeper and richer. I bake this in two loaf pans and yes, they freeze well, so you can have one for Rosh Hashana and another for before the fast of Yom Kippur or for breaking the fast on something sweet. Or ya know, for whenever.

Now since it’s for the holiday, no complaining that it’s got a few steps, trust me, it’s worth it.

So, preheat your oven to 325 F/160 C. Yes, 325 F, NOT 350. I make a fuss about this since some bakers think their oven is stuck on 350 F. If you don’t do this, the cake will either burn before it’s fully baked or dry out, or both. Then gather your ingredients.

So put your flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in the bowl of the mixer.

Mix all together till combined.

Prepare your apples by peeling coring and slicing up somewhat, remember you will be putting them in a blender so don’t spend too much time chopping.

Now take a blender or food processor and put the oil in a measuring cup and pour in and after this, pour the honey in the oiled cup, this way it slides out into the blender. A note about the honey. Obviously if you can’t find any, no stress, but if you can, try to use unheated honey. What can I say? It’s literally a different food, the tastes cannot be compared and it shines through in whatever you use it in. (Just remember to warn any parents with children under the age of 1 year that the cake has honey in it!) K, now add the vanilla and the eggs,

and orange juice and scotch or other whiskey/bourbon. and blend. Then add apples and chop till fine bits but not disappeared or dissolved, you should see the bits, keep an eye on it.

K, pour this lot over the dry ingredients in the mixer bowl.

Mix thoroughly and scrape sides and bottom to make sure flour is incorporated but don’t overmix. Now prepare the crumb topping by mixing melted marg/butter with flour, sugar and cinnamon till crumbly and set aside.

Prepare the 2 loaf pans (9 x 5) by lightly spraying the bottom with oil spray and placing parchment paper on top (yup yup) of oil and molding to pan, tucking edges in like so:

Pour batter evenly distributing between the two loaf pans and sprinkling evenly with the crumb topping. 

There’s enough topping for a nice layer on top of both pans.  Some of this get absorbed into the cake but enough remains on top for a delightful crunch and beautiful topping.

Place cakes into hot oven (not TOO hot, remember, 325 F!) and bake for about 50 minutes (if your oven runs hot check after 45 minutes) or till richly browned and a wooden skewer/toothpick comes out completely clean, no mushy bits clinging to it.  Let cool completely on wire rack and when ready to serve, peel off parchment paper and place on lovely platter.  Serve with your finest Rosh Hashana dinner.  This stays moist and freezes well.

Apples and Honey Cake with Crumb Topping

Cake:

3 cups (375 grams) white flour
3/4 cup (150 grams) white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1 1/4  cups (300 ml) canola oil
3/4 cup (180 ml) honey 
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons scotch, whiskey, bourbon or orange liquor
3-4 tart apples, peeled, cored

Topping

6 tablespoons (65g) flour
3/4 cup (150 grams) white sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons (45 grams) melted butter/margarine

Directions:

Preheat oven to  325 F/160 C.

In a mixer place flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and mix till combined. Place oil in measuring cup and pour into blender/food processor. Spoon/pour honey into oiled cup and put in blender. Add eggs, orange juice and scotch and vanilla and pulse/blend together. Place sliced apples into blender and chop fine but don’t purée. Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients in the mixer, and mix till combined, scraping sides and bottom to be sure no pockets of flour remain. Prepare 2  (9 x 5 inch) loaf pans by lightly spraying with oil and pressing parchment paper to mold to the pans, tucking in the edges, and pour batter evenly into the two loaf pans. Now prepare topping by mixing flour, sugar, cinnamon and melted marg/butter till crumbly and sprinkle evenly over two cakes. Place in oven and bake approximately 50 minutes or till richly browned and wooden skewer comes out clean. Let cool completely in pans on wire racks. Remove from pan with parchment paper and carefully peel off paper when ready to serve.