My mother once explained to me that no one in our family likes honey cake because honey cake is essentially the fruitcake of Judaism. It is the obligatory food that you bring to your Rosh Hashana dinner hosts.
That being said, I love honey cake. I enjoy the dense cake (albeit, I only eat it once a year) with the subtle sweetness, and it’s even better with a cup of coffee!
This recipe is an update to the classic honey cake! It is gluten free and laced with figs, light and fluffy, and is sure to be the star of your Rosh Hashana dessert table!
5 Tablespoons melted butter
3 Eggs
⅓ Cup honey
1 ½ Cups almond flour
½ Teaspoon baking powder
1 Teaspoon lemon zest (can also use orange zest)
½ Teaspoon almond extract
Figs, quartered
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit.
Using spray oil, oil a 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom. If you don’t have one you can use a pie dish or a regular cake pan. Sprinkle almond flour over the oil to ensure that the cake does not stick.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, honey, almond extract, and melted butter until combined. (when melting the butter I let it brown to get a nuttier flavor. You can do this by cooking until you hear the sizzling stop and see the solid fat on the bottom.)
Once the wet ingredients are combined, mix in the almond flour, baking powder, and lemon zest until just combined. DO NOT OVERMIX! The cake will get gummy.
Arrange the quartered figs on top of the cake in any pattern you would like. Bake for 30 minutes.
When the cake comes out of the oven drizzle honey over the top of it while it’s still warm and spread with a pastry brush.
Let cool and enjoy!
