Lekach (Ashkenazic Honey Cake)

The World of Jewish Cooking, p. 308

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour (or 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour and 1 cup whole-wheat flour)

2 teaspoons double-acting baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground allspice, cardamom, or ginger

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

½ teaspoon salt

4 large eggs, lightly beaten

1 ¼ cups granulated sugar or brown sugar

1 1/3 cups honey

1 cup strong hot brewed coffee or tea

¼ cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons whiskey, brandy, or thawed orange juice concentrate or apple juice concentrate

1 tablespoons grated orange zest (optional)

1 to 1 ½ cups raisins or chopped pitted dates, or ¾ cup each (optional)

Blanched whole almonds for garnish (optional)

Chai tasted nice in this recipe.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two 9-by-5-inch loaf pans, two 9-inch-square baking pans, or one 16-by-11-inch baking pan with waxed paper or aluminum foil, grease, and dust with flour.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Stir the honey into the coffee or tea (the honey incorporates the batter more easily when it is dissolved in a warm liquid). Add the oil, whiskey, brandy, or juice concentrate, and, if desired, zest.

Beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the honey mixture alternately in 3 parts with the flour mixture, starting and ending with the flour mixture. 

The math there didn't quite work out but that's ok.

If desired, stir in the raisins or dates.

Pour into the prepared pans. If desired, arrange the almonds in a pattern over the surface.

The big pan seemed like the easiest option.

Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour for the loaf pans, 35 minutes for the 9-inch-square pans, or 1 ¼ hours for the large pan. (If the cake looks like it is starting to burn before it is done, cover loosely with foil.) Let cool in the pans on a wire rack. Invert and remove the paper or foil. Wrap and store at room temperature or in the freezer. (Lekach keeps well and is even better after standing for a day.)

I took this to a potluck and then quickly realized that the plastic knife literally wasn't going to cut it. I had to ask the host for a big ol' metal chef's knife.

My Rating: 3/5 "If I were only rating the flavor this would get higher marks. It's a nice spice blend and the whiskey and tea and raisins give it a dark, rich flavor. The problem, though, is that this cake is hard as a rock. I was a little embarrassed that it was my potluck contribution. My partner was able to cut through it because he's stronger than I am, but I'm not sure how the people eating it reacted."