Honey Cake for a Sweet New Year

It's Rosh Hashanah, that time of year where we celebrate the beginning of a sweet new year with honey soaked treats. I thought it was the perfect time to try out a "Honey Tea Cake" recipe from on of my favorite cookbooks: "Miette, recipes from San Francisco's most charming pastry shop." Eric and I brought this cake, along with a giant spinach lasagna, to our lovely friends who just had an adorable baby boy! I can think of no better way to celebrate the new year than meeting a brand new baby and breaking bread (lasagna) with good friends.

At the dinner table with adorable baby Cooper!

First, a note about "Miette" by Meg Ray. The book has a wonderful section entitled "Cake-Baking Essentials." I read through these pages before baking the honey cake, and it came out fluffier and more perfect than any cake I've made to date. Here are some of the cake-baking tips I've collected from this book, and throughout my baking trials and tribulations:

• Greasing the pan to perfection: Liberally butter your baking pan and coat it with all-purpose flour. Flip the pan upside down and tap out any excess flour. This technique will help ensure that the cake doesn't stick to your pan.
• Don't open the oven during baking: This is a tip I need to remind myself of over and over again. I'm always tempted to take a peek at my cakes, but opening the oven could result in the dome sinking, along with your hopes and dreams of a perfectly shaped cake. If you need to peek, turn the oven light on.
• Pay attention to mixing speeds: If a recipe calls for a batter to be mixed on medium speed for two minutes, set the mixer to medium speed and set your timer for two minutes. This kind of attention to detail will help ensure that your mixture has enough air in it. Want a fluffy cake? Use an oven timer.

These are just a few of the many tips I've picked up along my baking journey. I'll make sure to post more in future posts. Just another reason to stay tuned to the Sweetest Years! Now, on with the Honey Cake.

Honey Cake:

This recipe makes two 8 inch loaves.

Ingredients:

• 2 and 2/3 cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 8 large egg yolks
• 2 large whole eggs
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 and 1/2 cups of sugar
• 1 cup plus 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup of honey, warmed and combined with 2 tablespoons of water to make a syrup

Note: This cake is all about the honey! I chose to use a wildflower honey, but if you prefer a more herbaceous flavor, stick with a clover honey. Quality is key, so make your decision carefully.

Directions:

1. Prepare your pans (see "greasing the pans to perfection" above).  

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl.
3. In another bowl, combine egg yolks, whole eggs, cream and vanilla.
4. Fit your mixer with a paddle attachment and mix the dry ingredients with the sugar. Combine on medium for 30 seconds. Turn speed to low, add butter and half of the wet ingredients, and beat for approximately two minutes. Increase speed to medium-high and mix for 2 minutes (this makes the mixture fluffy!). Turn the speed to low, add the rest of the egg mixture, and beat until just combined, about two to three minutes longer.
5. Pour the mixture evenly into your two pans and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The tops should be golden. I didn't have any toothpicks on hand, so I inserted a chopstick into the loaves and made sure it came out clean without any batter on it! This creates an ugly hole in the top of your cake, so buy some toothpicks!
   

   

   My baker's helper, Penny Lane Rosen, smelled something delicious and thought maybe she could sneak some honey tea cake of her own!

   
   
6. Immediately pour the syrup onto the loaves and let them sit for 20 minutes. Then transfer them to wire racks and give them another 20 minutes to cool. 

Eric combined this buttery cake with vanilla greek frozen yogurt. He combines everything with ice cream...everything.

Quote from the U.S. Copyright Office: 

“Mere listings of ingredients as in recipes, formulas, compounds, or prescriptions are not subject to copyright protection. However, when a recipe or formula is accompanied by substantial literary expression in the form of an explanation or directions, or when there is a combination of recipes, as in a cookbook, there may be a basis for copyright protection.”

As such, I have not posted the precise "explanation or directions" from the Miette book. The directions and photos represent my own experience creating this recipe.