Apple Cake with Honey Glaze

Posted on October 6th, 2016

Apples & honey are a traditional Rosh Hashanah element, symbolizing a hope for a sweet new year.  Brisket was a challenge, but sweetness is something this girl can handle.  And sometimes, the pieces fall into place and you just get it right.  I’ve made a fair number of cakes in my day, and I definitely rank this in the top 3.  Serious business!  Of course, apples are also a key part of baking in autumn in general, so I’m sharing the recipe with you so that you, too, can buy your friends’ love with through food.

I technically started the cake the day before when I made my own applesauce— one of my favorite fall pastimes– but (not to be all Ina Garten about it), store bought is also totally fine.  It seems like a long list of ingredients that you might not always think of working naturally together, but the result was a gorgeous and full flavor profile and just the right texture.  Grating apples is a bit unconventional, but I’ve had awesome results with it this month, and chopping the additional apples still gives you that big classic fruity bite while maintaining the flavor and moisture throughout.

Ingredients

3 eggs, room temperature

1 generous cup vegetable oil

1/2 heaping cup applesauce

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup orange juice

2 cups white sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Dash of salt

3 cups AP flour

1 cup shredded coconut

1 cup chopped pecans

2 Grannysmith apples, grated

2 Grannysmith apples, chopped

1 cup confectioners sugar

3 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons honey

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Using a stand mixer, beat eggs, and then add the remaining wet ingredients.  Stir, and add sugar, baking soda, and spices.  Add in the flour, 1 cup at a time, until just mixed.  Fold in coconut, pecans, and apples, and pour into a well-greased Bundt pan.  Bake until a cake tester comes out clean– about 1 hour and 15 minutes.  For glaze: stir 3 tablespoons of milk and 2 tablespoons of honey into 1 cup of confectioners sugar.  Coat cake after it has been cooling for about thirty minutes.

This cake bakes low and long, and I covered the top with tinfoil after about an hour to make sure the edges didn’t burn.  As always, I’m a huge fan of the Bundt pan in that it makes cakes look good without you having to do anything.  A little haphazard drizzling was all it took to finish it off!  This recipe produces a meaningful amount, which is lucky since you’ll be able to feed your guests while still having leftovers for yourself to enjoy all week long.  Speaking from personal experience, naturally.