Moist Rosh Hashana (new Year) Honey Cake

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
• 4 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon clove
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 cup whiskey (optional)
• 3 eggs, slightly beaten
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup honey (i usually go with wild clover, but whatever's available, go for the thickest honey)
• 1 cup oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup black tea, strong (i've used earl grey each time) or 1 cup coffee
• 1/2 cup orange juice (bottled or fresh-squeezed is fine, but fresh-squeezed has worked best for me)
• 1 orange, zest (optional)

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350°f if you're using black or dark-colored pans, reduce to 325°f.
• 2 prepare a 10 inch bundt pan, or tube pan, or 3 8" x 41/2â€? loaf pans.
• 3 grease and flour the bottoms of the pans - better yet, use baking parchment paper to line the bottoms of the pans: it makes getting your cake out in one piece easier!
• 4 mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl or the bowl of your electric mixer.
• 5 add wet ingredients and mix until well combined.
• 6 pour slowly into prepared pans to avoid bubbles.
• 7 tap pans against counter to free any bubbles.
• 8 bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• 9 let the cake stand for at lease 15 minutes before you try and get it out of the pan.
• 10 invert it on a wire rack and cool completely.
• 11 wrap tightly in wax-paper, and then in foil to keep.
• 12 this is one of those cakes that gets better the longer you let it sit; if you can make it 3 days in advance, that's actually ideal. it is also delicious right away.