This gluten-free, dairy-free recipe for honey cake is adapted from Joan Nathan’s The Jewish Holiday Cookbook. Honey cake is only as good as the honey you use. For this occasion, buy the best you can afford. Plan to bake this ahead and let it age slightly – about 24 hours for best flavor.
(Makes two small cakes or one large bundt or one loaf) (prep time about 20 minutes plus baking)
Gluten Free Honey Cake
Servings
Ingredients
- 55 grams Spectrum solid vegetable shortening scant 1/3 cup
- 100 grams granulated sugar 1/2 cup
- 180 grams egg 3 extra-large whole eggs
- 325 grams good quality honey about 1 cup
- Zest from 1 Lemon
- Zest from 1 Orange
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon dark Rum
- 300 grams GF AP Flour 150 superfine brown rice flour, 75 grams each superfine white rice flour and tapioca starch/flour (2 1/3 cups)
- 1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9.5×5 inch loaf pan or two small Bundt pans (3 cup) or one regular 10 inch sized Bundt pan with high heat baking spray. Set aside.
- Weigh shortening and sugar in a stand mixer bowl. Bend together until light and fluffy. Scrape down sides as needed. Add the eggs and mix on medium high until well blended. In a small bowl weigh honey and mix in zests, vanilla and Rum. Add to the stand mixer and blend thoroughly.
- In a small bowl, whisk to combine flour with espresso powder, cocoa, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and blend thoroughly. Turn mixer on medium high and let it mix for two minutes.
- Scrape down sides with a spatula and fold until all the dry matter is incorporated. Pour batter (or scrape batter is more like it) into the prepared pan(s).
- Bake about 20 minutes and rotate. Bake about 18-24 minutes more and keep an eye on the cake. Remove as soon as a toothpick comes out with a few clingy crumbs. Don’t over-bake the cake because it will dry out. Cool for a minute or two and then invert on a rack and cool completely. Wrap cooled cake and let the flavors fuse at least 24 hours before serving for best results.
The best quality honey is one that is pure honey so start by just checking the ingredients to make sure it is 100% honey
How exactly do I figure out which honey is better quality?
I just came across this again and, I think, I should put parchment paper, buttered, with sides hanging over the pan to lift it out fully, in one piece. I will let you know.
I am not familiar with this recipe as it was posted before I joined the team. I will try and get back with you. Sometimes gluten free cakes are tricky to put together and I have not looked at this recipe before.
This just wouldn’t bake through, even though I have a well calibrated oven. This has happened to me before when baking gluten free. Could it be that I used a loaf pan? I weigh everything. So annoying. Need some advice, lol l.
This recipes is meant for those needing gluten free, if you can handle regular flour I would try a different recipe.
I am allergic to brown rice flour, superfine white rice flour and tapioca starch/flour Rice and tapioca make my throat and tongue swell What is it with regular white floor ? Gluten free doesn’t work for me