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Gluten Free Jewish Honey Cake (Lekach)
A dense, moist loaf packed with warm spices, strong coffee, fiery brandy and sweet honey. Lekach is rich with all the right notes.
A dense, moist loaf packed with warm spices, strong coffee, fiery brandy and sweet honey. Lekach is rich with all the right notes.
Traditionally made for Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) to symbolise the hope for a sweet new year, Lekach also makes for a brilliant autumn bake. This spiced honey cake is chock full of seasonal flavours, from cinnamon, ginger and allspice to currants and almonds. And besides, what could be more warming in the colder months than a cake with coffee and booze? Our honey cake recipe is not only gluten free but, like many traditional Jewish recipes, is dairy free too, so almost everyone can enjoy it. Best made a couple of days in advance as it grows more moist and flavoursome with time.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease a rectangular oven dish (or deep baking tray) or line it with baking paper.
- Mix the sieved flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and the pimento in a large bowl.
- Add the chopped nuts and sultanas and stir.
- Dissolve the honey in lukewarm coffee, add the brandy.
- Whisk the eggs with the vegetable oil in a large bowl, stir in the ginger jam.
- Combine the coffee-honey mixture and the egg-oil-ginger mixture to the dry ingredients and stir together.
- Pour the batter into the oven dish and bake for approx. 35 minutes.
- Allow the cake to cool and then cut into squares.
- Dust with icing sugar and serve.