Honey Cake (Lekach)

This honey cake is a recipe I searched for for a very long time — the kind of cake that stays with you after the first bite. It reminds me of the dark, aromatic, slightly spiced honey cake I once tried in Israel. This traditional cake, called “lekach,” is usually made for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. It’s rich, deeply flavored, and beautifully fragrant with honey and warm spices. I was lucky to find this version after moving to Canada, thanks to Shifra, an Israeli friend who shared both the cake and its recipe with me 

Ingredients (makes 2 cakes, 10×25 cm each)

• 1 tbsp instant coffee

• 1 cup boiling water (240 ml)

• 3 eggs

• 1 1/3 cups dark honey

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil (120 ml)

• 3/4 cup sugar (190 g)

• 2 tsp vanilla

• 3 cups flour (375 g)

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp nutmeg

Steps

1. Dissolve the coffee in boiling water and let cool to room temperature

2. Lightly whisk the eggs

3. Add the honey, oil, sugar, and vanilla and mix well

4. Pour in the cooled coffee and mix

5. Add the dry ingredients and mix until smooth

6. Bake in a preheated oven at 170°C (340°F) for 45–50 minutes