cook like james

Not only is this a great fall cake recipe, but it’s also perfect for Rosh Hashanah. Baked with traditional ingredients of apple and honey, this moist bundt cake is a great way to celebrate the Jewish New Year.

For the Honey Apple Cake:

3 large eggs

3/4 cup honey ( I use Nature Nate's Raw &Unfiltered Organic Honey)

1/4 cup white sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 1/4 cups canola oil

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp allspice

1/8 tsp ground cloves

4 Granny Smith or Gala apples (peeled, cored, and shredded)

GLAZE

1/3 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 12-cup Bundt pan with vegetable spray.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and spices; set aside
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs until they are frothy. Whisk in the honey, white sugar, brown sugar, oil and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture into the liquid, stir gently to blend until no pockets of flour remain, do not overmix. Fold in the shredded apples.
4. Pour batter into the pan and smooth top with rubber spatula.
5. Bake cake for 70-80 minutes. When the edges darken and just begins to pull fully away from the sides of the pan, and the cake browns all the way across the surface, insert a toothpick deep into the thickest part of the cake. If it comes out clean, it's done. It’s a very moist cake, so it’s easy to undercook it.
6. Let cake cook in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, and then invert on wire rack to cool.

GLAZE:

1. Heat honey and vanilla on microwave for 30 seconds to thin. Brush over warm cake and let cake rest about 1 hour before serving.

This makes a perfect side dish for Butter Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala, or Tandoori. Rinsing the rice is an important step which delivers a light and fluffy dish with grains that are separate and distinct.

Download Perfectly Spiced Indian-Style Basmati Rice recipe

1 ½ cups basmati rice

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 teaspoon cumin seeds

3 green cardamom pods, lightly crushed

3 whole cloves

2¼ cups water

1 cinnamon stick

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon table salt

*Note: For basmati rice with a bright yellow color, add ¼ teaspoon of ground turmeric and a pinch of saffron threads with the water in step 3.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place rice in fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until water runs clear. Place strainer over bowl and set aside.
2. Melt butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add cumin, cardamom, and cloves and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3. Add water, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, and salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until all water is absorbed, about 17 minutes. Let stand, covered, off heat for at least 10 minutes. Discard cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf. Fluff rice with fork and serve.