Honey Spice Cake (Lekach)

Perfumed with honey and citrus, this spiced cake is a classic at Jewish holiday tables. To make this recipe pareve for meat meals, replace the butter for greasing the pan with canola oil.

butter, for greasing pan
2¾ cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. ground allspice
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sea salt
1 cup sugar
6 eggs, separated
1 cup Canola oil
1 cup pure honey
¼ cup orange juice, freshly squeezed
2 Tbsp. orange zest, freshly grated
2 Tbsp. Grand Marnier
1 ½ cups confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C/140°C fan, Gas Mark 3). Grease and flour a 4 qt Bundt pan; set aside.

Whisk together flour, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, baking powder and soda, and salt in a bowl; set aside. Beat ¾ cup sugar and egg yolks in a bowl on medium-high speed of a mixer until tripled in volume, about 4 minutes. Stir in oil, pure honey, 2 Tbsp. juice, zest, and Grand Marnier. Add dry; stir until just combined.

Beat egg whites in a bowl on high speed of a mixer until soft peaks form. Add remaining sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Fold whites into batter. Pour into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of cake comes out clean, about 60 minutes. Let cool and invert onto a serving plate. Whisk remaining juice with confectioners' sugar; drizzle over cake.

Makes 10-12 servings.