Jewish · Authentic-ish Jewish
Honey Cake
224 kcal a serving, against 397 for the traditional version. That is 173 kcal off, or 44%, with 6g of protein. Serves 8. 1 hour 30 minutes.
What the traditional version is
Classic honey cake is a one-bowl job: mix plain flour, eggs, honey, sugar, oil, a spice or three, and a splash of strong tea for good measure. It's dense, moist and keeps for days, thanks to all that honey and oil. Best runny with honey, don't stint.
What changed, and what each change costs
Swap out most of the oil for unsweetened apple
Apple sauce stands in for oil, bringing some moisture without all the calories. You won't get the same richness, but it keeps the crumb from turning to sawdust.
What it costs you. You lose the sticky, shiny crust and the cake doesn't keep for a week. Eat it in a day or two or it dries out fast.
Halved the honey
Honey is expensive in more ways than one. Halve it and you get a cake that's still sweet, but won't glue your tongue to the roof of your mouth. The apple helps a bit with sweetness, but don't expect the same whack of deep honeyed flavour.
What it costs you. Less honey, less punch. It's not a sugar rush, it's a more modest nod to the original.
Lowered the sugar
With honey already down, it felt fair to cut the sugar too. The cake is less tooth-achingly sweet but still recognisable as pudding.
What it costs you. If you like your honey cake to double as a glucose drip, you'll notice the difference. If you always scraped off the sticky bits, you'll be just fine.
Extra egg white for more structure and a bit more protein
The apple makes the cake more fragile, so an extra egg white helps it hang together. Also, a sneaky way to get a bit more protein in per slice.
What it costs you. The crumb is a bit spongier, but it's hardly a problem. Nobody comes to honey cake for the bounce.
Wholemeal flour for a quarter of the white
A bit of wholemeal bumps up the fibre and protein ever so slightly. It won't dominate the taste or turn things gritty.
What it costs you. You can see tiny flecks if you look for them. Most people won't notice unless they prod it with a torch.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 397 | 224 |
| Protein | 5.6g | 6g |
| Fat | 14.3g | 1.7g |
| Saturated fat | 2.1g | 0.5g |
| Carbohydrate | 63.1g | 47.7g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 1.4g | 2.7g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Jewish prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. gluten, eggs.
The method is in the book
If what you want is a glossy, sticky brick that can survive a month of Jewish hospitality, make the original. The version here is lighter, not as sticky, and won't flatten a passing child. The flavour is still there, the honey note still sings, but the dark crust and the keeping power are gone. It's not as good as the classic if you care about tradition or like your cakes best after a week. If you want a slice the same day and genuinely care about eating less sugar and fat, it's a fair trade. The third slice doesn't taste of guilt or regret, but you might want to make two and freeze one for next time.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Jewish, along with 52 more. It is not out yet. The swap kit is free in the meantime.