Gluten-Free Honey Cake for Rosh Hashanah

NOTE (9/10/07): See updated pareve (dairy-free) update of this recipe with photographs here. Please note that Pamela's baking mixes are under kosher supervision but are not certified by a mainstream kosher certifying agency, so most people who keep strictly kosher kitchens will want to use another gluten-free baking mix. I no longer use Pamela's products in my house since I now have a more strictly kosher kitchen. If in doubt, check with your rabbi!

--
I couldn't find a gluten-free honey cake recipe, so I created one myself. And I'm posting it here so I can be sure to find it next year when Rosh Hashanah rolls around. Wish I'd taken pictures of it before I gobbled it up. You can also find it on RecipeZaar here.

This is a rich, moist gluten-free honey cake infused with the essence of orange. This recipe uses Pamela's Ultimate Baking & Pancake Mix, a widely available kosher gluten-free mix that contains no added sugar. It's available at Whole Foods, and in the East Bay I've found it at Berkeley Bowl and Piedmont Grocery... You can also buy it more cheaply (and in larger quantities) here. If you use a different GF flour mix, you will need to add additional baking powder and xanthan gum. For this recipe, a 9" round cake pan is ideal but a 9x13" square pan can be used if necessary.

Gluten-Free Honey Cake (Traditional for Rosh Hashanah)

3/4 cup turbinado sugar or white sugar
1 cup honey
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup applesauce
4 eggs
2 teaspoons grated orange zest
1 cup orange juice
3 cups Pamela's Ultimate Baking and Pancake Mix (Gluten-Free)
1 1/2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. Cover the bottom of a 9" circular baking pan with parchment paper, then spray the inside of the pan lightly with baking spray.

3. Stir together the flour mix, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

4. Separate the eggs. In one bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. In another bowl, combine egg yolks, sugar, honey, oil, applesauce and orange zest.

5. Using a whisk or hand beater, add the flour mixture and orange juice to the wet mixture slowly. When mixed thoroughly, fold the egg whites carefully into the batter, stirring just until ingredients are fully combined.

6. Pour batter into pan, and bake in the preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake's center comes out with just a few crumbs on it. Remove from oven and allow to cool before carefully removing from pan and placing onto a cooling rack.