APPLE KUCHEN WITH HONEY AND GINGER (for eight to ten)

For the cake:

½ cup unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pan

1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for sprinkling the apples

¼ cup raw honey

3 eggs

1 tablespoon grated ginger

2 ounces candied ginger, diced

½ teaspoon grated lemon zest. 

½ teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

3 medium apples (preferably Granny Smiths), peeled and quartered

For the glaze:

¼ cup sugar

¼ cup honey

3 tablespoons lemon juice

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1.   Make the cake:  Heat oven to 325* and position a tack in the middle of the oven. Butter and flour a 9 inch cake pan, preferably a springform pan. 

2.  With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar, then add honey and whip for 1 minute, until fluffy.  Beat in eggs one at a time, until well incorporated, then whip for 2 minutes.  Stir in grated ginger, candied ginger and lemon zest.

3.   Whisk together flour, salt and baking powder and add to bowl, mixing briefly to make a stiff batter.  Pour batter into prepared pan.

4.  With a paring knife, cut slits in each of the apple quarters on the rounded, outer part of the wedge, slicing partway through at 1/8 inch intervals.  Arrange apple quarters slit side up over the batter.  Sprinkle surface with 2 tablespoons sugar.

5.   Place cake on a baking sheet and put on the middle rack of the oven.  Bake for 50 minutes to an hour, or until the cake is nicely browned and an inserted skewer emerges dry.  If cake is browning too rapidly, tent with foil until done.  Cool on a rack, then carefully unmold.

6.   Make the glaze:  Put sugar, honey and lemon juice in a small pan over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved and mixture bubbles, bout 2 minutes.  Paint surface of cake and apples with warm glaze.  Cake will keep for several days, tightly wrapped at room temperature.

adapted from David Tanis, the New York Times