Rose’s Legendary Honey Cake

I found this recipe handwritten in my grandmother’s recipe notebook. It’s a traditional Jewish honey cake (lekach) from Eastern Europe, made with coffee and whiskey, but quite different from the usual Jewish holiday honey cake—lighter in color and texture, with a tender, spongy crumb—perfect with a cup of coffee. As with many Jewish holiday dessert recipes, it contains no dairy products, so it can be served after a meal containing meat.