What bracha does one say on cake made with a yeast dough and a filling such as fruit, cinnamon-sugar, etc. The dough (home-made) contains flour, yeast, liquid, eggs, and more sugar or honey than bread or challa dough. Is it hamotzi or mezonot? If it is made with fruit juice, does that ensure it being mezonot? What determines whether it is hamotzi?

In general there is a dispute between the Ashkenazi and Sefardi Poskim in relation to defining Mezonot and HaMotzi. The Sefardim define by 'taste', if there is a sweet taste - the bracha is Mezonot, If not then it is HaMotzi. The Sefardim have no regard for quantity of sugar, honey, or fruit juice. The Ashkenazim on the other hand, define by quanity and not by taste. If there is more sugar/oil/fruitjuice than water - the bracha is Mezonot. However if there is majority water - the bracha is HaMotzi. (As a clarification: When I mention fruit juice it is referring to 100% fruit juice and not to concentrate which has water added to it, whereby the water added would not be of concequence). All of the above is correct for cake where there is no filling of fruits, nuts etc. Though if the cake is filled with these things then even if the dough itself is defined (using the definitions mentioned above) as HaMotzi the bracha will be Mezonot. B'teiavon! Rabbi Baruch Kitay