Description
This Rosh Hashanah honey cake recipe is spiced with warm cloves, promising a deeply fragrant, moist cake that signals comfort and new beginnings. It’s a family-friendly treat perfect for celebrating the Jewish New Year with hope and sweetness.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2.5 cups (300g) all-purpose flour
- 0.5 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 0.5 cup (100g) brown sugar
- 1 cup (340g) quality honey
- 2 large eggs
- 0.5 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (240ml) strong brewed coffee or tea
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 0.5 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1.5 teaspoons ground cloves
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 0.5 cup (50g) chopped walnuts or almonds, optional
Instructions
- Prep Your Pan: Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Thoroughly grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan or a large Bundt pan until fully coated, ensuring a clean release.
- Whisk Wet Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the honey, both sugars, eggs, oil, and brewed coffee or tea until the mixture is smooth and evenly combined.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and ground cloves. This step ensures an even distribution of leavening and spices, avoiding lumps.
- Mix Batter: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing gently with a spoon or spatula until just combined. Do not overmix. Stir in the orange zest and any optional chopped nuts.
- Bake: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared 9×13 inch pan. Bake for 60-75 minutes (or 50-60 minutes for a Bundt pan) or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown. If the cake appears dry or is browning too quickly, gently cover it loosely with aluminum foil for the remaining bake time.
- Cool: Let the finished cake cool in its pan for 15-20 minutes. Then, carefully invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
For a milder flavor, substitute apple juice for the brewed coffee. Adjust spice levels to your preference. If your cake sinks in the middle, it might have been overmixed, or the oven temperature was too low. If the cake is dry, you likely overbaked it; next time, check for doneness sooner by using the skewer test.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 70 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Jewish
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 80 g)
- Calories: 350 calories
- Sugar: 45 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 60 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg
Keywords: Rosh Hashanah, honey cake, spiced cake, cloves, holiday dessert, family recipe, baking, easy dessert, Jewish cuisine, moist cake