Honey Cake for Rosh Hashanah

A moist, spiced Jewish honey cake made with honey, brown sugar, coffee, orange and cinnamon, baked in two loaves for a sweet new year. Made with oil, so it is pareve.

VegetarianDairy-free

Contains: egg, tree nuts, wheat. Based on the ingredients as written; check package labels, which can change.

  • Prep 20 min
  • Cook 1 hr
  • Total 1 hr 20 min
  • Yield 2 loaves, about 20 slices
  • Level Easy

Updated

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Sliced loaf of dark, moist Jewish honey cake with almonds for Rosh Hashanah

Honey cake is the traditional sweet of Rosh Hashanah, served for a sweet new year alongside apples dipped in honey. A good one is moist, dark and fragrant with spice, not dry and crumbly.

Strong coffee and orange juice deepen the honey flavor and keep the cake from tasting only sweet. Oil instead of butter keeps it pareve, so it can follow a brisket dinner, and it tastes even better the next day, so bake it ahead.

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven. Heat the oven to 325°F. Grease two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pans and line the bottoms and long sides with a strip of parchment paper.
  2. Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in a bowl.
  3. Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk the honey, oil, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until smooth. Whisk in the coffee, orange juice and zest.
  4. Combine. Add the dry ingredients and whisk just until smooth, with no streaks of flour. The batter is thin and pourable; that is what makes the cake moist.
  5. Bake. Pour the batter into the pans and sprinkle the tops with almonds, if using. Bake 55 to 65 minutes, until the tops spring back when pressed and a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Honey browns quickly, so lay a sheet of foil loosely over the pans after 35 minutes.
  6. Cool and rest. Cool in the pans 15 minutes, then lift out by the parchment and cool completely on a rack. For the best flavor, wrap the loaves and let them rest overnight before slicing.

Tips

  • Oil the measuring cup before measuring the honey and it slides right out.
  • The flavor and texture improve after a day, so it is the perfect make-ahead holiday dessert.
  • For a 9 x 13-inch pan, bake 40 to 50 minutes.

Storage and leftovers

Make ahead Freezer-friendly

Wrap tightly and keep at room temperature up to 5 days; it is best after the first day. Freeze the wrapped loaves up to 3 months and thaw at room temperature.

Questions about this recipe

Why is there coffee in honey cake?
Coffee deepens the color and the honey flavor and balances the sweetness. The cake does not taste of coffee; strong tea works too.
Is this honey cake pareve?
Yes. It is made with oil, not butter, and has no dairy, so it can be served after a meat meal.
Why did my honey cake sink in the middle?
It was underbaked or the oven door was opened too early. Bake until a toothpick in the center comes out clean, and keep the door closed for the first 40 minutes.

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