Rosh Hashanah Honey Cake

I warned you last week that fall was just around the corner, and here it is, with a Rosh Hashanah honey cake recipe.

While honey cake was never on my family's Rosh Hashanah table, it is a traditional recipe for the Jewish New Year. My family ate a lot of apples and honey, but honey cake was never on our agenda. To be honest, whenever I had honey cake, I ended up disappointed. It didn't even taste like honey!

When I saw this particular honey cake recipe in Cook's Country, I knew I had to give it a shot.  The recipe has almost 2 cups of honey in it, and the cake was perfectly sticky and sweet. My taste testers at work devoured the cake quickly, and it is sure to be a star on your Rosh Hashanah table. Plus, it's a pretty simple and straightforward recipe, no fancy kitchen equipment required.

For those out there who don't celebrate Rosh Hashanah...still make this cake! I love honey cake with tea in the late afternoon, but it would also be a hit for brunch.

Rosh Hashanah Honey Cake

From Cook's Country

Cake:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup water

4 large eggs

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened apple sauce

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup orange juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 3/4 cup honey

Glaze:

1 cup confectioner's sugar

4 1/2 teaspoons water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Heavily spray 12-cup Bundt pan with non-stick baking spray with flour. 

Whisk flour, salt, and baking soda together in a large bowl. Whisk water, eggs, apple sauce, vegetable oil, orange juice, and vanilla extract together in another bowl until combined. Whisk honey into egg mixture until fully incorporated.

Whisk honey mixture into flour mixture until well combined.

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a skewer inside of the cake comes out clean. 

Let cake cool in pan for 30 minutes, then use rubber spatula to loosen cake from sides of pan and invert it onto a rack. Let cool completely, for about 2 hours.

Whisk all three glaze ingredients together in a bowl. Drizzle evenly over cake. Let glaze firm (about 30 minutes), then serve.