Rosh Hashanah is all about ushering in a sweet new year. And Jewish tradition ensures that this is done in a delicious and symbolic way. Honey on thick slices of challah or apples is a simple way to incorporate a sweetness in your holiday meal, but many buy or bake special cakes and desserts to add some flair to their celebrations.
Honey cake is one of the most traditional Jewish New Year recipes, and an easy one to customize with other sweet ingredients like rum, autumnal spices, or raisins, to make your own. Try this simple recipe from Jay Muse, executive chef and co-owner of Lulu Cake Boutique, and let us know what you think.
If you are not into holiday baking, Lulu’s will have honey cake plus babkas, rugelach, marble cake, German apple kuchen, and their signature coconut cake available for purchase Sunday morning (unfortunately they’ve already stopped accepting Rosh Hashanah orders). They expect to sell out quickly, so get there early— they open at 9 am and close at 1 pm.
New Year’s Honey Cake
Courtesy Lulu Cake Boutique in Scarsdale
Ingredients:
2 ½ cup unbleached, organic all purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
1 Tbsp cinnamon
¼ tsp cloves
¼ tsp ginger
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
½ cup dark brown sugar
juice and zest of one orange
1 cup safflower (or canola oil)
1 cup honey
3 large eggs at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup warm coffee
¼ cup whiskey or bourbon
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously grease a standard large Bundt cake pan, or a 9 by 13-inch sheet pan.
In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. Create a well in the center, and add all the remaining ingredients. Slowly whisk all the ingredients until they are combined together and mixed well.
Alternatively, you may whisk all the ingredients together in a Kitchen Aid with the whisk attachment.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until cake tests done, and when it springs back when you gently touch the cake center, anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour.
Allow cake to cool for 20 minutes before removing from pan.
Lulu’s Cake Boutique
40 Garth Rd, Scarsdale
(914) 722-8300; www.everythinglulu.com
Does your honey cake recipe include a special ingredient for some extra sweetness? Please share your favorite add-in in the comments.
