Honey Cake
Published
Published
Symbolizing hope for the sweet year ahead, this Honey Cake is a traditional treat for the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, but can definitely be enjoyed by anyone at anytime! It’s a simple dairy-free loaf cake where honey really shines, with a super moist crumb and crisp caramelized edges. Absolutely delicious.
Pin this now to find it later
Pin ItThis post may contain affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products we genuinely love.
5 STAR REVIEWS
Honey Cake for Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year)
Honey is a staple ingredient for most Jews celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, symbolizing a sweet and fruitful year to come. Apples dipped in honey and honey cake are often part of the holiday festivities.
No worries if you’re not Jewish or don’t observe Rosh Hashanah – honey cake is enjoyed by many cultures. In my humble opinion, it is unjustly underrated. But I think that’s because so many recipes are incredibly dry or lack flavor. Not this one!
This recipe has a springy and moist crumb with a slightly crisp exterior that sort of tastes like caramel, while bitter coffee and tart orange juice balance sweetness from the honey and brown sugar. It’s so simple to make and rich in warm flavor. I usually make two loaves, one to be enjoyed in the morning with coffee or tea, and the other for dessert after our holiday meal. Whenever I serve it, it disappears fast!
Helpful Tips
- Use good quality honey. Honey is our star ingredient in this cake and the strongest flavor, so use a really high-quality honey that you love.
- Vegetable oil. This cake uses oil for its fat, which helps make the cake nice and moist, and also keeps it kosher pareve (neither meat nor dairy.)
- Brewed coffee. It should be at room temperature when you add it to the bowl. You can also use black tea, if you don’t drink coffee.
- Don’t over-mix. Over-mixing the batter can result in a dense, tough, or chewy cake. Stop mixing when the ingredients are just combined.
- Grease or line your loaf pan. Line your loaf pan on all sides with parchment paper or generously spray with nonstick cooking spray, or grease with butter and flour, to ensure it releases from the pan easily after baking.
- Don’t over-bake. The cake is ready when it’s set and springs back to the touch. I also recommend inserting a tester or toothpick in the center, to ensure it comes out clean. In my oven, 35 minutes is the perfect amount of time. In your oven, it may take an additional 5 minutes or so but I recommend to start checking at 35 minutes and go from there.
Honey Cake
Ingredients
- 1 & 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/3 cup brewed coffee, (room temperature)
- 2 & 1/2 tablespoons orange juice
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup honey, (plus 1 tablespoon for drizzling over the batter)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9×5 loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving a slight overhang on the two longer sides.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, granulated sugar, and brown sugar until combined. Then add in the egg, vanilla, coffee, orange juice, vegetable oil, and 1/3 cup honey; whisk until just incorporated and smooth.
- Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon honey.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the cake is set and springs back to the touch, and a tester in the center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes.
- Let cool 10 to 15 minutes in the pan, then lift out and transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
- Slice and serve. Enjoy with a cup of coffee or tea!
Video
Notes
- Add in some warm spices. I intentionally omit spices from this cake, since I want the honey to be the predominant flavor and not have each bite taste like a spice cake. But you can certainly add some in! I recommend 1 teaspoon cinnamon and a 1/4 teaspoon each allspice, ground cloves, and ground nutmeg.
- Add in some diced apple. Stir in a cup of finely diced, peeled apple to the batter.
- Non coffee drinkers. The bitterness of coffee provides a nice balance of the sweet honey, but you can substitute an equal amount with tea, milk, or even water, if preferred (all of which will alter the taste, obviously, and you might need to adjust the cooking time.) Note that if you use milk, the recipe will not be kosher pareve (neither meat nor dairy).
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!
How is this Cake Dairy Free if it Has Eggs?
There seems to be some confusion about eggs being dairy – perhaps because grocery stores stock the eggs with the dairy. But eggs are actually not a dairy product. They are indeed produced by animals and therefore an animal by-product, but a dairy product refers to a product made from the mammary gland of mammals (like cows and goats) and the foods made from their milk such as cream, butter, and cheese.
Serving Suggestions
With flavors of honey and orange, this honey cake is perfect for Rosh Hashanah or any occasion, especially during the fall and winter months. It’s best enjoyed at room temperature or even slightly warm and makes a lovely light dessert, afternoon snack cake, or in the morning with a cup of coffee or tea.
If you’re looking for more Jewish recipes for Rosh Hashanah to round out your meal, you can’t go wrong with my Brisket and Charoset, which are wonderful for just about every Jewish holiday. Matzo Ball Soup is a fantastic side. Poppy Seed Cake and Coconut Macaroons are also perfect ways to end a lot of Jewish holiday meals.
How to Store
- Storing leftovers. You can store leftover honey cake in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge. It will last for up to 3 days on the counter or up to 5 days in the fridge.
- Can you freeze honey cake? Yes, this honey cake freezes well. Allow it to cool completely then wrap tightly in plastic wrap and also foil, then transfer to a freezer-safe ziploc bag. Freeze for up to 3 months, then thaw on the counter.
More Jewish Recipes:
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
I just made the honey cake. It is so good. I am so glad I came across this site today on my search for new recipes. I am now a follower and can’t wait to try more of Amy’s recipes.
PS. I would add some walnuts and maybe raisins or the apples you suggested to my next one to be like my grandmothers! ❤️
I have been following you from finding you on Facebook. I found your recipe for honey cake. I lost my grandmothers recipe and wanted to make my mother a honey cake for the Jewish New Year. Well, my mom said it was delish! It was as moist as others commented. Bravo! Will make this recipe every year. And it makes one cake! My grandmothers made 3 and always sank in the middle! lol. Love that it makes one loaf. Thank you for the recipe. I think you are great! And my 90 year old mom says thanks, it was the best!
This was easy and yummy! Enjoyed it with my nightly tea.
I love a good quick bread! I am always searching for new ones to add to my collection and this definitely makes the grade. I didn’t have much time yesterday before having a guest pop by and I threw this together very easily. The caramelized crisp of the edges of this bread are amazing! It is moist and delicate and clearly perfect for breakfast, snack or dessert. So thrilled to have this lovely bread in my recipe box! Thank you :)
I’m absolutely flabbergasted that there are people in this world who are so far removed from food production that they think eggs are a dairy product. BAHAHAHAAA. I’m super excited about the honey cake tho! Making it for Hanukkah! Wish me luck :)
This was wonderful!
Fabulous recipe!! I got a thumbs up from everyone last night when I served the delicious honey cake for dessert after our Rosh Hashanah dinner. My family still loves the flavor of my grandmother’s famous recipe for honey cake better, HOWEVER, I must say that my grandmother’s honey cake was not moist like this one. This recipe is delicious, incredibly moist and sweet. In fact my mother who is the only one in the family who does not care for honey cake in general could not get enough of this one since it was so very moist and flavorful. I highly recommend trying this recipe!
PS: I think that with may other honey cakes I have tried, I tasted more coffee, but with this one I tasted more honey and did not really notice the coffee. I plan to make this recipe again next week for Yom Kippor, but I think I will add a little more coffee just for fun.
My first time making honey cake and it turned out wonderful. Made it a day ahead of Rosh Ha’shana and it was moist and delicious. Might use espresso instead of regular strong coffee next time. Thank you for the recipe!!
What perfect timing for the holiday. This was so perfect, easy, and super yummy.