Rosh Hashanah Pareve Honey Cake

This cake is very moist and tastes even better a day after it’s made. It is Pareve (non-dairy) and perfect for your Rosh Hashanah dinner menu.

More recipes for Rosh Hashanah? Try my Apple Pomegranate Salad, Challah for Rosh Hashanah with Apple and Honey, and Vegetarian Matzo Ball Soup.

Tell Me About This Honey Cake

• Texture: Tender, soft, and moist.
• Ease: Very easy to make-process all the ingredients in a food processor and throw it in the oven to bake.
• Time: To properly prepare this dough, it needs to undergo two rising periods.
• Serving: Wonderful plain or topped with a dusting of powdered sugar.

Ingredients Overview

Honey: The star of the dish. Use good quality tasting honey so that you get that flavor to shine in this tea cake.

Flour: All-purpose regular flour is perfect for this cake recipe.

Baking powder: Baking powder is what is going to make our cake rise.

Tea: A strong cup of tea. Use 2-3 tea bags in 1 cup of boiling water. Ideal teas for this recipe are black, Earl Grey, and Chai.

Orange zest (optional): A pinch of orange zest magically enhances the honey flavor in the cake. Recommended, but not the end of the world if you skip it.

Pro-Tips

Tip 1: I highly recommend making this cake 1-2 days ahead of time. It will taste better, and the flavors will be stronger. Keep it in the fridge but serve at room temperature. 

Tip 2: Line your baking pan with parchment paper or heavily grease it. This step helps the cake to release easily from the pan.

Tip 3: You can bake this cake in a bundt pan, mini loaf pans, or cupcakes. The critical thing to remember is not to fill the pan over 3/4 complete and to adjust the baking time. You will need less time for a wider cake.

More Recipes You’ll Love

Pumpkin Challah Bread

Round Spiral Challah

Kasha Varnishkes

Tzimmes

Rosh Hashanah Honey Cake

Easy and moist honey cake. A classic dessert for a sweet new year or the perfect treat to have with a cup of tea.

Kosher, Pareve

Tried my recipe?Mention @mamalivingabroad or tag #mamalivingabroad!

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Jewish

Keyword: Dessert for Roah Hashana

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 3 long loaf cakes

Equipment

• 3 Long loaf pans (12 x 4.5 inch) OR
• 9-Inch Fluted Tube Pan
• Food processor

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (360 grams) honey
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) canola oil
• a pinch of orange zest optional
• 1 1/2 teaspoon (15 grams) baking powder
• 2 1/2 cups (350 grams) all-purpose flour+ a little more for dusting
• 1 cup (240 ml) boiling strong hot tea (black/Earl grey/Chai/cinnamon) (2-3 teabags)
• a dash of salt
• oil, margarine or shortening for greasing the pan

For garnish:

• optional 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

Prep the pan/s:

• Loaf pans: Grease two loaf pans with "fat" and line with parchment paper, leaving a couple of inches of overhang on the long sides.
• Fluted pan: Take a small amount of "fat" and spread it evenly over the entire inner surface of the pan. You can use your fingers, a pastry brush, or a paper towel to apply. Make sure to coat the bottom and sides thoroughly to prevent sticking. After greasing the pan, sprinkle a small amount of flour into it. Tilt and rotate the pan to distribute the flour evenly, covering the greased surfaces. The flour helps create a barrier between the batter and the pan, facilitating easy release once it's baked.Tap the pan gently or invert it and give it a few shakes to remove any excess flour. You want a thin, even coating that will prevent sticking without leaving a noticeable layer on the finished product.

The cake:

• Preheat the oven to 320°F/160°C.
• In a food processor, put sugar, honey, eggs, oil, orange zest, and salt. Process to a uniform mixture (about 30 seconds).
• Mix baking powder and flour thoroughly, then add to the mixer, processing for a few seconds to combine.
• Carefully pour the boiling tea while the motor is running (through the sleeve of the lid) and process for just another few seconds to a uniform mixture.
• Pour into the greased pans (batter is going to be very runny).
• Bake for 45-60 minutes until the cake is puffed and browned and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a few crumbs.
• Let the cake cool completely, and dust with powdered sugar (optional).
• Keep refrigerated for up to 5 days. It will be finished for sure long before that!

Notes

Tip 1: I highly recommend making this cake 1-2 days ahead of time. It will taste better, and the flavors will be stronger. Keep it in the fridge but serve at room temperature. 

Tip 2: Line your baking pan with parchment paper or heavily grease it. This step helps the cake to release easily from the pan.

Tip 3: You can bake this cake in a bundt pan, mini loaf pans, or cupcakes. The critical thing to remember is not to fill the pan over 3/4 complete and to adjust the baking time. You will need less time for a wider cake.