This Honey Cake is perfect for Rosh Hashanah! If you've been let down by Jewish honey cake in the past, prepare to have your mind changed. This one is deliciously moist and perfectly sweet.
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What Makes This Honey Cake Special?
Honey cake often gets a bad rap. That's because many of them turn out dry, flavorless, dense, or gummy. But set aside your preconceived notions of honey cake and you’ll discover that this one is wonderfully moist and flavorful. It’s a far cry from the disappointing honey cake recipes that have traumatized so many of us.
This recipe focuses on achieving a tender, moist crumb and a beautiful balance of flavors. So what is it that makes this honey cake different? The key is in the ingredients, obviously, but also in the technique.
Ingredient Notes
Other honey cake recipes use a heavy mix of spices, but this one lets the honey flavor take the lead. Here’s what matters in the ingredient list:
- Oil: A neutral oil keeps the cake moist without competing with the honey. I usually use avocado oil, but canola or another mild option works just as well.
- Honey: The honey you choose makes a difference. Lighter, cheaper honeys tend to fade once baked, while darker wildflower or clover honeys hold their flavor better. Pick one with depth, since it’s the star of the cake.
- Sugar: White and brown sugar work alongside the honey. The brown sugar adds caramel notes that deepen the flavor and keep the sweetness balanced.
- Brewed coffee or strong tea: A touch of bitterness offsets the sweetness and adds complexity. I prefer coffee, but strong black tea works if that’s what you have.
How to Make It
This cake is so easy to make! You don't even need an electric or stand mixer—just stir the batter together with a wooden spoon. Here’s how to whip up this honey cake, ensuring it turns out perfectly every time:
- Grease the baking pan or pans and preaheat the oven.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Add all of the liquid ingredients including the eggs, honey, both kinds of sugar, coffee or tea, and orange juice.
- Transfer the batter to your prepared pan, filling it halfway to allow room for rising.
- Drizzle a bit of honey over the top for extra sweetness and a lovely glaze.
- Bake until the cake feels springy to the touch and a tester comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack.
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Tips for success
- This recipe makes a generous amount of cake. If that feels like too much, the recipe card includes scaled-down versions for smaller batches.
- Whatever pans you use, only fill them about halfway so the cake has room to rise. Smaller pans will bake faster, so keep an eye on them and check early.
- Line standard loaf or cake pans with greased parchment for easier removal. If you’re baking in several small pans, set them on a sheet pan to make them easier to move.
- Mix the batter gently with a wooden spoon. Once the flour is in, stir only until smooth — overworking it will make the cake gummy.
- The flavor improves after it rests. The cake is even better the next day, so it’s worth making it ahead.
What to Serve With It
Honey Cake is so versatile that I serve it on most Jewish holidays. It even makes a great holiday breakfast or brunch. And it's a perfect end to a meal of Brisket or roast chicken, latkes, and Beet Salad with Harrisa Dressing.
A dollop of whipped cream, or vegan whipped cream, or a scoop of ice cream takes it over the top. Try rich vanilla ice cream or, even better, Pumpkin Cinnamon Ice Cream. For a ligheter take try sliced fresh fruit like figs or pears would be lovely on top. If you want to take it over the top, add
Looking for more Jewish holiday-ready sweets? Try Honey Cookies with orange and cinnamon, also perfect for Rosh Hashanah, Rugelach, or Hamentashen. Chocolate Orange Babka is another Jewish dessert that easily shape shifts into a delightful brunch offering. Love that honey flavor? Try No Bake Honey Cheesecake.
Honey Cake
Robin Donovan
Ingredients
- 3½ cups (420 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (240 ml) honey, divided
- 1½ cups (300 grams) sugar
- ½ cup (110 grams) brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240 ml) brewed coffee or strong tea
- ½ cup (120 ml) orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and generously grease the baking pan(s) with nonstick cooking spray, baking spray, or butter. (Use either three 9-by-5-inch loaf pans, one 9-by-13-inch baking pan, or any equivalent-sized pans.)
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the oil, 3/4 cup of the honey, sugar, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, coffee or tea, and orange juice. Mix thoroughly, until all ingredients are combined and no lumps remain.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s), filling each about halfway.
- Drizzle the remaining 1/4 cup of honey over the batter.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the cake is set all the way through and feels springy to the touch (30 to 60 minutes, depending on the size of your baking dishes). A tester inserted into the center should come out clean.
- Let cool 15 minutes before removing from the baking dish. Slide a knife around the edges to help loosen the cake, if necessary.
Notes
Nutrition
I am planning on making these for Rosh Hashanah and just purchased individual cake pans. A little on the deep side. Can I use them?
Yes, but I’d just caution you to check early and often for doneness. they may take a bit longer to cook if they are very deep, but you obviously don’t want to overcook them!
I’m planning to use a standard Bundt cake. Would the original recipe be the right amount?
There are instructions in the recipe for figuring out different pans. A standard bundt pan is probably about ⅔ of hte original recipe.
Hi, I made this cake last night, the flavor was good except it has a very strong oil taste. I followed the recipe and used canola oil as vegetable oil.
Do you have any ideas what could have gone wrong? I want to make another batch.
Hi Lana, thanks for sharing that. That is frustrating that the oil flavor came across. Oils like canola, vegetable, avocado, etc (all the “neutral-flavored, high-smoke-point oils) should be virtually flavorless even on their own, so you shouldn’t taste them at all in a cake. My guess is that your oil is a bit older and starting to go off. If oil is old or exposed to too much light or heat, etc, it can develop an unwanted flavor. I’d try with a brand new bottle of oil and see if that fixes the problem (you can also smell/taste the oil you have–if there is any flavor at all, I’d recommend tossing it. If you are tasting it in a small amount, the flavor will be magnified when you use a larger amount in a recipe.)
Hi! I plan on making this recipe for Sukkot! I’m wondering if the coffee in this recipe should be hot or cold?
Room temperature is best!