This dessert was one of the very first recipes I posted on my blog. It has since become a holiday favorite for many families! I have updated this post and republished it with new pictures and more detailed recipe instructions. Enjoy!
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Summer is coming to an end, which means goodbye sunshine, hello holidays! From September through the end of the year, we celebrate some amazing food-filled Jewish holidays. The first is Rosh Hashanah, the celebration of the Jewish New Year signifying the end of the Hebrew calendar cycle. It is the first of what we call the High Holidays (or High Holy Days), a ten-day period that ends with Yom Kippur—the holiest day of the Jewish year. Rosh Hashanah occurs on the first and second days of Tishri, which is the seventh month on the Hebrew calendar. On the Roman calendar, Rosh Hashanah usually occurs during the month of September.
The Rosh Hashanah holiday is a time for reflection. We recognize and admit the things we’ve done wrong over the past year. Let’s face it, nobody’s perfect. Rosh Hashanah allows us to recognize our shortcomings, providing an opportunity to better ourselves through prayer. We are also actively encouraged to repent by seeking forgiveness from the people we have wronged during the previous year. It is not uncommon for Jews to apologize to people they have mistreated so they can start the new year fresh, with a “clean slate.” We are reminded not to repeat these mistakes in the coming year; in this way, Rosh Hashanah is an opportunity to improve the way we approach the world. It’s a holiday that helps us to become better people. And that’s a beautiful thing. 🙂
The shofar, a special instrument made from the horn of a kosher animal, is blown on Rosh Hashanah
Jews from different parts of the world celebrate Rosh Hashanah in a variety of ways. Holiday traditions vary according to family background and local customs. A special prayer service is held at synagogue emphasizing both repentance and remembrance. During this service, gratitude is expressed to God for the creation of the world and humanity. The shofar, a special instrument made from the horn of a kosher animal (usually a ram), is blown. Tzedakah, or charitable giving, is also part of the holiday. Good deeds are done in the hopes that God will seal our names in the “Book of Life,” which brings the promise of a happy year to come.
And then, of course, there’s the food. What would a Jewish holiday be without a celebratory meal of epic proportions? (Unless of course it’s Yom Kippur, a fasting holiday.) The Rosh Hashanah meal—or meals, depending on the way you celebrate—are particularly fun, because they feature symbolic foods that signify our hope for a “sweet new year.” We enjoy “new fruit,” a fruit that has recently come into season but we have not yet had the opportunity to enjoy this year (often a pomegranate). The head of a fish is sometimes served, symbolizing the literal translation of Rosh Hashanah, which means “Head of the Year” in Hebrew (on our table it’s strictly symbolic, we don’t eat it). Challah is baked fresh, sweetened with raisins or fruit and braided into a round shape. Apples and challah are dipped in honey, again symbolizing sweetness. In fact, honey is a major ingredient in many traditional Rosh Hashanah dishes, including the famous (or should I say infamous!) Rosh Hashanah honey cake.
Honey, apples and challah are traditional Rosh Hashanah foods.
I had trouble getting excited about this whole honey cake tradition. At my first few Rosh Hashanah celebrations, the honey cake was my least favorite part of the meal. It’s usually a dry, overly-spiced, overly-sweet cake that sits virtually untouched on the Rosh Hashanah buffet—more like an afterthought than a truly inspiring dessert. I tried many traditional honey cake recipes over the years, but each one seemed more disappointing than the last. I experimented with my own recipe ideas, but it always turned out kind of…well, honestly, kind of blah tasting.
A few years ago, as we were dipping our apples into honey, it occurred to me that maybe I’d been approaching this whole honey cake thing from the wrong perspective. Yes, a honey cake is traditional—but apples are also a traditional Rosh Hashanah food. Why not combine the two flavors into one dessert cake? Around that same time I bought my first Bundt cake pan, so I decided to play around with it and see what I could come up with. After a few failed attempts, I discovered the right combination of ingredients and baked an irresistible Honey Apple Cake. Shredding apples into the batter lends moisture and creates a lovely texture. This recipe is now our Rosh Hashanah tradition. My family enjoys it so much that I often serve it for other cold weather holidays like Sukkot, Thanksgiving and Purim. I’m so excited to share it with you!
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Honey Apple Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup honey
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1 1/4 cups canola oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 cups all purpose baking flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- Dash ground cloves
- 4 Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored, and shredded)
Icing
- 1 cup + 3 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/2 to 2 tablespoons water or non-dairy creamer
NOTES
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs until they are frothy. Whisk in the honey, white sugar, brown sugar, oil and vanilla. In a separate medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and spices. Incorporate the flour mixture into the liquid, stir to blend. Fold in the shredded apples and their juice.
- Spray your Bundt pan with cooking spray, making sure to evenly coat the entire inner surface. Pour your batter into the pan. Bundt pan depths vary, so make sure the batter fills the pan ¾ full or less. Do not fill beyond ¾ or your cake might overflow during baking. Use a spatula to gently push the batter to the outside of the pan, pushing slightly up the walls. This will help to get rid of any air pockets that might interfere with the pretty details of the pan. Smooth the batter on the top so it is flat and even all the way around the pan.
- Bake cake in preheated oven for 75-90 minutes (if you're using a black or dark-colored bundt pan, yours may bake faster - start checking around 50 minutes). When the edges darken and pull fully away from the sides of the pan, and the cake browns all the way across the surface, insert a toothpick deep into the thickest part of the cake. If it comes out clean, it's done. It’s a very moist cake, so it’s easy to undercook it– err on the side of caution and let it bake a little longer if you’re unsure (but don't bake it too long or it will dry out!).
- Let the cake cool for exactly 10 minutes, then invert it onto a flat plate. Tap the Bundt pan gently to release the cake. If your cake sticks, use a plastic knife to carefully loosen the cake around the center tube and sides. Allow cake to cool completely (very important to let it cool before frosting).
- Now it’s time to decorate your cake. Decorate this cake the same day you serve it; the cake is moist so it tends to “soak up” the powdered sugar, plus the icing looks prettier fresh. To keep things neat, I like to do this part on a wire cooling rack with a piece of parchment paper underneath to catch extra sugar/ drips. You can simply do it on a plate if you prefer. First, put 3 tbsp of powdered sugar into a handheld mesh strainer or sifter. Sprinkle sugar onto the top of the cake by tapping the strainer or sifting to release an even shower of sugar around the surface of the cake.
- Next, make your drizzle icing. Sift 1 cup of powdered sugar into a mixing bowl. Add ¼ tsp of vanilla extract and 1/2 tbsp water or non-dairy creamer to the bowl (when I first posted this recipe years ago I used non-dairy creamer, but I actually prefer using water now). Stir sugar and liquid with a whisk or fork to blend. The trick with this icing is to add liquid very slowly - you only want to add until it just comes together. Add additional liquid by half teaspoonfuls, mixing constantly, until the mixture has the texture of very thick honey. You want the icing to be quite thick. When you can pull a spatula through the icing, and it takes a few seconds for the gap in the icing to close again, the texture is right.
- Place a sealing bag (reusable or disposable) inside a tall water glass, open end facing upward and wrapped around the edge of the glass, so there is an open space for easy filling. Pour the icing into the bag.
- Close the bag, leaving a small bit open to vent. Guide the icing towards one of the lower corners of the bag. Cut the very tip of that corner off the bag.
- Drizzle the icing in a zig-zag pattern around the cake by squeezing the bag gently to release the glaze.
- Allow icing to dry completely before serving—this usually takes about 30-60 minutes. Slice and enjoy!
Nutrition
tried this recipe?
Let us know in the comments!
Mia says
Hi Tori… I’m very disappointed with my cake because once I tried to take it out of the pan, the top of it broke off! Really sad about it ): still going to serve it tomorrow for Rosh Hashanah, I’m just going to cut it into slices instead of serving it whole, but do you have any idea why it turned out this way? I sprayed it with olive oil spray because I didn’t have any more canola oil… would that maybe be the problem?
Tori Avey says
Hi Mia! So sorry to hear this happened. Did you let it cool for exactly 10 minutes? Usually when this happens the cake cooled too long before releasing from the pan, so if you waited longer than 10 minutes that might have been the issue. Did you use a knife to loosen the edges? If you shake too vigorously to release it, that can also cause breakage- best to gently use a knife around the edges to release. The olive oil shouldn’t have made a difference.
Sandy says
Have this cake in the oven now. Am I using dry non dairy creamer or liquid
Tori Avey says
Liquid, or use water.
Chelsea says
Do you think it could be made with Gluten Free Flour? 1 to 1 kind?
Tori Avey says
Probably yes but I haven’t tested it so can’t say for sure. It should work fine.
June Latovicz says
Can I use a regular rectangle Pyrex instead? How big, if so?
Tori Avey says
You can use any standard cake pan, but I cannot give advice on cook time without first testing it myself. It makes quite a bit of batter so you may need two cake pans depending on the size you choose.
Tomoko says
Thank you for this delicious and thoughtful recipe.
Few days ago my lovely neighbor gave me some tomatoes they harvested in their garden. I wanted to bake a cake for them as a token of gratitude. And I came across to your recipe.
Since my neighbor are Jewish family and are visiting their relatives this weekend to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, they really appreciated the non-dairy, honey apple cake when I brought it to them.
I used big apples so the cake batter was a little more than enough for the bundt pan, I baked a mini-loaf cake with the leftover batter for me to taste. It’s so delicious. It gets sweeter and moister as time goes by. I’m sure my neighbors will love the cake too. Thank you.
An says
Can I use diced apples instead of shredding?
Tori Avey says
I recommend shredded for best results.
Beverlee hassid says
I’m not a very good baker but I made this last year and it was delicious. I’m making it again this year.
judith says
You specify a 9″ bundt pan. Would a 10″ bundt decorative bundt pan (like the one’s at Williams-Sonoma) work?
Tori Avey says
Yes, it will just end up being a slightly shorter cake.
Carla says
I can’t wait to make this cake! Should the liquid be squeezed from the apples after shredding?
Tori Avey says
Nope! The moisture from the apples is part of what makes this cake so great. 🙂
Jeanette says
Can we use milk instead of the non dairy creamer?
Tori Avey says
If you don’t want to use creamer use water; milk is more likely to spoil at room temp.
Courtney says
Making this for our new year, how far in advance can I bake this? Thank you!!
Shari arzt says
Can I make this cake with egg whites?
Tori Avey says
No, sorry.
Ilana says
Could I make this as cupcakes to take to my kids school class?
What would you change?
Tori Avey says
Instructions here: https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/family-fun-rosh-hashanah-honey-apple-cupcakes/
Vicki Aaron says
Can I use a tube pan
Tori Avey says
I think so, yes – but I haven’t tested it that way so I don’t have specific recommendations on timing.
Abraham Baron says
Dear Tori
Love all your recipes
will make the cake for Rosh Hashanah
L’Shana Tovah
Chef Abe
Tori Avey says
L’Shana Tova Abe!
Nancy says
This recipe looks really good! Would love to try it! Can I skip the apples? ( don’t have any on hand) .
Tori Avey says
Hi Nancy, I don’t recommend skipping the apples, they are a vital part of the recipe. Better to wait until you have some on hand.
Sharon Deegan says
I’ve been making this cake since you first posted it. It’s a favorite every Rosh Hashanah! Easy and so yummy!
Tori Avey says
Wonderful! So happy to hear it. 🙂
Sussy says
Looks beautiful!Can I make in mini bundt pans or small loaf pan?
Tori Avey says
Yes but I don’t have exact timings for you, you’ll need to check for doneness as the cook time will be shorter.
TOMOKO FUNAKI says
Hi, I used 6-cup bundt pan and 3 mini-loaf pans to accommodate the batter in this recipe. Mini loaves took about 44 minutes and 6-cup bundt pan took 48 minutes. But every oven is different so check the doneness with a cake tester.
Miranda Crosley says
I’m excited to try this recipe for the new year! Could I make them as muffins? I was hoping to give them out as gifts. If so, how many muffins would it make?
Tori Avey says
Yes! Here’s a post addressing your question: https://toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/family-fun-rosh-hashanah-honey-apple-cupcakes/
DJ says
Do you think I can substitute 1/2 cup of applesauce for some of that oil?
Tori Avey says
Yes, swapping out 1/2 cup oil for 1/2 cup of applesauce should be fine.
Clara says
Hi! I really want to try this recipe for Rosh Hashanah this year but I don’t have a Bundt pan. I’m thinking of doing it in my 9 inch loaf pan. Any thoughts on if/how I should change the proportions? Thanks!
Tori Avey says
It should work great! But you’ll need at least 2 loaf pans for the amount of batter here.
Clara says
Thanks Tori! It was really good, very moist, not too sweet!
In case anyone is interested: I was able to make a full loaf in my 9 inch loaf pan + a slightly smaller one with the full amount of batter.