Sweet Honey Cake Instructions

By Ruth Webber | MyJewishLearning.com

This honey cake symbolizes tradition and renewal for the New Year, and it reflects the resilience of survivors. Crafted by Holocaust survivor Ruth Webber, this dessert features rich ingredients such as brandy, almonds, and brewed coffee. This indulgent honey cake is sure to become a staple for your Rosh Hashanah celebrations.

This honey cake is a cherished recipe that has been handed down through generations.

• Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

• Yield: 2 loaves 1x

Ingredients

• ½ cup vegetable oil, plus additional for greasing the pans
• 1 ½ cups honey
• 1 cup strong brewed coffee
• ½ cup dried cherries, chopped into small pieces*
• 3 tablespoons brandy
• ½ cup sliced almonds
• 3 ½ cups + 1-2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1 ¼ cups packed brown sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon orange zest

*Note: If dried cherries are unavailable, feel free to substitute with another ingredient and get creative.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease two 5-by-9-inch loaf pans, line them with wax paper, and then grease the paper.
2. In a saucepan, bring the honey and coffee to a boil, then set aside to cool.
3. Soak the dried cherries in brandy for about 30 minutes, then drain them. In a small bowl, toss the almonds and cherries with 1-2 teaspoons of flour to prevent them from settling at the bottom of the cake.
4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine ½ cup oil, sugar, and eggs. In a separate bowl, mix the remaining 3 ½ cups flour with baking powder, baking soda, salt, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Gradually add the dry mixture to the mixer along with the coffee mixture, mixing until smooth. Gently fold in the almond-cherry blend and orange zest.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pans and bake for 1 hour 10 minutes, or until the cakes are a deep golden brown. Do not remove them immediately. Instead, turn off the oven and leave the cakes inside to cool gradually for at least 10 minutes to avoid sinking.
6. Afterward, continue cooling for another 15 minutes outside the oven. Use a knife to run around the edge of the pans, then invert a plate over the pan and flip it over to release the cakes. Slice and enjoy.

This recipe is adapted from “Honey Cake & Latkes: Recipes from the Old World by the Auschwitz-Birkenau Survivors.”