Classic Honey Cake for Rosh Hashanah (Made Better With Real Georgia Honey)

Honey cake has anchored Rosh Hashanah tables for generations, its dark, spiced crumb carrying a wish for a sweet new year. Getting a truly great one comes down to a single ingredient, which is why this rosh hashanah honey cake recipe leans on real, raw honey rather than the processed kind. Our family has packed raw, unfiltered honey in Omega, Georgia since 1960, and a good jar turns a familiar cake into something worth remembering. Best of all, it comes together in one bowl with a whisk, no mixer required.

Below you will find the story behind the cake, a classic recipe you can trust, and the honey that makes it sing. Spiced, moist, and fragrant, this is the honey cake your kitchen will smell like all season.

What is Jewish honey cake?

Jewish honey cake, known as lekach, is a spiced, honey-sweetened cake traditionally served during Rosh Hashanah to welcome a sweet new year. Warm with cinnamon and cloves, deepened with coffee or tea, and rich with honey, it lands somewhere between a cake and a quick bread. Families have baked versions of it across Europe and beyond for centuries. Every region and family seems to have its own version, from sticky and dark to light and cakey.

Honey cake means more than its ingredients suggest. Sharing a slice is a small blessing, a way of tasting the sweetness everyone hopes the year will hold. A classic jewish honey cake recipe changes a little from home to home, yet honey always sits at its heart.

Why the honey you use makes the cake

Honey is the defining flavor of honey cake, so the jar you choose shapes the entire result. Raw, unfiltered honey brings floral depth and a genuine sweetness that heavily processed honey has lost along the way. A cake built on real honey tastes layered and alive, while one built on filtered syrup falls flat. Since the cake carries so few competing flavors, there is nowhere for a dull, over-processed honey to hide.

Georgia honey earns its place here for good reason. Our raw honey carries the character of the flowers our bees actually worked, from mild wildflower to bold, dark varieties. Picking the right jar is the difference between a good honey cake and one people ask you to bake every year. Any solid jewish honey cake recipe starts with real honey, and this one is no exception.

Classic Rosh Hashanah honey cake recipe

Our rosh hashanah honey cake recipe makes one large tube or bundt cake, two standard loaves, or a single nine by thirteen pan. Plan on about twenty minutes of mixing and an hour in the oven. Better still, bake it a day ahead, since honey cake only improves overnight.

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 cup raw honey, preferably wildflower or clover
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup warm strong brewed coffee
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup whiskey or brandy (optional)
• 1 tablespoon orange zest (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat your oven to 350 degrees and grease your pan well, then line the bottom with parchment so the cake releases cleanly.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice in a large bowl until evenly combined.
3. In a second bowl, whisk the honey, granulated sugar, brown sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla until smooth and glossy.
4. Pour in the warm coffee and orange juice, along with the whiskey and orange zest if you are using them, and whisk again.
5. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk just until no streaks of flour remain. Expect a thin batter, which is exactly right.
6. Pour the batter into your prepared pan. Bake loaves for 45 to 55 minutes, a nine by thirteen for 45 to 50 minutes, or a tall tube or bundt for 60 to 70 minutes.
7. Check for doneness with a toothpick, which should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Tent the top loosely with foil if it browns before the center sets.
8. Cool the cake in its pan for 20 minutes, then turn it out onto a rack to cool completely.
9. Wrap the cooled cake and let it rest overnight for the deepest flavor and the moistest crumb.

What honey is best for honey cake?

A mild, floral honey makes the most balanced honey cake, letting the warm spices come through without a fight. Wildflower honey and clover honey both keep the crumb bright and gently sweet, which suits the classic version beautifully. Orange blossom adds a lovely citrus lift alongside the orange juice in the batter.

Bolder bakers can reach for something darker. Buckwheat honey brings a deep, almost molasses-like richness for a more robust, old-world cake. Not sure where to start? A honey sampler lets you taste a few and decide which speaks to your family. Keep a couple of jars on hand, and you can bake a mild version one year and a bold one the next. Curious how varietals differ? A quick look at the National Honey Board guide explains what to expect from each jar.

Why does honey cake taste better the next day?

Honey cake tastes better the next day because its flavors meld and its crumb turns moister as it rests. Honey attracts and holds moisture, so a wrapped cake actually improves for a day or two on the counter. Spices settle and deepen overnight, trading their raw edge for a rounder, warmer flavor.

Timing this to your advantage is easy. Bake the cake a day or two before Rosh Hashanah, wrap it well once it cools, and leave it at room temperature. Slicing into it on the holiday rewards you with the fullest possible flavor. Honey cake also travels well, so a rested, wrapped cake is an easy one to carry to someone else's celebration.

Can you freeze honey cake?

Honey cake freezes beautifully, which makes it one of the easiest holiday desserts to prepare well ahead. Wrap the fully cooled cake tightly in plastic and then foil, and it keeps in the freezer for up to three months. Thaw it overnight on the counter, still wrapped, so the moisture stays locked in.

Freezing works for whole cakes and single slices alike. Portion the cake before freezing if you want grab-one convenience through the season. Wrapped well, it also keeps on the counter for several days, though the freezer is best for anything beyond that. A frozen honey cake tastes remarkably close to fresh once it returns to room temperature.

Tips for the best honey cake

A few small moves keep honey cake moist and tender every time. Measure your flour by spooning it into the cup rather than scooping, since packed flour turns the crumb dry and heavy. Pull the cake the moment a toothpick comes clean, because a minute too long in the oven costs you moisture you cannot get back.

Preparation saves the day with a sticky batter like this one. Grease and line your pan thoroughly, as honey cakes love to cling to the sides. Bring your eggs to room temperature for an even rise, and brew the coffee strong, since it deepens the honey and balances the sweetness without tasting like coffee at all. Let the cake cool completely before wrapping, since trapping steam in a warm cake can leave the top gummy.

Ways to make it your own

Honey cake welcomes a personal touch once you know the classic. Fold a handful of chopped walnuts or slivered almonds into the batter for gentle crunch, or grate in extra orange zest for a brighter finish. A tablespoon of whiskey or brandy adds warmth that suits the season, though the cake shines just as well without it.

Presentation offers room to play too. Bake the batter in a bundt pan for a showpiece, in loaves for easy gifting, or in a nine by thirteen for a crowd. Brush the warm cake with a thin drizzle of honey for a glossy top and one more note of sweetness. A dusting of powdered sugar or a scatter of toasted nuts on top makes a simple cake look festive for the table.

Frequently asked questions

What is lekach, or Jewish honey cake? Lekach is the traditional Jewish honey cake served at Rosh Hashanah, spiced with cinnamon and cloves and sweetened with honey. Lekach takes its name from a Yiddish and Hebrew word tied to sweetness and learning. Families bake it to welcome a sweet new year, sharing slices as a small blessing.

Why is honey cake eaten on Rosh Hashanah? Honey cake appears at Rosh Hashanah because honey symbolizes the hope for a sweet year ahead. Serving a honey-rich cake carries that wish into dessert, echoing the apples dipped in honey earlier in the meal. Sweetness runs through the whole holiday as a sign of good things to come.

What honey is best for a honey cake recipe? Mild, floral honey such as wildflower or clover keeps honey cake balanced and lets the spices lead. A darker honey like buckwheat gives a bolder, more robust cake for those who love deep flavor. Whichever you choose, a raw and flavorful jar makes the biggest difference.

Can you make honey cake ahead of time? Honey cake is actually better made ahead, since a day of rest deepens its flavor and moistens the crumb. Bake it one or two days before the holiday, wrap it well, and keep it at room temperature. Baking ahead also frees your oven and your attention for the rest of the meal.

Why did my honey cake turn out dry? A dry honey cake usually means too much flour or a few minutes too long in the oven. Spoon your flour into the measuring cup instead of scooping, and start checking for doneness at the early end of the range. Wrapping the cooled cake overnight helps a slightly dry crumb recover some moisture.

Can you make honey cake without coffee? Strong brewed tea steps in perfectly for coffee, offering the same depth without the flavor. Extra orange juice or apple juice works too for a fruitier, lighter cake. Coffee simply rounds out the honey and spices, so any warm, flavorful liquid will do.

Is honey cake dairy free? Traditional honey cake is naturally dairy free, since it relies on oil rather than butter. Oil in place of butter also makes it a fitting dessert after a meat meal in kosher homes. Check any add-ins you choose, though most classic versions stay pareve from start to finish.

How long does honey cake stay fresh? Well wrapped at room temperature, honey cake stays moist and flavorful for about five days. Honey content keeps the crumb from drying out as fast as a plain cake would. Refrigerate only if your kitchen runs warm, and bring slices back to room temperature before serving.

Bake a sweeter new year

A great honey cake starts with great honey, so give this classic the real thing. Since 1960, three generations of our family have packed raw, unfiltered American honey, the kind that turns a holiday cake into a tradition worth repeating. Bake it a day ahead, share it with the people you love, and let every slice carry a wish for a sweet year. Our rosh hashanah honey cake recipe rewards a little planning, so start a day or two early.

Ready to bake? Explore our raw honey collection of American varieties, or browse the honey for baking and cooking collection for the perfect jar. See our deals page for special offers and homepage for first time discounts and Free Shipping options. Hungry for more honey ideas? Our guide to 22 creative ways to use raw honey goes well beyond dessert. Shanah tovah u'metukah, a sweet new year from our family to yours.

Raw honey should not be given to infants under one year of age.