When I tell you where I found this recipe, you’re going to be surprised. Surprised or impressed with its age!
This is my grandma’s ‘Grandma Honey Cake Recipe’. When she died over a decade ago, I found this little newspaper cutting amongst her old photos. They’re from over 50 years ago. I have no idea where the cutting is snipped from – maybe the JC, but I had pinned it to a noticeboard in my kitchen a while ago and only found it this week – ironically during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year and decided to give it a go.
To bake or not to bake honey cake
My sister made everyone honey cakes this year, so technically, I didn’t really need to make one myself, but I never think one is enough. Do you? We also always like to have some to break the Yom Kippur fast with – that and a cup of tea. That was the deciding factor in giving this recipe a go.
There are actually two recipes on the cutting. There are a few typos on it, and the name of the top one has been cut off, but I’m pretty sure it’s another version of honeycake. We usually use tea or orange juice in the one me, my mum, AND my sister bake (from the red book in case you’re interested), and it’s super sticky and deliciously heavy, but this one has marmalade, and the other has coffee! Now, that sounds interesting.
I did adapt a few elements. I don’t like honeycake to have too much ginger, and I added cinnamon – because I’m obsessed with it.
Lighten up
Whenever my mum makes honey cake, she’ll always warn us that “it’s gone wrong” or “isn’t as good as usual”. To be honest – NOTHING she bakes is ever bad. Her honey cake has a tendency to bubble up high in the tin during baking and overspill, then sink back down the moment it’s out of the oven, making it really sticky. She used to use syrup instead of honey, and boy were they good.
This recipe though, is very light. It rises up high in the oven but gently falls back into the tin a little, as it cools. For that reason I leave it in the tin to cool completely. It’s also why we leave the cake to rest for a week. It means it will mature and get a bit stickier with time – which we all love.
Anyway…
All that’s left to say is enjoy. Eat the sweet treats and bring on a happy, sweet and healthy new year. Happy 5787.
Em x
Grandma’s Honey Cake for Jewish New Year
Notes
This cake will improve with age. Aim to bake a week before you want to eat it.
Ingredients
- 230g Caster Sugar
- 2 Medium Eggs
- 230g Honey
- 1 Tbsp Marmalade
- 120ml vegetable oil
- 280ml boiled water
- ½ Tsp Ground Ginger
- ½ Tsp Cinnamon
- ½ Tsp Baking Powder
- ½ Tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
- 445g Self Raising Flour
Instructions
- Line two loaf tins with baking paper.
- Preheat the oven to 180℃ (Fan 160℃)
- Place all the ingredients apart from the flour in a bowl and mix
- Set aside to cool
- Sieve the flour onto the wet ingredients – a little at a time to avoid lumps and mix well.
- Pour half of the cake mix into each loaf tin and bake in the middle of the oven for 50 minutes. A knife will come out clean from the centre when baked.
- Leave to cool completely then wrap in foil and clingfilm
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Jewish baking
Delicious Honey cake recipe for Rosh Hashanah
