Rosh Hashanah Honey Cake

In honour of the Jewish New Year, I decided to recreate my grandmother’s classic honey cake.

Strangely, it was a cake she served as an appetizer, along with orange slices, after everyone returned home after a day of fasting on Yom Kippur.

We didn’t bake together very often, but one year I happened to be visiting when my grandmother was doing her pre-holiday cooking and I helped her whip up her famous recipe.

The problem? The recipe has white flour, white sugar, eggs, coffee and vegetable oil.

So I created this beauty instead. The only difference I could discern was it didn’t rise as much as my grandmother’s did; otherwise, it’s a tantalizing recreation. Tender and light, without falling apart, and laden with honey flavour.

Happy New Year!

(Love desserts? Me too! That’s why I wrote an e-book about how to make them healthy. Take a peek here.)

Rosh Hashanah Honey Cake
gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, vegetarian

1 3/4 cups gluten-free flour (I used 1 cup brown rice, 3/4 cup sorghum)
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp raw honey
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/2 tsp Dandy Blend mixed with 1/2 cup hot water

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, coconut sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt.

In a small pot, gently melt the applesauce, honey and coconut oil. Mix in the Dandy Blend liquid.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well.

Pour the batter into a greased bundt pan, or a 9-inch cake pan. Bake for 45 minutes, or until the top of the cake is firm, but springy, and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.