Happy 5769

Today is Rosh Hashana, the start of the Jewish new year 5769. Happy New Year! It's tradition to eat something sweet, like apples and honey, as a symbol of our wish for a sweet new year.

When I was a kid, my mom would always bake the most delicious honey cake at this time of year. Luckily, I still have a notebook filled with her hand written recipes where I found at least four different recipes for honey cake. I'm not sure which one is the delectable one I remember from my childhood and sadly my dear mother isn't around anymore for me to ask. So here's one of those recipes if you'd like to give it a try.

1 teaspoon instant coffee crystals
1 cup water
3/4 cup cooking oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 cup chopped pecans
sifted powdered sugar

Combine coffee crystals and water; stir until dissolved. In a mixer bowl combine oil, sugar, honey, eggs and vanilla. beat with an electric mixer on low speed until well mixed. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute more. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and cloves. Add these dry ingredients alternately with the coffee mixture to wet ingredients in mixer bowl. Beat 2 minutes. Stir in pecans. Turn into a lightly greased and floured 10-inch fluted tube pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for 40 to 45 minutes. Cool pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cake; cool. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Serves 10 to 12.

My mom was a fabulous baker. And it must have rubbed off on us a little as my sister has started her own baking company. Check out her website at Baker-Babes.com.

If you venture to give this honey cake recipe a try, I hope you'll like it. And though this is a tough time for our country right now, it's always nice to enjoy a little of life's sweetness.

Wishing you a happy, healthy and sweet new year.

Susan

Comments

[Cathy Santarsiero]

Happy New Year to you and yours, Susan! xo Cathy ^..^

[Carrie S.]

L'shanah Tovah Susan!

[Estee]

Shana Tova. Thanks for the recipe, Im going to try this one.
x

[kitschen pink]

Happy New Year! I love that tradition! Your talented sis looks like she could be a very bad influence on my waistline! t.xx

[Linda Rose]

Happy New Year! Thanks for sharing the recipe and your sister's site looks yummy!!!

[Susan@ black eyed susan's kitchen]

Happy New Year my friend. I hope that this year proves to be a sweet one indeed. I don't know if you caught my last post, but your mention of your sister going into the baking biz gave me a bit of a giggle. My dad and grandfather both owned bakeries, one in Queens, NY and the other on the north shore of long island. I always say that I grew up in a bakery. It does give one some sweet memories. Susan

[janet]

Happy 5769, yes could all use a bit of sweet right now.

[SusanG]

Happy new Year to you as well! I use my grandmother's honey cake recipe, and I think the secret is to use buckwheat honey - very dark and strong, but it gives the cake some extra flavor.

Susan