This Rosh Hashanah apple honey cake is tender and moist, and perfect for serving for the Jewish high holidays or any special occasion! It’s a moist honey cake flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, and apples to celebrate a sweet new year.
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9”x5” loaf pan with baking spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the boiling water and instant espresso until dissolved. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
To the warm water-espresso mixture, whisk in brown sugar, oil, honey, eggs and vanilla extract until combined. Mix in the grated apple.
Add the flour mixture to the liquid ingredients, and whisk until just combined and no flour streaks remain. Don’t overmix otherwise the batter can become tough.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. It should be filled about ¾ of the way full.
Bake loaf cake for 55-58 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The center of the cake will be slightly domed and no longer jiggly at all.
Once the cake is baked, allow it to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges of the cake to loosen it, and use the parchment paper overhang to lift the cake out of the pan. Place onto a wire rack.
Allow the honey cake to cool completely. Sprinkle confectioners’ sugar on the top of the cake and enjoy!
Notes
Use any baking apple such as Honeycrisp, Braeburn, or Golden Delicious.
Instant espresso substitute: You can swap the ½ cup water plus instant espresso for ½ cup of strongly brewed coffee, black tea, or orange juice.
How to store: This cake can be stored on the counter in an airtight container or bag for up to 2 days and enjoyed at room temperature. Alternatively, store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
How to freeze: To freeze, wrap the cake in plastic wrap and then place in a freezer safe airtight bag. Freeze for up to 3 months. To defrost, leave on the counter in the sealed bag overnight.
Other size pans: If you use smaller loaf pans, be sure to fill only ¾ of the way, and bake any remaining batter in muffin tins (muffins bake for about 25-30 minutes). A 9x4" pan holds half the amount of batter as a 9x5" pan and bakes for significantly less time then this recipe specifies. Determine baking time by looking for visual cues for doneness such as cake springs back when tapped at the top center, cakes starts to pull away slightly from the sides of the pan, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (not raw batter). Always test early. Larger baking pan- This recipe wasn't tested in a Bundt pan and would require a larger amount of batter.