Leah Koenig’s latest book celebrates desserts, featuring 100 Jewish sweets to enjoy throughout the year—for holidays, Shabbat, and everyday occasions. I chose this recipe for its moist texture and gently sweet flavor. Growing up, my family’s dessert table always included a loaf of honey cake from a local Jewish bakery that I carefully avoided. Too sweet and too heavy-handed for me, it always sent me reaching for the fresh berries instead.
As an adult hosting my own family dinners, I experimented with apple, plum, and honey cakes. When I recently tried this one, it was a standout with both family and guests. Its apples and honey—symbols of hope for a sweet year—make it especially fitting for Rosh Hashanah. Once I prepared this modern take on honey cake, I knew it was the one I would serve when dessert time arrived. A bit of brown sugar and strong coffee take the edge off the classic honey cake’s intense sweetness.
As Koenig writes, “The thick sweet-tart layer of apple butter glaze brings a level of sophistication that will make the cake the star of the dessert table.” With its warm fall spices, this cake would also be lovely for any autumn celebration.
Apple and honey are symbols of hope for a sweet and fruitful year. Nico Schinco/TCA
Excerpted from “The Dessert Table: 100 Joyful Jewish Sweets” by Leah Koenig. Used with permission of the publisher, W. W. Norton & Company, Inc. All rights reserved.