On Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, it’s traditional to eat honey cake and dip apples in honey, symbolizing the hope for a sweet new year. Baking this honey cake recipe is a tradition I began when my children were little. I make many loaves of Honey Applesauce Cake every year and share them with my family and friends.
Honey Applesauce Cake tastes like honey dipped apples. I adapted a recipe for applesauce bread by substituting honey for some of the granulated sugar.
The result is a moist, sweet cake that makes a great snack cake or dessert. The recipe makes two large loaves. Eat one and freeze the other, or give it away and sweeten someone’s day!
Though I have been making and gifting Honey Applesauce Cake for years, until this week I never stopped to think of what a great care package treat it is. I was sealing up six little loaves in a Monday Box for my son (one for him and the others for his apartment mates) when I realized that Honey Applesauce Cakes are especially well suited for care packages.
The loaves stay fresh for up to a week and are sturdy enough to travel well. They are best mailed during cool weather months due to the high moisture content of the cake.
ADDITIONAL SWEET HONEY RECIPES
For those of you who celebrate Rosh Hashanah, I wish you l’shana tova, a happy New Year. I wish everyone a year of health, happiness, and peace.
YOU MAY NEED THESE BAKING TOOLS
HONEY CAKE RECIPE
Honey and applesauce make this loaf cake moist and delicious. It is an ideal little loaf for gifting and care packages too!
Honey Applesauce Cake
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Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup honey
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 ½ cups unsweetened applesauce
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 ˚F. Lightly spray baking pans with cooking oil.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and cinnamon.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter, sugar, and honey.
- Add eggs. Beat until combined.
- Mix in applesauce.
- Gradually add flour mixture and beat just until incorporated.
- Pour evenly into pans (approximately 1 cup per mini pan or three cups per loaf pan). Mini loaf pans can be placed in the oven on a cookie sheet for more even baking and easy removal.
- Bake loaf pans for 35-45 minutes and mini pans for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- If removing the cakes from the pans, cool for 10 minutes in the pans before removing the cakes to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Once completely cool, cakes should be wrapped in plastic wrap. Store at room temperature (or in the refrigerator) for 5-7 days
Notes
- This recipe makes 2 bread pan loaves or 6 (3” x 5”) mini loaves.
- The loaves stay fresh for up to a week and are sturdy enough to travel well. They are best mailed during cool weather months due to the high moisture content of the cake.
Nutrition
Monday Box readers who enjoyed Honey Applesauce Cake also enjoyed these goodies! Click on the photo to get the recipe.
Sharon says
Do you use salted or unsalted butter for this recipe?
Wendy Sondov says
Hi, Sharon. I use unsalted butter in all of my baking. I’ve fixed that in the recipe card above.
Sally Harper says
Wendy, I love the aroma and taste of this recipe! However, I ended up with a layer of applesauce at the bottom of the loaves. Instead of the top rising, they fell somewhat. I followed the recipe, I live at 1800 feet (elevation). Ideas of what could cause this?
Thank you!
Wendy Sondov says
Hi, Sally. I’ve never had these issues with this recipe, so I’m not sure what could be causing the problems. I have zero experience with high altitude baking, but I do know that it does often require adjustments. If you ended up with moisture on the bottom (the applesauce was completely mixed into the batter, right?) and the top fell in, it sounds like the loaf didn’t bake through. Take a look at this resource for high altitude baking from King Arthur Flour. I hope it helps! https://www.kingarthurbaking.com/learn/resources/high-altitude-baking
Sandra Trauzzi says
Delicious. Will make it again and again
Wendy Sondov says
I agree, Sandra! I’m so pleased that you enjoyed the honey cake! Thank you for leaving your comment and rating!
Denise Wartluft says
Can I use raisins in this recipe?
Wendy Sondov says
Hi, Denise. You absolutely can use raisins in this recipe. Keep in mind that this cake tastes even better the next day, so you might want to plan ahead. Enjoy!
Siri says
Hello! This looks like a wonderful recipe, thank you for sharing. I was just wondering if there is any way to only make one loaf? Would it be okay to half all of the ingredients?
Wendy Sondov says
Hi, Siri. You can definitely make just one loaf using half of the recipe. However, this loaf freezes very well and also makes a lovely gift. You might want to make the whole recipe and freeze one loaf for later or gift a loaf to someone who could use a smile. 🙂 Happy baking!
Patty says
I baked your Honey Applesauce Cake tonight and everyone liked it, but I agree with another post that some small apple chunks would be delicious in this too. I was thinking about 1 1/2 cups and using Granny Smith, Fiji or Jazz. What do you think would be best and what about the amount? Oh, I also used half cinnamon and apple pie spice.
Wendy Sondov says
Hi, Patty. I can see how some apple bits could be delicious. First, keep in mind that adding to the recipe will increase the volume of the batter. Be careful not to overfill your pans. That said, I would start with no more than 1 cup of chopped apples and see how the batter looks before adding any more. All of the firm, slightly tart apples you mentioned sound like good choices.
Patty says
When adding the extra cup of finely chopped apples, would you leave everything else the same? I think the cake/bread gets better each day! 🙂 I have been reheating it in a NuWave oven adding butter after heating YUM YUM YUM
Barbara F Anderson says
have you ever made this vegan without egg and butter? using shortening or coconut oil and bananas for eggs?
Wendy Sondov says
I’m sorry, Barbara, I have never tried adapting this recipe to make it vegan. My concern with the substitutions you suggested is that they will make an already moist cake too mushy, but I have no vegan baking experience so I am really unsure. Have you seen this recipe below? Maybe it is a good place to start. https://www.thespruceeats.com/vegan-jewish-honey-cake-recipe-1135445
Thurcia says
Wanted to be sure to review here as well! I made square muffins for my toddlers (halve the recipe) using 2 to 1 brown to white sugar and added raisins. So moist and delicious and so easy! Next time I’ll try chopped apples. Thanks again! This will easily make my weekly rotation.
Wendy Sondov says
Thank you so much, Thurcia, for taking the time to leave your lovely 5 star review! I really appreciate it. Your photo of the muffins on Pinterest (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/366480488427085273/) looks delicious! The image in my head of your toddlers munching on honey cake muffins makes me smile! 🙂