Sweet as my Grandma’s Honey Cake

Rosh Hashanah, the new year on the Jewish calendar, encourages and celebrates the ability to dream and envision what you want your future to look like. What kind of person were you this past year? Have your actions reflected your beliefs? How do you seek to relate to the world? During this time of the year, we reflect on both the personal shortcomings and successes of the past year and envision the open opportunity of the new year – the new you.
Even if you have never celebrated the holiday of Rosh Hashanah, we can all resonate with the sentiments of personal gratitude for the empowerment in shaping one’s life and the hope for a honey-sweet tomorrow.  Rosh Hashanah reminds us to be grateful for the sweet things in life – like family and friends, good health and growth potential.
One way to celebrate the sweet things in life is through good food.  We always eat apples and honey on Rosh Hashana and other ceremonial foods that are sweet– in gratitude for all that is going right, all the many miracles we take forgranted each day.  Honey Cake is a favorite family tradition in our house.  That is because my grandmother, Mary Kleinhandler, managed to survive the Holocaust and continue on to create a loving life worth living.  Here is her famous recipe for Honey Cake that she remebered from her childhood in Poland before the war.   It is always a hit at our house.  Give it a try!  I am sending love from deep in my heart to you and your family on this New Year and throughout.

Grandma Mary Kleinhandler’s Famous Honey Cake:


3 Cups of Flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp cocoa or instant coffee

1 tsp salt

1 cup sugar

1 cup honey

4 eggs

1/2 cup water or orange juice

1 orange grated (I cut the top and bottom off and grate most of it– skin, seeds everything!)

1 1/4 cup oil

*Add raisins, shredded carrots, or dates– optional

Mix dry ingredience until there are no streaks.  In a separate large bowl blend the wet ingredience.  Slowly add the dry  mixture to the wet.  Blend well.

If you are using a round pan with a removable bottom, line it with waxed paper.  Otherwise grease a bundt cake pan.

Bake at 350 for 55 minutes.  Cool and remove from cake pan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mary and Arthur Klienhandler on their
wedding day in the Chmielnik Ghetto

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