Jewish New Year
The smell of sweet honey cake wafting out from my oven, symbolizes the rise of a new year, where new beginnings are created. As we approach Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, beginning on September 4th at night, there is a spark of anticipation stirring inside our mind and heart.
Rosh Hashanah is not only the New Year but it is also the day that Adam and Eve were created, the birthday of human kind. A time of new resolutions, a time of prayer, introspection and possibility. An opportunity to take an account of our own ‘human kind’.
I love the traditions and customs we have, that shed insight and inspiration into the holiday. A time to wish family and friends a “A Sweet New Year”, a time to share in the tastes of the holiday with community. So, in preparation, I baked honey cakes in Weck jars, by simply filling each jar halfway with honey cake batter! As I follow my favorite recipe, adding the ingredients so carefully, I measure extra portions of good thoughts, a heaping spoon of blessings for health, happiness and spirituality, mixing well, after each addition.
Chana’s Honey Cake
• 2/3 cups flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup dark brewed tea, made with 3 tea bags, cooled
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup honey
• 1/2 medium ripe banana thoroughly mashed
• Grated rind of 1 orange
• 1/8 Tsp. Ground cloves(This recipe is originally for two 9 x 5″ loaf pans) – Use parchment paper for lining when using pans.
Preheat oven to 350.
Beat eggs, in a mixer at medium speed, gradually adding sugar until pale and ribbon-like (about 7 -10 minutes…you don’t have to be religious about this step:)
Lower the speed and add the tea, oil, honey and banana, orange rind, cloves and even a dash of cinnamon if you wish. Combine thoroughly.
Gradually add in flour, baking powder and baking soda (use a whisk if you still have clumps of flour in your batter). Combine well.
When baking this batter in jars, simply fill each jar half way with the batter and bake for 20 minutes. Check to see if tops are done, then add another 10 minutes to baking time until the top of cakes spring back when touched gently.
(If you are making this cake in the loaf pans, the original recipe says to bake it at 325 degrees for the first 15 minutes and then raise temp. to 350 for another 25 minutes. I found that baking at 350 the entire time works too.)
To complete the look and to create packages that take on a personal touch, I added tags and labels that outfit each honey cake, honey jar and honey stick. The perfect hue of yellow tags and labels, reminiscent of golden honey. Wishing everyone a peaceful year of beautiful blessings, straight from the jar!
Used In This Project:
- Large Oval Tags • I chose the “Rococo” style in Sunburst.
- Diamond Tags • I chose the “Rococo” style in Sunburst.
- Circle Labels • I chose the “Rococo” style in Sunburst.
More homemade gift ideas from Chana:
Autumn Wedding Tea Favors Ice Cream Party Celebrating Passover Devorah’s Bat Mitzvah
Shop Our Food/Craft Collection:
Chana is a proud wife and mother of eight living in Mill Valley, California. She is inspired by the colors and textures of every day life and loves sharing her creative ideas with her community. Chana writes DIY projects, crafts and recipes celebrating her Jewish faith and shlichus on her blog, Chana's Art Room and is the co-director of Chabad of Mill Valley with her husband, Rabbi Hillel Scop.
Love your idea. Where did you purchase the jars?