Jewish Honey Cake with Pomegranate Glaze

This is Jewish honey cake with a twist! The moist, warmly spiced Rosh Hashanah classic, finished with a tart pink pomegranate glaze and a splash of whiskey (totally optional) in the batter. Honey cake has a bit of a bad reputation (dry, heavy, the dessert nobody fights over). This version fixes all of that. It’s genuinely moist, deeply spiced, and the pomegranate glaze gives it a bright, modern finish that earns it a real spot on the holiday table.

What is Jewish honey cake?

Jewish honey cake aka lekach in Yiddish is a dark, spiced cake sweetened with honey, traditionally served at Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. The honey symbolizes hopes for a sweet year ahead. Love it! It’s an Ashkenazi staple that’s been on holiday tables for generations, usually baked in a loaf or bundt pan and flavored with warm spices, coffee, and sometimes a little liquor.

The classic version is good, but let’s be honest: it can be dry and one-note. My take keeps everything that makes honey cake meaningful and fixes what makes people skip it.

Why honey cake for Rosh Hashanah?

On Rosh Hashanah we eat sweet foods to usher in a sweet New Year like the classic apples dipped in honey, honey drizzled over challah, and honey cake for dessert. Did I mention honey?? A good honey cake is one of those dishes that tastes like the holiday, the same way brisket or matzo ball soup does. This one adds pomegranate, another Rosh Hashanah symbol (the many pomegranate seeds (arils) are said to represent the 613 mitzvot. Fun fact!) So it’s doubly fitting for the new year.

The twist: pomegranate glaze and a splash of whiskey

Two things set this honey cake apart from your bubbe’s:

• Pomegranate glaze. A simple mix of confectioners’ sugar and pomegranate juice makes a naturally vibrant pink, tart glaze that cuts the sweetness of the honey and looks stunning. It also conveniently hides any cracks or imperfections — no one will know.
• A splash of whiskey. A little whiskey in the batter deepens the flavor and keeps the crumb tender. You can leave it out, but it’s a small addition that does a lot. Coffee and pomegranate juice round out the liquid for an extra-moist, complex cake.

How to make a moist honey cake (not a dry one)

Dry honey cake is the most common complaint, and it’s almost always one of these mistakes. Here’s how to get a moist Jewish honey cake every time:

• Don’t overmix. Beat the batter just until the ingredients come together. Overmixing develops gluten and makes the cake tough and dense.
• Use enough liquid. The combination of oil, honey, coffee, pomegranate juice, and whiskey keeps this cake genuinely moist. Oil-based cakes stay softer longer than butter cakes.
• Don’t overbake. Pull the cake when a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs, around 1 hour. Baking too long is what dries honey cake out.
• Let it rest. Honey cake is even better the next day. The flavor deepens and the crumb settles. It’s a great make-ahead dessert.

Make ahead and storage

Honey cake is the rare dessert that’s better made ahead. Bake it a day or two before Rosh Hashanah, wrap it well once cooled, and keep it at room temperature – the honey keeps it moist and the spices mellow into each other. Glaze it the day you serve. It also freezes beautifully for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature and add the pomegranate glaze fresh.

Jewish Honey Cake with Pomegranate Glaze

Amy Kritzer

A moist, warmly spiced Jewish honey cake — the traditional Rosh Hashanah lekach — finished with a tart pomegranate glaze. Never dry, and better the next day.

4 from 5 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Jewish

Servings 12

Ingredients

  

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For Cake

• Butter, oil, or cooking spray for greasing pan
• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus more for flouring the pan (426 g)
• 1 cup granulated sugar (200 g)
• 1/2 cup light or dark brown sugar (115 g)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 Tablespoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 cup canola or vegetable oil (any neutral oil) (235 ml)
• 1 cup honey (trick: measure oil before honey and it will slide right out of the measuring cup) (235 ml)
• 3 large eggs
• 11/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup strong brewed coffee (decaf is okay), room temperature
• 1/2 cup pomegranate juice (120 ml)
• 1/4 cup whiskey (or more pomegranate juice; I’ve also used amaretto or rum) (60 ml)
• Zest from 1 lemon

For Pomegranate Glaze

• 1 cup confectioner’s sugar (113 g)
• 2-3 Tablespoons pomegranate juice (ideally fresh squeezed for the brightest color)
• Pomegranate arils for garnish

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºF. Grease 12-cup (2.8L) Bundt pan and flour lightly. (You can also make 24 muffins with this batter. Line two muffin tins with liners if you want to do that.)
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg until combined. Set aside.
• In a separate large mixing bowl add oil, honey, eggs, vanilla, coffee, pomegranate juice, whiskey, and lemon zest and beat with a hand or stand mixer with a whisk attachment until incorporated. A whisk works here too.
• Add dry mixture to wet mixture and beat just until combined. You do not want to over-mix and make the cake tough. The batter should be thick but still runny and stick to the whisk attachment.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan (it should fill two-thirds of the pan) and bake 50–60 minutes until cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out mostly clean. (If making muffins, fill the muffin tins 2/3 of the way full. Bake for 18-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.)
• Cool for 15 minutes in the pan and then turn the cake out onto a cooling rack to finish cooling.
• To make glaze, whisk together powdered sugar and enough pomegranate juice to make a glaze thick enough to cover the back of a spoon. To get fresh pomegranate juice, squeeze a pomegranate through a sieve over a bowl to catch the arils. Drizzle over cake. Garnish with pomegranate arils (or whatever you like!) and serve.

Notes

Notes: Frost the day you are serving. Unfrosted cake stores great wrapped well at room temperature for up to 3 days.

 

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FAQ

Why is honey cake eaten on Rosh Hashanah?

Honey symbolizes the wish for a sweet New Year, which is the central theme of Rosh Hashanah. Honey cake (lekach) has been the traditional Jewish New Year dessert for generations, served alongside apples and honey.

Why is my honey cake dry?

The most common causes are overmixing the batter, overbaking, or not enough liquid. This recipe uses oil plus honey, coffee, and pomegranate juice to stay moist, and you should pull it from the oven as soon as a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Can I make Jewish honey cake without alcohol?

Yes. The whiskey adds depth but is completely optional — replace it with an equal amount of coffee or pomegranate juice. The cake will still be moist and delicious.

Can honey cake be made ahead of time?

Absolutely! It’s one of the best make-ahead desserts. Bake it 1 to 2 days ahead and store wrapped at room temperature; the flavor improves as it sits. It also freezes for up to 2 months. Add the pomegranate glaze the day you serve.

What pan is best for honey cake?

A bundt pan gives this cake its classic shape and bakes evenly thanks to the center tube. A standard loaf pan also works for a more traditional look — just adjust the baking time and check for doneness with a toothpick.

More Rosh Hashanah desserts

• Jewish Apple Cake
• Chocolate Chip Apple Cake with Pomegranate Glaze
• Nutella Rugelach
• Carrot Sweet Potato Cake (Tzimmes Cake)