Honey Cake for Rosh Hashana

As many of you know, I was born in Israel, and I also have a sweet tooth. This might explain my fascination with desserts, and my zealous adherence to the New Year's tradition of eating something sweet, preferably with honey, to express the hope that the New Year will be sweet.

There are countless recipes for honey cake. Below are two of my favorites:

HONEY CHOCOLATE CAKE (what a combination!)

• 6 oz. (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• Dash salt
• 1/2 cup honey (I like Acacia or Lavender)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. cloves
• Grated rind from one lemon
• 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted
• 2 cups self-rising flour
• 1/2 cup water or plain yogurt

Beat butter, sugar, salt and honey 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated, then add the remaining ingredients but the flour and water. Alternately add the flour (in two additions) and water or yogurt. Bake 350F 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry.

I like to drizzle the cake with a mixture of 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tbsp. warm milk and 1 tbsp honey.

HONEY CHEESE CAKE

Crust:

• 1/2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 3 oz butter
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1 1/2 cups minced roasted almonds (optional; add graham, cracker crumbs if you'd rather avoid the nuts)

Melt the butter and honey, then mix all ingredients and spread evenly in a 9" spring-form pan. Cover the base and 1" of the sides. Bake until golden in 350F oven. Cool.

Filling:

• 1 lb. ricotta cheese
• 1 lb. cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 cup honey
• 4 large eggs
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Mix well all ingredients and pour into the spring-form. Loosely cover with foil. Lower the over to 325F and put a heat-proof container with water in the bottom shelf of the over (bain marie). Bake 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool.