Around the World with Honey Cakes

From the gingerbread-like honey cakes of Brazil to the honey-soaked Farina Cake of Egypt, we’re examining four classic honey cakes and the places they call home. 

JAKE COHEN  ON HONEY CAKE

The author of the new cookbook Jew-ish: A Cookbook: Reinvented Recipes from a Modern Mensch offers some sweet insight and a sweeter recipe for his Rosh Hashanah-ready Apples and Honey Upside-Down Cake

ROSH HASHANAH ROOTS

“Honey cake, and the traditions surrounding Rosh Hashanah, feels especially important to secular Jews like myself. We don’t necessarily keep with all the traditions, but when it comes to high holy days, like Rosh Hashanah, those are the most important days of the year. Whether you’re religious or nonreligious, you still celebrate them no matter what. Rosh Hashanah, as the celebration of the new year, is full of symbolism. Eating something sweet portends having a sweet year. Apples and honey are classic sweet things we incorporate into the many meals. In my nontraditional twist, I envisioned a honey cake with the added value of caramel apples.”

HONEY HERITAGE

“Honey cakes are really a part of the Ashkenazi Jewish tradition. In Eastern Europe, where the Ashkenazi people lived, it was common for bakers to sweeten their pastries with honey. Because, before there was sugar, there was honey, which was much easier to get and use. And then, wherever the Jews have gone, like the US, there’s been local honey on hand.”

FOOD THAT BINDS

“When we think of food and Judaism, so much of it is tied to gathering with your loved ones. Rosh Hashanah is one of the most important times for Jewish families to gather, a beautiful moment to wish the ones close to you future prosperity, joy, and hope. Even though I’m secular, being Jewish is a huge part of who I am, defining the way I am, the way I eat, and the way I cook. To me, this recipe and the others in my cookbook, Jew-ish, are a way to preserve my heritage. It’s a love letter to growing up Jewish and then how I’ve taken the identity and made it my own.”

AMIRA IBRAHIM  ON BASBOUSA

The Egyptian baker and cook behind the blog Amira’s Pantry shares her recipe and story behind the classic Egyptian honey cake

AN EGYPTIAN CLASSIC

“Basbousa is one of the earliest traditional desserts that kids can try, as it is easy to chew on. So, I probably started enjoying basbousa when I was 2 or 3 years old. In Egypt, everybody tries to make the perfect basbousa at home. My first attempt was about 17 years ago, and I’ve been baking it ever since.”

GATHERINGS AND RAMADAN

“Honey is enjoyed in Egypt by everyone, as it is one of the main things to eat with Egyptian feteer (a layered baked pastry that is very common). Basbousa itself has always been tied to happy moments and special occasions—like Ramadan gatherings, taking it as a gift when visiting family and friends, enjoying it during family gatherings on Eid, and sometimes, it is served during wedding parties as well. Basbousa is enjoyed year-round but especially during the holy month of Ramadan, when classic desserts have a special place on the table.”

TRICKS OF THE TRADE

“I would say basbousa is common in both bakeries and at home, but many give up trying after a couple of fails and they turn to get it from bakeries, as it is widely available and not that expensive. Basbousa needs a bit of patience to get the hang of it. Sometimes, it will not come out perfect, but promise it will be tasty. It is really easy to master—just give it a couple of tries and do not give up.”

ASHA SHIVAKUMAR  ON SOUTH INDIAN HONEY CAKE

The author of Masala & Meatballs: Incredible Indian Dishes with an American Twist tells the story of the vibrant honey-soaked South Indian honey cake

IYENGAR INFLUENCE

“It’s one of South India’s favorite cakes. It originates with one of the original Iyengar bakeries, businesses run by the Iyengar people and known for the quality, freshly baked breads. These bakeries were opened in the late 1800s and took many baking traditions from the British. It’s a simple British white cake, but the owners brought their own touch by adding orange, honey, cardamom, and coconut, which is very popular in India.”

SWEET MEDICINE

“In South India, we don’t often bake with honey. It’s viewed more as a medicinal product. I remember my grandmother giving it to me for my sore throat. She’d mix honey, turmeric, and ground pepper and serve it to me in a teaspoon. What makes this cake really special is that we soak it with honey rather than baking it with honey. When you combine orange juice and honey, it becomes this wonderful, floral syrup that makes this cake so special.”

A CAKE FOR ALL OCCASIONS

“With my cookbook, I wanted to show all the different facets of Indian cooking and baking. It’s not fusion—it’s the authentic food you would find in India but made accessible. And this cake has become one of the most popular recipes from the book, not just with bakers but with my family. It’s the cake for every birthday. My two sons have asked for it, my husband asks for it; everyone loves it.”

ROSANA MCPHEE  ON PÃO DE MEL

Rosana McPhee, a Brazilian ex-pat located in the United Kingdom, offers a glimpse into the history of pão de mel and a recipe from her blog, Hot & Chilli.

BRAZILIAN BEGINNINGS

“I’m Brazilian, but I’ve been living in England for the past 30 years. I started my blog as a way to collect all the recipes I used to make with my mother. I was the youngest of four, and I grew up sitting on the counter, helping her in the kitchen. My mother wanted me to be a good cook—but my grandmother was the baker. She was half-German and half-Brazilian, and she had a very old cookbook that she used for pão de mel. So, we’ve always been baking it.”

GERMAN GINGERBREAD MEETS BRAZILIAN FLAVORS

“Back in the day, this recipe was very traditional to its European roots, a classic German gingerbread cake. But we kept contributing Brazilian flavors, like dulce de leche and brigadeiro. Brigadeiro is like Brazilian fudge or chocolate truffles. So, basically, we thought, “Oh, why don’t we add a filling to this pão de mel?” In Brazil, everything is chocolate because it such an important commodity. We like our chocolate.”

BAKERY BITE

“It’s very common for pão de mel to be found in Brazilian bakeries. We have it with coffee or dessert. The flavor of our pão de mel is very hot, strong, and spicy. We like a little bit more of everything—more chocolate, more spice, just more. I think because we live in a tropical climate, we like to have it taste that way.”

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