Foods flavored with honey symbolize the desire for a sweet New Year in the Jewish calendar.

Go the locavore way and pick up some local honey for baking this Rosh Hashannah. Local honey is good for you – and what better way to eat it than by celebrating the holiday with this light, spicy cake?

Honey Chiffon Cake Ingredients

4 eggs, separated

1 cup sugar

1 cup honey

1 cup oil

3 ½ cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup strong tea

Making the Honey Cake

Preheat the oven to 300 F, 150 C.

Have ready 3 bowls: one deep, and two medium-sized.

In one of the medium bowls, beat the egg whites till stiff.

In the deep bowl, beat the egg yolks till light. Beat the sugar in. Beat in the honey, then the oil. It will be a thick emulsion.

Sift the flour, baking powder and soda, spices and salt together into the second medium bowl.

Add the dry ingredients to the egg/honey mix, alternating with the tea. Start and end with the flour mixture.  This is now the batter.

Mix the egg white mixture into the batter, folding it in gently but making sure that it’s well incorporated.

Pour into a greased and floured 9″ x 13″ cake pan. Bake for 1 hour.

Cool the cake and sift powdered sugar over the surface.

Slice, and enjoy!

More recipes for a sweet New Year from Green Prophet:

• Flan, a Sophisticated “Slow” Summertime Dessert
• Two Fig Recipes with Arak and Cream
• Silky White Malabi, Middle Eastern Milk Pudding