I am not a crafty mom, but in theory, I like crafts. I would love to scrapbook and make cute paper flowers or something. I have even attempted crafty afternoons with my daughter. Thankfully stickers are like toddler crack, so all I need to do is sit there and patiently peel stickers or draw rudimentary flowers for my kid to be happy.
So at Rosh Hashanah time, I am not the mom to start decoupage-ing apple centerpieces or creating custom place-cards. I am the mom who has 37 kinds of sprinkles in my pantry. So I bake.
Honey or apple cake is traditional for Rosh Hashanah, but the honey cake I grew up with was neither beautiful nor delicious. In fact my great Aunt Ruth would make the honey cake in July, then freeze it. Then she would defrost it in August, slice it, and then re-freeze it. So by the time Rosh Hashanah arrived, well, the cake had seen better days.
RECIPE: Toddler-Friendly Baked Apples & Honey
These spiced apple cupcakes are a far cry from my Aunt Ruth’s honey cake. They are super moist and packed with warm spices and real apples (apple picking anyone??). Topped with a beehive-esque swirl of slightly sweet cream cheese frosting, they are a not-quite-traditional but absolutely delicious sweet treat for the New Year.
Want to add those adorable bees? I ordered mine straight from Amazon! But you don’t have to tell the other moms, just let it be our secret.
INGREDIENTS
For the cake:
1 ¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp allspice
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 – 3 cups confectioners sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
¾ cup milk
2 cups peeled, chopped tart apples
For the frosting:
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
16 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
½ tsp vanilla
4 Tbsp honey
¼ tsp salt
½ cup + 1 Tbsp confectioners sugar
Bee decorations (optional)
RECIPE: Balsamic Apple Date Challah for Rosh Hashanah
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line muffin pans.
Whisk together all the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.
Using a wooden spoon or hand mixer, cream together butter and sugar in a large bowl. Add vanilla and egg and keep mixing.
Add one quarter of dry ingredients to butter mixture. Then add some of the milk. Keep alternating until you have incorporated all the dry ingredients and all the milk, then add chopped apples and mix in.
Using a tablespoon or cookie scoop, fill each cup about three quarters full.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until tops are set and spring back slightly.
RECIPE: Vegan Honey Cake for Rosh Hashanah
To make the frosting: cream together cream cheese and butter using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Add honey, vanilla and salt and mix. Add confectioners sugar a few Tbsp at a time until desired thickness. If frosting needs thinning, add a splash of milk or heavy cream.
Cut the tip off of a piping bag or large (sturdy) Ziploc plastic bag and pipe frosting in a swirl pattern to resemble beehives. Top with bee decorations if desired.
When is Rosh Hashanah 2015? Click here to find out
