Apples, traditional at Rosh Hashana, shine in this cake

Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, begins on Sunday evening (Sept. 25), and the people in my house would get pretty ornery if I skipped the holiday’s traditional brisket or kugel. But I also like to change up some dishes, like sides and desserts.

In many homes, honey cake is traditional on Rosh Hashanah, but it’s this apple cake recipe that shows up in my house, and not only during the holidays. It makes other appearances Just Because. Just because it’s fall, just because I went apple picking, just because people are coming over for brunch.

Let’s home in for a moment on the apples. In many homes, apples are dipped into honey at the beginning of the Rosh Hashanah meal for a sweet year to come. Joan Nathan, an authority on Jewish food and author of 11 cookbooks, says apples have been associated with the holiday since the Middle Ages.

“Every Jewish