Kid Recipe: Applesauce Cake for Rosh Hashanah

Apples, spices, and learning skills baked into one deliciously sweet holiday dessert.

This apple sauce cake is inspired by Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, which is celebrated in the fall by Jewish communities around the world. A traditional Rosh Hashanah meal often includes apples dipped in honey to welcome in a sweet new year. In this recipe, kids can experiment with making the cake their own—deciding which fall spices (like cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger) to use and how much. It’s a wonderful dessert for a Rosh Hashanah dinner, but also a cozy, seasonal treat to enjoy anytime, whether or not you celebrate the holiday.

My hope is that kids who celebrate Rosh Hashanah will have a recipe they can proudly bring to family gatherings, and that kids who don’t will still enjoy baking something delicious while learning about another culture. Cooking is a powerful way to learn (have I mentioned that yet?)—not just about food, but about traditions,…