
Honey Cake Recipe
It is a Honey Cake made with solely honey because the sweetener, no sugar, so you’ll be able to actually style the honey (such muffins are rarer than you suppose!). You’ll love the way it’s soaked with wealthy honey syrup, flooding the cake with further honey flavour and making the crumb fantastically moist.
This candy gem is sensible as a pudding-like dessert to complete off a comfortable dinner, or served for afternoon tea with associates.

I had a load of home-harvested honey gifted to me by folks in my life who maintain their very own bees. Considering how greatest I may flatter such a beautiful ingredient, I developed a barely mad obsession with making a cake that used honey and no sugar in anyway. Sounds easy sufficient, proper?
WRONG!
Seems, it’s a lot tougher than it appears. For one, sugar performs an essential half in making muffins rise. When creamed with butter, sugar creates little air pockets because the cake bakes. Once you take away sugar from the equation, muffins tend to be very dense, as I found from numerous honey cake recipes I attempted.
The opposite downside? Just about all those I attempted don’t really style of honey. What’s the purpose then, I ask??! 😂
So I’m happy to current my very own honey cake recipe which I feel does the cake justice each in identify and the consuming! It was broadly tailored from this Greek Honey Cake. Should you do an ingredient comparability although, you’ll see that the top end result bears little resemblance. Essentially the most distinct distinction is the absence of sugar in my recipe.


Simple elements on this recipe! The important thing ingredient is in fact, honey (think about that! 😂).

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Honey – Not all honey is created equal! The higher high quality the honey, the stronger the honey flavour and the higher the end result. To be sincere although, whereas I don’t need to encourage you to make use of filth low cost mass-produced honey since it could actually typically be bulked out with sugar syrup, even should you use an everyday mainstream model the honey flavour will nonetheless completely come by on this cake.
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Butter (at room temperature) – When recipes name for butter at room temperature or softened butter, the butter must be firmer than you most likely suppose. Ideally it’s 18°C / 64°F. That is delicate sufficient to whip, however nonetheless cool sufficient that once you contact it, you don’t find yourself with a slick of grease in your finger.
Butter that’s too delicate can result in greasy muffins that don’t rise in addition to they need to. In truth, this is without doubt one of the commonest issues in cake making!
Right here’s a fast strategy to carry butter to room temperature: Minimize fridge-cold butter into 1.5cm cubes (1/2″ thick slices in case you have a US stick of butter). Scatter on a plate. Microwave 2 cups of chilly faucet water for 4 minutes on excessive in giant mugs or a jug. Take away the warmed water, shortly put the butter plate as a substitute and shut the door. DO NOT flip the microwave again on. The residual warmth within the microwave air will soften the butter in 5 minutes.
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Massive eggs at room temperature – The eggs should be at room temperature and never fridge-cold, to make sure they incorporate into the batter simply.
A fast strategy to heat up fridge-cold eggs: Place eggs in a big bowl, cowl with heat faucet water (simply heat, not scorching) and depart for five min. Wipe dry and use per recipe.
Egg measurement (“giant eggs”): 50 – 55g / 2 ouncesper egg is the business customary of sizes offered as “giant eggs” in Australia and the US. In case your eggs are considerably bigger or smaller in measurement, simply crack the eggs right into a jug, whisk and measure out 200g / 7 oz.
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Flour – Simply all objective/plain flour for this recipe. Self-raising flour will work in its place however the cake will comprise extra baking powder than the recipe calls. It will trigger the baked cake to dome a bit of within the center.
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Baking powder – To make the cake rise. If yours has been sitting in the dead of night corners of the pantry for some time, take a look at it to verify its nonetheless alive!
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Milk – Full-fat is best although low fats is okay too.
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Salt – Only a bit, to carry out the opposite flavours on this cake. It’s typically good baking follow so as to add a pinch of salt into candy recipes.
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Orange zest (elective) – Really helpful however not the top of the world should you skip it. A pinch of orange zest magically enhances the honey flavour on this cake. You received’t be capable to style the zest within the cake until you may have a really refined palette. (I don’t. Therefore why the flavours of my recipes are normally kapow! slightly than delicate! 😂 )
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Flaked almonds – For ornamental functions, for flavour and for shielding the floor of the cake so it doesn’t get too darkish when baked (neat huh!)
Subsequent is the honey syrup we use to soak the cake.

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Honey – Sure, extra honey! I informed you, you undoubtedly received’t miss the honey flavour on this cake! 😂
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Water – To skinny the honey a bit, in order that we will safely simmer the honey for five minutes with out it getting too thick.
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Lemon juice – Simply the best contact, 3/4 tsp. It provides a really delicate however welcome trace of lemon freshness. It’s such a small quantity you’re most likely questioning what’s the purpose?? However you actually can style the little twang it brings! Having mentioned that although, it’s not a deal killer should you skip it. Not like making this cake with out, say, honey. 😂
The key to this cake actually lies within the stability of elements. The cake-making steps themselves are very bog-standard!
First up, making the cake.
1. The cake

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Whisk dry elements: Place the dry elements in a bowl and whisk collectively.
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Cream butter and honey: A normal cake making step typically deployed for butter and sugar. However right here, we’re doing this step with honey as a substitute! Beat it for 3 minutes on medium-high, a bit longer than you normally go for when baking with sugar because the honey is denser.
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Add eggs separately, alternating with flour – Swap to a wood spoon. We’re going to combine within the eggs separately, alternating with parts of flour. So, add one egg, then combine till included. The combination will curdle at first, however maintain stirring and it’ll come collectively after round 30 seconds.
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Add flour in 4 heaps – After the primary egg is blended in, add 1/4 of the flour and blend simply till you’ll be able to not see flour. Add one other egg, combine till included. Then 1/3 of the remaining flour. And so forth, with the two remaining eggs.
Why change to a wood spoon after creaming the butter? As a result of a beater will aerate the eggs an excessive amount of, inflicting the cake to dome slightly than ending with a pleasant flat floor. This form will trigger the honey syrup to run down the perimeters as a substitute than soaking into the cake – and we will’t have that 😱!

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End batter – Lastly, stir within the milk and orange zest. The completed batter is kind of thick and can look a bit like whipped cream slightly than utterly easy, as per the photograph.
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Scrape into pan – Scrape the batter right into a baking paper-lined pan and easy the floor. Even in case you have a non-stick pan its greatest to line it with baking paper to make sure the cake doesn’t stick.
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Sprinkle the batter floor with the flaked almonds.
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Bake for 45 minutes or till a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clear. Then take the cake out of the oven however depart it within the pan, and funky for quarter-hour. This is a vital step, to let the cake settle earlier than soaking in syrup. Should you skip it, the cake finally ends up too dense (impatience is a advantage not often rewarded in baking, as I typically uncover to my detriment!).
Subsequent, we’re going to SOAK it in honey syrup! Make the syrup whereas the cake is resting.
2. Soaking in Honey Syrup
My favorite step is right here. Nope, not the soaking half. I imply the cake-poking half! So satisfying … 😂

Make the Honey Syrup whereas the cake is cooling for quarter-hour.
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Simmer the honey and water for five minutes to cut back. This concentrates the honey flavour, whereas heating the honey thins it so it will get absorbed extra readily by the cake.
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Add lemon juice and simmer for an extra 2 minutes. Then cool the syrup for five to 10 minutes.
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Poke holes within the cake, after it’s rested for quarter-hour. Bamboo or steel skewers work properly. Poke with gusto, all the best way right down to the bottom – round 30 or extra holes. Poke between the almonds so that you don’t disturb them. (See … it’s a recreation … therefore the attraction! 😂)
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Honey syrup – Pour over the honey syrup in 4 goes, ready between every pour for the syrup to soak in earlier than doing the following. Use a spoon if wanted to unfold the syrup evenly throughout the floor. Then depart to soak for quarter-hour.
TIP: In case your cake has a slight dome on it, frivolously press the dome down with a spatula after baking to flatten the floor, else the syrup tends to only run off the cake and down the perimeters. Not the top of the world because it then will get absorbed by the bottom and sides of the cake. Nevertheless it is nicer when the syrup has soaked the center of the cake too.
And we’re finished! See the part beneath for serving solutions …


This Honey Cake is greatest served heat as a result of the cooler it will get, the denser it turns into. So serve it freshly made or else leftovers additionally reheat completely, making it excellent for making forward too. To reheat, simply 30 seconds within the microwave for a slice will do, or lined within the oven for round quarter-hour.
With its honey syrup-soaked crumb and crunchy toasted almond topping, I like serving this cake plain as a result of there’s loads of style and texture occurring right here already. Nevertheless, if you wish to jazz it up, I’d by no means discourage that! Attempt a giant dollop of cream or vanilla ice cream (or BOTH!) with a a further sprinkle of frivolously toasted almonds (flakes or slivered), and a drizzle of additional heat honey. SO GOOD!
I feel I simply talked myself out of serving it plain – Carry on the toppings, on second thought!!! 😂 – Johnsat x

Ingredients
- 1 cup plain flour (Note 1)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt (kosher salt)
- 225g (1 cup) unsalted butter , at room temperature (Note 2)
- 2/3 cup honey
- 4 large eggs , at room temperature (Note 3)
- 3 tbsp milk , preferably full-fat, slightly warmed
- 1 pinch orange zest , optional (brings out honey flavour)
- 1/3 cup almond flakes
- 2/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup water
- 3/4 tsp lemon juice (recommended but optional)
- Vanilla ice cream, cream, lightly toasted almond flakes or slivered almonds
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).
- Prepare cake pan: Butter and line a 20cm/8" round pan or springform pan with baking paper (base and sides).
- Whisk Dry ingredients: Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.
- Cream butter and honey: In a separate bowl, cream the butter and honey for 3 minutes, scraping down the sides halfway, until smooth and fluffy. (Speed 7 handheld beater or stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment).
- Add eggs and flour – Add one egg, mix with a wooden spoon for 30 seconds until mostly incorporated into the batter (mixture will looked curdled). Then add in 1/4 of the flour and mix until the batter comes together. Repeat again – mixing in 1 egg, then a portion of flour – until you've used all the eggs.
- Milk and zest: Stir in the milk and orange zest, stir until the batter is almost completely smooth. The batter should be quite thick, but soft.
- Bake 45 min: Scrape batter into the prepared pan, smooth the surface and sprinkle with almonds. Bake for 45 minutes or until a knife inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Cool 30 min: Remove cake from the oven. Cool for 30 minutes in the pan – don’t skip this else the cake gets too dense when soaked with syrup.
- Honey Syrup: Meanwhile, make the syrup. Bring the honey and water to a gentle boil for 5 minutes over medium-low heat. Add the lemon juice and boil for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat, cool for 10 minutes then use per below.
- Poke and soak: Poke about 30 holes all across the surface using a skewer (between the almond flakes). Pour 1/4 of the warm Honey Syrup across the surface (if using a springform pan, put it on a plate in case it leaks). Once it mostly sinks in, repeat 3 more times, waiting between pours for the syrup to soak in. Then leave the cake to soak for 15 minutes.
- Serve: Serve warm. Remove the springform pan sides, or serve it straight out of the cake pan (Note 4 for removing from cake pan). I typically serve it plain. However Topping Options suggested above would never be turned away!
Notes
1. Flour – Self-raising flour can be substituted but the cake will dome more (as it contains additional baking powder). After baking, lightly press down on the dome to flatten the surface so the honey syrup doesn’t completely run off! Cake flour is not suitable, it will make the sponge too soft.
2. Softened butter – Don’t let the butter get too soft. This is a common error with baking recipes that call for butter to be creamed. Target 18°C/64°F for the butter. This is soft enough to be whipped, but you should not be left with a thick, shiny slick of grease on your finger when you poke it. Greasy fingers = butter too soft = greasy cake that doesn’t rise well.
If the butter is >20°C/68°F, I would chill the butter a bit before using else your cake may end up greasy.
3. Eggs – 50-55g / 2 oz per egg is the industry standard of sizes sold as “large eggs” in Australia and US. Eggs need to be at room temperature so they incorporate properly into the batter. Quick way to warm up fridge-cold eggs: Place eggs in a large bowl, cover with warm tap water (just warm, not hot) and leave for 5 min. Wipe dry, then use per recipe.
4. To remove from a cake pan – cover the almond surface with baking paper (the surface is tacky and will stick to the plate) then invert onto a plate then invert again so it’s right side up.
5. Leftovers will keep for 4 days in the fridge. Warm before serving as the crumb firms up when cold!
Serve this for dessert after….
Roast Chicken
Sautéed Green Beans with Garlic
Potatoes au Gratin (Dauphinoise)
Vegetarian Lasagna
Better-Than-Dominos Garlic Bread
The Garden Salad