Honey cake is a timeless classic, evoking warmth and comfort with each bite and while it might not be a quick dessert recipe, it sure is delicious. The honey is comforting, nostalgic, exciting and has its own unique sweetness. This golden brown liquid brings with a unique depth of flavor. Combine it with warm spices like cinnamon, cloves or ginger and you have a decadent, delicious dish on your hands. The honey makes this cake tender, crumbly and one that will easily melt in the mouth. It can be enjoyed with tea and coffee during your morning breakfast as a loaf cake, and equally as a decadent after-dinner dessert, if topping with a delectable frosting or a honey glaze. No matter when and how it is served, the honey cake retains its traditional and comforting essence. So use this recipe to learn how to make this enigmatic cake. We’re sure you’ll keep coming back to it.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 150 gm plain flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp cooking salt (kosher salt)
- 225 gm unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 225 gm honey
- 2 large egg, at room temperature
- 45 ml milk, preferably full-fat, slightly warmed
- 1 pinch orange zest, optional (brings out honey flavour)
- 1/3 cup almond flakes
For the honey syrup:
- 225 gm honey
- 60 ml water
- 3/4 tsp lemon juice (recommended but optional)
Optional toppings:
- Vanilla ice cream
- Cream
- lightly toasted almond flakes
- slivered almonds
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F or 177°C.
- Butter a cake pan and line it with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a bowl, add the flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well and set aside.
- In another bowl, add the butter and beat with a handheld mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment until the butter is light and creamy. Then add the honey and beat for a few minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and drop everything back into the middle. Beat until smooth and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix well after each addition. Then add the flour, mix it in, then the next egg. Then stir in the milk and orange zest and beat until the mixture is nice and smooth. The batter should be soft, but thick.
- Transfer the batter into the prepared pan. Tap it against the work surface a few times to even it out. Sprinkle almonds on top. Bake for about 45 minutes. The exact time will depend on the machine you're using. You’ll know it's done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Then remove from oven and let it cool for half an hour.
- In the meantime, make the honey syrup. In a pan, add the honey and water and bring to a boil over medium heat. Then add the lemon juice and boil for another minute or two. Then remove from heat and let it cool for about ten minutes.
- Poke holes across the surface of the cake using a fork and pour the warm honey syrup across the surface. Let the cake soak it in and then pour more of the syrup on top. Then let the cake sit for 15 minutes so it can soak all the syrup.
- Remove from the pan and place on the serving plate. Add any toppings if you desire. Serve warm.
Notes, tips and tricks:
- Leftover cake can be stored in the fridge for four days.
- You need to use soft butter for the batter. This will happen when it's at room temperature. If you use cold butter, it will be too hard and won't properly mix in with the batter, leaving crumbs and lumps. If you melt the butter in the microwave or on the stove, it will be too hot and liquidy, making the final batter runny. So let the butter sit at room temperature for at least an hour before you start making the batter. This gives it time to naturally soften at room temperature and it will have the perfect consistency for baking.
- The recipe recommends using unsalted butter. If you don't have that on hand, you can use salted butter too, but then skip the extra pinch of salt. But it's better to use unsalted butter and add the salt pinch since the salt really brings out all the other flavours of the dish.