This Easy Honey Cake is a wonderfully moist, tender, and fragrant cake that’s sweetened with the rich, floral flavor of honey. It’s a simple, rustic, one-bowl recipe that comes together in minutes and fills your kitchen with the most incredible warm and cozy aroma as it bakes. With a delicate crumb and a beautiful golden-brown crust, this cake is pure, simple comfort.
Perfect for an afternoon snack with a cup of tea or coffee, a simple dessert, or even a sweet breakfast treat, this honey cake is a timeless classic. It doesn’t require any complicated steps or frosting—its beauty lies in its simplicity and its deep, comforting honey flavor.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Incredibly Easy: A straightforward, one-bowl recipe that’s perfect for bakers of all skill levels.
- Moist & Tender: This cake has a beautifully soft crumb and stays moist for days.
- Wonderful Honey Flavor: A rich, warm, and comforting flavor that isn’t overly sweet.
- Versatile & Simple: Perfect on its own, or it can be dressed up with a simple glaze or a dusting of powdered sugar.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, melted
- 1/2 cup Honey
- 1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1 large Egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 cup Buttermilk or plain yogurt, at room temperature
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or an 8×8 inch square pan.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, honey, and granulated sugar until well combined. Whisk in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Make the Batter: Add half of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Stir in the buttermilk, then add the remaining dry ingredients. Mix until you no longer see streaks of flour, but be careful not to overmix.
- Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread it into an even layer. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Let the cake cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips & Variations
- Pro Tip: The flavor of the honey really shines through in this cake, so use a good quality honey that you enjoy the taste of. A floral honey like clover or orange blossom is lovely.
- Add Nuts: Fold in 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts or pecans into the batter for a nice crunch.
- Citrus Zest: Add the zest of one orange or lemon to the batter for a bright, citrusy note that pairs wonderfully with the honey.
- Simple Glaze: Once the cake is cool, you can drizzle it with a simple glaze made from 1 cup of powdered sugar and 1-2 tablespoons of milk or lemon juice.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- How do I store honey cake?
- Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature. It will stay moist and delicious for up to 4 days.
- Can I use a different type of pan?
- Yes, this recipe also works well in a standard loaf pan. You may need to increase the baking time to 40-45 minutes.
- My cake is a bit dark on top. Why is that?
- Honey causes cakes to brown more quickly than sugar. If you find the top is browning too fast, you can loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil for the last 10-15 minutes of baking.
Serving Suggestions
- This honey cake is wonderful served on its own, perhaps with a dusting of powdered sugar. It’s also delicious served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream.
Honey Cake
A soft, moist honey cake made with no sugar at all—just pure honey for rich flavor. Finished with a warm honey syrup soak, this cake is best served warm for a pudding-like dessert. Perfect for cozy dinners or holiday gatherings.
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan). Butter and line a 20cm/8″ cake pan or springform pan with baking paper.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a small bowl.
- Cream butter and honey with a mixer for 3 minutes until smooth and fluffy.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing lightly, alternating with flour until combined.
- Stir in milk and orange zest. Batter will be thick but soft.
- Scrape batter into pan, smooth top, sprinkle with almond flakes. Bake 45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
- Cool cake in pan for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make syrup: simmer honey and water 5 minutes, add lemon juice, simmer 2 more minutes. Cool 10 minutes.
- Poke cake with skewer and pour syrup over in 4 stages, letting it soak between pours. Rest 15 minutes.
- Serve warm, plain or with ice cream, cream, or more almonds.
Notes
🍯 Honey Flavor: The orange zest really enhances the honey notes, but it’s optional.
🥚 Eggs: Use room temperature eggs for the best texture.
🧈 Butter: Target around 64°F (18°C) for creaming—not too soft, not greasy.
🥄 Flour: You can use self-raising flour, but the cake will dome more—press lightly after baking if needed.
⏱️ Leftovers: Store in the fridge up to 4 days. Always reheat before serving to keep the crumb soft.
🍨 Serving: Serve warm as-is, or with vanilla ice cream, cream, or extra almonds on top.
🥚 Eggs: Use room temperature eggs for the best texture.
🧈 Butter: Target around 64°F (18°C) for creaming—not too soft, not greasy.
🥄 Flour: You can use self-raising flour, but the cake will dome more—press lightly after baking if needed.
⏱️ Leftovers: Store in the fridge up to 4 days. Always reheat before serving to keep the crumb soft.
🍨 Serving: Serve warm as-is, or with vanilla ice cream, cream, or extra almonds on top.
