Honey Cake
User Reviews
5
Honey Cake
Description
This Honey Cake recipe involves first creaming butter at a controlled temperature with honey until fluffy, then adding eggs alternately with flour mixed with baking powder and salt. Milk and a pinch of orange zest are folded in to enrich the batter. The cake is poured into a buttered and lined pan and baked until set and golden.
After baking, a honey syrup made from honey, water, and lemon juice is poured over the warm cake, adding moisture and a glossy sweetness. Almond flakes sprinkled on top provide a slight crunch and accentuate the nutty flavor. The cake is soft with a fine crumb and carries the warm sweetness of honey paired with delicate citrus highlights.
Serve the cake with cream, vanilla ice cream, or additional almond flakes toasted lightly. The cake holds in the refrigerator for up to four days and is best served warmed to soften its crumb again.
Practical notes include using room-temperature eggs for better incorporation, ensuring butter is soft but not overly melted to avoid greasiness, and a recommendation against cake flour which yields too soft a texture. The dome created during baking can be gently pressed down to hold the honey syrup.
Ingredients
Honey cake
- 1 cup plain flour (Note 1)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt kosher salt, cooking
- 225g (1 cup) butter at room temperature (Note 2, unsalted
- 2/3 cup honey
- 4 egg at room temperature (Note 3, large
- 3 tbsp milk , preferably full-fat, slightly warmed
- 1 pinch orange zest , optional (brings out honey flavour)
- 1/3 cup almond flakes
Honey syrup
- 2/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup water
- 3/4 tsp lemon juice (recommended but optional)
Topping options for serving
- vanilla ice cream lightly toasted; almond flakes or slivered almonds
- cream
- almond flakes
Instructions
Honey Cake:
- 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
- Use unsalted butter at about 18°C for proper creaming; too soft butter results in greasy cake.
- Room-temperature large eggs (~50-55g each) incorporate better into the batter.
- Self-raising flour can substitute plain flour but may cause the cake to dome more.
- Press down the domed surface slightly after baking to retain honey syrup without excessive runoff.
- Honey syrup with lemon juice adds moisture and a subtle tang balancing sweetness.
- Leftover cake keeps up to 4 days refrigerated; warm before serving for best texture.
- To remove from pan, invert with baking paper and then right side up to preserve almond topping.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 10Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 376 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 376cal | 19% |
| Carbohydrates | 48g | 16% |
| Protein | 4g | 8% |
| Fat | 20g | 31% |
| Saturated Fat | 12g | 60% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 115mg | 38% |
| Sodium | 150mg | 6% |
| Potassium | 140mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 38g | 76% |
| Vitamin A | 673IU | 13% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 56mg | 6% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
You'll Also Love
