Honey Cake
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Moist, tender, and filled with rich honey flavor, this easy-to-make honey cake is perfect for any occasion, from breakfast to dessert!
This honey cake recipe is adapted from Marcy Goldman’s much-loved cookbook, A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking. Many say the recipe alone is worth the price of the book, and I couldn’t agree more—it’s the best honey cake I’ve ever tasted. Tender, moist, and full of depth—there’s coffee, orange juice, and whiskey in it!—the honey flavor really shines through. The cake is wonderfully versatile, perfect with a cup of coffee for breakfast or a snack, or dressed up for dessert with whipped cream and a drizzle of honey. Best of all, it’s incredibly easy to make—just mix the batter by hand in one bowl, pour into the pan, and bake. It keeps well at room temperature for up to two days, and the recipe can easily be doubled if you’d like to freeze one for later or share with a friend.
What You’ll Need To Make Honey Cake
- All-purpose flour – Gives the cake its structure. Always measure flour using the spoon-and-level method to ensure accuracy.
- Sugar – Sweetens the cake and keeps it nice and tender.
- Baking powder and baking soda – These work together to give the cake a light, fluffy rise.
- Ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground allspice – Warm spices that add a cozy depth of flavor.
- Vegetable oil – Keeps the cake incredibly moist and soft.
- Honey – The star of the show! It adds sweetness and gives the cake its signature rich flavor.
- Eggs – Bind everything together and add richness.
- Brewed coffee – Enhances the flavors and balances the sweetness.
- Orange juice – Adds a bit of brightness and complements the honey and spices.
- Whisky or orange liqueur – A splash of something special for extra depth.
- Vanilla extract – Rounds out the flavors with a warm, fragrant touch.
- Sliced almonds – Adds a bit of crunch on top for a nice contrast in texture.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice.
Whisk to combine.
Add the oil, honey, eggs, coffee, orange juice, whiskey/orange liqueur, and vanilla extract.
Using a strong wire whisk, mix the ingredients until well combined.
Pour the batter into a greased 8 or 9-inch cake pan.
Sprinkle evenly with the almonds.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes if using a 9-inch pan, or 45 to 55 minutes for an 8-inch pan, until the cake is set and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Set the cake on a rack and let cool for 15 minutes, then invert the cake onto the rack and turn it right side up to finish cooling.
Serve the cake warm or at room temperature, topped with whipped cream and drizzled with honey, if desired. If not serving on the same day, place in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.
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Honey Cake
Ingredients
- 1¾ cups all-purpose flour, spooned into a measuring cup and leveled off
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup honey
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- ⅓ cup brewed coffee, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons whisky or orange liqueur (or substitute more orange juice)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup sliced almonds
For Serving (Optional)
- Whipped cream
- Honey
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Spray an 8 or 9-inch (20 or 23-cm) cake pan (see note) with nonstick cooking spray with flour, such as Pam Baking or Baker’s Joy.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Add the oil, honey, eggs, coffee, orange juice, whiskey/orange liqueur, and vanilla extract. Whisk until evenly combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle evenly with the almonds. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes if using a 9-inch pan, or 45 to 55 minutes for an 8-inch pan, until the cake is set and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Set the cake on a rack and let cool for 15 minutes, then invert the cake onto the rack and turn it right side up to finish cooling.
- Serve the cake warm or at room temperature, topped with whipped cream and drizzled with honey, if desired. If not serving on the same day, place in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Notes
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Comments
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Hello Jenn, I am keen to try this honey cake and have a question as to the brewed coffee. Would hot water poured on ground beans be suitable? This produces a very strong coffee, the kind that is served in tiny cups in Turkey and the Middle East. Or do you make coffee in another way? Thank you!
Sure, that should work. Hope you enjoy!
A delicious and very easy-to-make dessert that I’ve made several times to universal acclaim. Thank you, Jenn. A question: I’d like to make TWO of these in separate cake pans at the same time. Can I double the recipe and pour half into each cake pan?
So glad you like it! Yes, it’s fine to double the recipe and bake it in two separate pans.
Jenn: you are a HONEY of a chef! Thank you.
Fabulous recipe!
I subbed whisky out for Spiced Rum as that’s what I had to hand, but it worked perfectly.
So easy to make, with a tender crumb and delicious flavour, and the house smelt wonderful while it baked.
I will definitely make again
Delicious! Another fabulous recipe. Happy New Year, Jenn, to you and your loved ones.
This cake is outstanding! I didn’t intend to change anything, but I was a bit short on OJ and topped it off with Cointreau, which worked just fine. The recipe is dairy free and, with whipped cream as a side option, it was a perfect choice for my lactose-free guests. Highly recommend this easy cake, which has very sophisticated flavor.
Delicious Cake, beautiful texture, and glossy top. But I’ve made it twice and both times even though I scattered the slivered almonds evenly over the top they sank into the middle instead of saying evenly distributed. The second time I lightly floured the almonds thinking that would keep them put, but the same thing happened. Any suggestions?
Hi Maxine, It’s actually typical for the almonds to move towards the center of the cake, leaving about a 1-inch perimeter around the edge—it happens for me too (although it didn’t for my photographer). I think it looks pretty that way, so I wouldn’t worry about it, but if it bothers you, you could try sprinkling some almonds around the edges of the cake towards the end of the baking time. Hope that helps and glad you enjoyed the cake!
Hi Jenn,
I baked the Honey Cake this week. It was over the top delicious, perfect.
We throughly enjoyed it and will make again.
Thank you for sharing your lovely recipes with us.
Regina
Your original Honey Cake recipe used Brown Sugar. This updated version omits the brown sugar. Does if make a difference in the recipe?
PS. I am making your Sweet and spicy Chicken for the holiday, which is always a crowd favorite.
Hi Linda, It really doesn’t, which is why I simplified the recipe. Hope you enjoy the new version if you try it!
I have this in the oven now and the house smells delicious. Today I used a 9 in. Round cake pan, but I’d like to make it again is small loaf pans to give to single/ couples who prefer smaller sized desserts. From some comments, it seems it would make about three mini loaves with reduced baking time. Does that sound right? Thank you and happy Rosh Hashana!
That does sound right to me. Please LMK how they turn out! 🙂
I made three mini loaves and baked about 30 min. and started checking. They have been gifted to single friends and are the perfect size. One quick question, does the orange liqueur burn off in the cooking process? I was hesitant to use it for a family with children so stuck with the OJ. should I hold off on adding the whiskey for adults only although I did use the coffee . Thanks
Hi Ilene, Yes, the alcohol should burn off while baking so it’s perfectly safe for kids to eat.
Hi Jenn!
I was wandering if I could use espresso powder in place of the brewed coffee grounds?
Hi B, you can use (prepared) espresso, but I don’t recommend the powder.