Honey Cake
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Whether it’s for Rosh Hashanah, a family get-together or just because, this honey cake is all about sweetness, warm spice, and cozy flavor in every slice.
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 hands-down 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.
Honey cake is 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.
“So easy to make, with a tender crumb and delicious flavour, and the house smelt wonderful while it baked.”
What You’ll Need To Make The Best Honey Cake
- All-purpose flour, baking powder, and baking soda – Work together to give the cake structure and a light, fluffy rise. Always measure flour using the spoon-and-level method for accuracy.
- Ground cinnamon, ground cloves, ground allspice – Warm spices that add a cozy depth of flavor.
- Vegetable oil – Keeps the cake incredibly moist and soft.
- Sugar, honey, and orange juice – Provide sweetness, moisture, and balance. Honey is the star here, lending its signature rich flavor, while orange juice adds brightness that complements the spices.
- Vegetable oil and eggs – Keep the cake incredibly moist, soft, and rich, while binding everything together.
- Brewed coffee, whisky (or orange liqueur), and vanilla extract – Enhance and deepen the flavors, balancing sweetness with warm, fragrant notes.
- 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
Step 1: Combine dry ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice. Whisk to combine.
Step 2: Add the wet ingredients. 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.
Step 3: Prep for baking. Pour the batter into a greased 8 or 9-inch cake pan and sprinkle the top evenly with the almonds.
Step 4: Bake and cool. Bake the cake for 40 to 50 minutes in a 9-inch pan, or 45 to 55 minutes in an 8-inch pan, until it’s set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool on a rack for about 15 minutes, then invert it onto the rack and flip it right side up to finish cooling.
Step 5: Serve. Enjoy the cake warm or at room temperature, with a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of honey if you like. If you’re not serving it the same day, store it in an airtight container 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
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cake can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, wrap it securely in aluminum foil or freezer wrap and place in a freezer bag. Thaw overnight on the counter before serving.
- If you’d like a taller cake with more of a dome on top, opt for the 8-inch pan.
Nutrition Information
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.
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This cake is seriously so amazing! I ended up making it twice this week, in order to share with more friends, family, coworkers…everyone loved it! My pantry was lacking the allspice and vanilla extract, so I substituted with nutmeg and almond extract. I’m holding onto this recipe for sure 🙂
I don’t have allspice & rarely have a recipe calling for it. How should I adjust using a substitute, or should I just leave it out?
Marcia, You could either omit it or use additional cloves or cinnamon in its place. Hope you enjoy!
Hi there!
So excited to try out this cake! As to the coffee, will coffee from an espresso machine be too strong and overpower the other flavours? Should I substitute a shot or two of espresso for a cup of coffee, or water down the espresso to get a full cup of liquid?
Thanks,
Maha
Hi Maha, You could use espresso, but it will probably give the cake a stronger flavor. If you are concerned about it, you could use 1/2 cup espresso and 1/2 cup of water.
I had tried a similar recipe and it would always fall in the middle but your changes make all the difference. We loved the flavor and moist texture…I look forward to trying more of your recipes. 🙂
What about using silicone bakeware? There’s lots of talk of sticking. Does it help to use silicone?
Hi Rachel, I have not had any issues with sticking, but I do use nonstick bakeware, which is recommended in the recipe.
Could these be made in a muffin pan with liners?
Hi Raven, Sure, that would work well.
Once again, your recipe is out of this world. Seriously, this is one of the BEST cakes I have ever made. The combination of flavors was wonderful. I licked the batter clean from the bowl, and the cake disappeared almost instantly at work and church! 🙂
Hi! Yummy recipe indeed! Great for these days in which cooler days are coming in 🙂
Hi Jenn,
Does this Honey and Spice Cake freeze well?
Hi Carol, Yes it freezes beautifully.
is there a honey of choice that you use ?
I am so anxious to try this, sounds yummy!
Thank You
I used ordinary supermarket honey b/c that’s what I had on hand, but I’m sure it would be even more delicious with wildflower or any specialty honey. Enjoy, and please let me know how it turns out 🙂
My late grandmother, a wonderful baker, preferred amber honey in her recipe as it has a wonderfully strong honey flavour.