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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Hi Jenn,
Do you think I can use this recipe for two medium size bunds pans?
Hi Jason, I’m not sure you’ll you’ll have enough batter – I’d increase by 1.5x
The recipe for Honey cake on your website use to make a double loaf cake, and did not have almonds. Is this the same recipe? If not, can you repost your original recipe. Thanks!
Hi Maaike – it is essentially the same recipe but with a few tweaks to resolve some issues people were having. You can find the original here.
Thank you! I will be sure to try the new version on your website, but happy to have the one I’ve made so many times.
Hi Jenn— could I substitute applesauce for half the oil? Would olive oil be okay to use? And could I add some yellow raisins to the batter?
Hi Carol, yes, you can substitute applesauce for half of the oil; just keep in mind that it will make the cake more dense and more moist. You can use olive oil in place of the vegetable oil, but it will add a different flavor to the cake. And, yes, feel free to add raisins to the batter.
Jenn, another out of the park home run. Our whole holiday meal came from your recipes!
I made this for tonight’s holiday dinner and it was the most delicious, moist and tasty honey cake I’ve ever had. The crowd of 11 loved it and many asked for the recipe. We don’t have liquor so I just added extra OJ. I did it in a bundt pan and had to kind of piece it back together as some of it stuck. I baked at 350 for exactly an hour and had no trouble with it collapsing. With baked goods I have started to use an internal thermometer just like I do with meat, 208-212 seem to be just right for cakes and breads.
Can I make this gluten free by using ‘Measure by Measure’ flour?
Hi Stacey, I haven’t tried this with gluten-free flour so can’t say for sure how it will turn out, but it should work.
Just to let you know it tasted great using measure by measure – a gluten free flour from King Arthur!
Great – thanks Stacey for letting readers know!
Jenn, thank you for this great recipe. I have a question: I would like to make 3 mini loafs (using 8 in*3 7/8in *2 15/32 in foil loaf pans). Can I split your recipe three ways? Or do I need to double the recipe? Also what would the temp and time for baking? Thank you
Hi Tanya, I would double it. I’d love to know how the loaves turn out!
Jenn: Thank you for another marvelous recipe. This is the genuine article Rosh Hashana honey cake of my childhood – only better. I used less than half the granulated and it is plenty sweet. My husband snuck a bit off the side; delicious, he said; complex, moist and delicious. I whisked it away to the freezer where I trust he will leave it till Monday.
🙂
Hi! Love your recipes, Jenn. Foolproof! Question – can I use grapeseed oil for this cake? Thx!
Sure, Stacey, that should work. Hope you enjoy!
Could I make this cake in a bundt pan?
Hi Helen, I’ve never made this in a bundt pan, but a few readers have commented that they have successfully. Please report back if you try it!
This recipe is one of our family favorites. I have also made it several times for friends and neighbors. It’s a hit every time! It’s the perfect recipe…quick to make, makes the house smell wonderful and it’s deliciously moist!
Hello, I just thought I’d belatedly continue this conversation. I just made this in a 14×10 inch glass lasagna pan, omitting entirely the white granulated sugar. I used all the other ingredients as indicated, with the weight measurements of the flour and brown sugar, and a cup of honey, using coffee and 3/4 of fresh orange juice. It baked in 45 minutes and rose beautifully, without burning or sinking, and it has a moist texture and tender but slightly springy sponge that is really delicious. I am really impressed with this recipe. And thanks Jenn for being so patient and encouraging when we want to tweak your painstakingly tried and tested recipes! But I can’ help it I always diminish the granulated sugar because then I can bake more often and feel less guilty of eating these for breakfast!