This simple honey cake is ideal for breakfast or afternoon tea. Consider adding a sprinkling of confectioners sugar. This can also be even more “gussied up” for a nice midweek dessert with some honey-sweetened whipped cream and berries, or maybe some pears or apples sautéed with butter, lemon, and honey.

By | March 14, 2022

Ingredients

SERVINGS: Makes one 9-inch round layer
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 4 ounces butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup honey (choose a somewhat strongly flavored honey if possible; this is the main flavor of the cake!)
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon orange blossom water (optional, but amplifies the honey flavor)

Instructions

Heat oven to 350°F. Line a 9-inch round pan with parchment paper. Sift flour and other dry ingredients together. Whip butter and honey until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, whipping between additions. Gently fold in dry ingredients and then stir in sour cream and vanilla (and orange water, if using).

Pour batter into the pan and bake for 35 minutes, until golden and top springs back when lightly touched. Let cool in the pan about 20 minutes, then unmold and let cool completely.

Can be eaten immediately, but flavor improves overnight.

Ingredients

SERVINGS: Makes one 9-inch round layer
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
  • 4 ounces butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup honey (choose a somewhat strongly flavored honey if possible; this is the main flavor of the cake!)
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon orange blossom water (optional, but amplifies the honey flavor)