Honey Cake

Honey cake is a layered cake with honey-based layers, and Honey cake is especially good for festive tables, birthdays, and holiday gatherings. Honey cake needs time to soak, so Honey cake is best made ahead and left in the refrigerator for a full day before serving. Honey cake in this version has a brighter and denser taste because the recipe recommends buckwheat honey for the layers.

Buckwheat honey gives the layers a deeper flavour and darker colour, while sugar and butter help the dough melt together smoothly over the heat. Eggs enrich the dough and help bind the layers, and baking soda lifts the warm honey mixture so the baked layers stay light rather than hard. Boiled condensed milk is used in the cream to underline the honey flavour and aroma, while sour cream brings balance and a slight tang, and butter makes the cream smooth and stable.

Gentle heating is the main thing to watch while making the dough, because the sugar and butter should dissolve without the mixture coming to a boil. The honey mixture is ready for the next stage when a white foam appears on the surface, and the baking soda should then be stirred in and heated for 1 more minute. The rolled layers should be pricked with a fork so the dough does not puff, and each layer should bake at 200°C for 3 minutes until set. The trimmings should be baked for about 5 more minutes until they become a bright honey colour, because the darker baked scraps make a more fragrant crumb.

The cream also depends on patience and temperature, because the egg yolks, water, and boiled condensed milk should be heated on a water bath for about 15 minutes until the mixture becomes smooth. The cooked cream base should cool to room temperature and then chill for 30 minutes before the softened butter and sour cream are added. The finished cream should be whipped only until smooth, and the assembled Honey cake should then be covered all over and coated with crumbs before resting in the refrigerator for 24 hours so the layers soak properly.

Natural swaps are possible for the honey, and any natural honey can replace buckwheat honey if needed. Linden honey, acacia honey, or flower honey will all work, but buckwheat honey gives a darker colour and a richer taste, while lighter honey makes the aroma softer. A round baking tin or a paper circle 24 cm across can be used to trim the layers to size, because the recipe allows either option for shaping the finished cake.

Honey cake is served after chilling, when the layers have softened and the cream has settled into every layer. Honey cake can be sliced into 15 portions, and the crumb coating gives each slice a neat finish. Ready Honey cake keeps in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in a closed container or under film, and Honey cake becomes even tastier after the first day because the layers absorb the cream completely.

Questions about this recipe

How long does Honey cake take to make?

The active cooking time for Honey cake is 1 hour for baking the layers and assembling the cake. Honey cake also needs at least 6 to 8 hours in the refrigerator to soak, and leaving Honey cake overnight is better.

Can I use a different honey for Honey cake?

Any natural honey can replace buckwheat honey in Honey cake. Linden honey, acacia honey, or flower honey will work, but buckwheat honey gives Honey cake a darker colour and a richer taste.

Can I freeze Honey cake?

Yes, assembled Honey cake can be frozen for up to 1 month. Defrost Honey cake in the refrigerator for 8 to 10 hours, because cream made with boiled condensed milk tolerates freezing without separating.

How long does ready Honey cake keep?

Ready Honey cake keeps in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in a closed container or under film. Honey cake tastes better after the first day because the layers become fully soaked.