Honey Cake (Bakery Style)

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Honey cake recipe with step by step pics. Honey cake is a well known dessert made famous by the South Indian bakeries, especially Iyengar bakery. This super delicious honey cake is made from whole wheat flour (atta), unrefined cane sugar and uses less oil. Thus, this one is a bit healthier too as compared to its counterparts.

eggless honey cake slice served on a white plate with a spoon kept on right side and text layover.

For the cake, I have made a sponge cake with whole wheat flour and the crumb is soft and light. After tasting this cake, it becomes difficult to guess the sponge cake is made from whole wheat flavor.

Baking soda is the only leavening ingredient used in the recipe. So there will be a slight aroma of the baking soda in this cake.

There are 2 glazes made for the honey cake

  1. Honey glaze – as per ayurveda, honey should never be heated. When honey is heated it becomes toxic. Thus for this eggless cake recipe I have not heated honey. I have diluted the honey with some rose water. You can even use drinking water or juices like apple, mango or orange.
  2. Jam glaze – for the jam glaze, I have used strawberry jam. You can even use mango jam or rose jam (gulkand) or any fruit jam of your liking. Top the Honey Cake with any jam glaze and desiccated coconut, and enjoy the flavors.

Honey cake recipe made without eggs was requested by a few readers and hence sharing the recipe. This is a lovely egg free honey cake recipe and your family and friends will love this cake. That much I can assure you.

In fact, it is quite addictive. So, you’ll have to keep baking it once a while. You really don’t have to wait to visit the bakery and then relish the cake, as this is going to be your go-to recipe to make it at home.

honey cake recipe

If you are a vegan, then skip adding honey glaze in the recipe. Just top the cake with your favorite jam glaze and desiccated coconut. The cake will still taste delicious.

Honey cake can be served as an evening sweet dessert or as a dessert after meals.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to make Honey Cake

Making sponge cake:
A) sifting dry ingredients:

1. Grease a 6×6 inches pan with some oil. You can also use a round pan or a loaf pan. Also preheat oven at 180 degrees celsius/356 degrees fahrenheit for 15 minutes.

For OTG as well as convection ovens, you can use the temperature of 180 degrees celsius both for preheating as well as baking.

making honey cake recipe

2. Take 1.25 cups of whole wheat flour (150 grams) in a sieve.

making honey cake recipe

3. Add ½ teaspoon baking soda. This much amount of baking soda makes the cake soft, but there will be a slight aroma of it. If you do not prefer the aroma, then add ⅓ teaspoon of baking soda.

Since baking soda is the only leavening ingredient used in the recipe, do make sure that is fresh and active. Just dissolve two pinches of baking soda in a bit of water and vinegar solution and it should fizz and bubble immediately. If not then the baking soda is not active and fresh.

making honey cake recipe

4. Add 1 pinch salt.

making honey cake recipe

5. Sift the dry ingredients and keep aside.

making honey cake recipe

B) mixing wet ingredients:

6. In a bowl take 1 cup cold water. The water has to be cold or chilled.

making honey cake recipe

7. Add ½ cup sugar (90 to 100 grams sugar). I have used organic unrefined cane sugar and it has a brown color. It is not brown sugar. You can easily use white sugar or brown sugar.

making honey cake recipe

8. With a whisk mix very well till all the sugar is dissolved.

making honey cake recipe

9. Then add ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract or ¼ teaspoon vanilla essence.

making honey cake recipe

10. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or lime juice or vinegar. For vinegar you can use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar.

making eggless honey cake recipe

11. Mix well.

making eggless honey cake recipe

12. Add ¼ cup sunflower oil. If using any other oil, then use a neutral tasting oil. You can also use olive oil.

making eggless honey cake recipe

13. Mix very well.

making eggless honey cake recipe

Making cake batter

14. Now add the wet ingredients to the sifted dry ingredients.

making eggless honey cake recipe

15. With a wired whisk and with light pressure from your hands, begin to mix.

making eggless honey cake recipe

16. Mix to a smooth batter. Small tiny lumps are fine. Do not over mix the batter.

making eggless honey cake recipe

17. Pour the eggless cake batter in the cake pan.

making eggless honey cake recipe

18. Gently tap and shake the sides so that the cake batter spreads evenly in the pan.

making eggless honey cake recipe

19. Place the pan in the preheated oven for 180 degrees celsius. If using OTG then use both the top and bottom heating elements on (toast mode in the Indian OTGs) and keep pan in the center rack.

making eggless honey cake recipe

20. Bake the cake for 30 to 40 minutes till the top is golden. Time varies from oven to oven, so it can take less or more time than 30 to 40 minutes. In the OTG which I have it took 35 minutes.

making eggless honey cake recipe

21. Check the egg free sponge cake with a skewer and it should come out clean.

making eggless honey cake recipe

22. Place the cake pan on a metal rack and let the cake become warm.

making eggless honey cake recipe

23. When the cake becomes warm or cools, remove it from the pan and keep on a wooden board or a chopping board or a large plate or tray.

making eggless honey cake recipe

24. Place the cake upright. Then with a skewer poke holes in the cake all over. Keep aside. For a neat presentable cake, you can slice off a thin layer of the top and the sides of the cake.

making eggless honey cake recipe

Making honey glaze

25. In a small bowl, take 3 tablespoons of honey.

making eggless honey cake recipe

26. Add 1 tablespoon of rose water or drinking water. Instead of water you can also use a fruit juice like apple juice, mango juice or orange juice. But do note that some flavor of the fruit juice will be felt in the cake.

making eggless honey cake recipe

27. Mix very well with a spoon. The rose water should get mixed evenly with the honey. Keep aside.

making eggless honey cake recipe

Making jam glaze

28. Take 3 tablespoons of strawberry jam in a pan. You can also use rose jam (gulkand) or mango jam or any fruit jam of your liking.

making eggless honey cake recipe

29. Add 2 teaspoons sugar.

making eggless honey cake recipe

30. Add 2 tablespoons of water.

making eggless honey cake recipe

31. Keep the pan on stove top and lit the gas stove on a low flame. Mix very well and begin to heat this jam glaze mixture.

making eggless honey cake recipe

32. Break the lumps of jam and mix it with the water. Stir often.

making eggless honey cake recipe

33. stir and mix to a smooth jam mixture.

making eggless honey cake recipe

34. Let the jam glaze come to a boil and then switch off the flame. Remove the pan from the stovetop and keep it aside. Let the jam mixture become lukewarm.

making eggless honey cake recipe

Making honey cake

35. Spread the honey glaze all over the cake with a spoon or spatula.

making eggless honey cake

36. Spread honey evenly and all over. Also, spread it on the sides of the cake.

making eggless honey cake

37. Optional step is to slice the cake before spreading the jam glaze. Or else you can slice the cake later.

eggless honey cake

38. Spread the lukewarm jam glaze all over with a spoon or spatula. Also spread on the sides.

eggless honey cake

39. Now sprinkle desiccated coconut all over the honey cake. Optionally the desiccated coconut can also be spread at the sides.

eggless honey cake

40. Gently press desiccated coconut with a spoon or butter knife, so that it sticks to the jam glaze.

eggless honey cake recipe

41. Let the jam glaze set (about 15 to 20 minutes) and then you can Serve slices of honey cake. Leftover remaining cake slices can be refrigerated and stays good for about a week.

honey cake without eggs recipe


If you are looking for Eggless cake recipes then do check:

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honey cake recipe, indian bakery style honey cake recipe

Honey Cake

Honey cake is a well known dessert made famous by the South Indian bakeries, especially iyengar bakery. This honey cake recipe has a soft, light crumb and is made with whole wheat flour (atta), unrefined cane sugar and uses less oil.
5 from 31 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Cuisine World
Course Desserts, Sweets
Diet Vegetarian
Difficulty Level Easy
Servings 9 pieces
Units

Ingredients

for sponge cake

  • 1.25 cups whole wheat flour or 150 grams
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 cup cold water
  • ½ cup sugar or 90 to 100 grams sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or ¼ teaspoon vanilla essence
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice or lime juice or vinegar – apple cider or white vinegar
  • ¼ cup sunflower oil or any neutral tasting oil

for honey glaze

  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 1 tablespoons rose water or drinking water

for jam glaze

  • 3 tablespoons strawberry jam or rose jam (gulkand) or mango jam or any fruit jam
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons water

other ingredients

  • cup desiccated coconut, unsweetened

Instructions
 

making sponge cake

    a) sifting dry ingredients

    • Grease a 6×6 inches pan with some oil. You can also use a round pan or a loaf pan. 
    • Preheat oven at 180 degrees celsius for 15 minutes. For otg as well as convection ovens, you can use the temperature of 180 degrees celsius, both for preheating as well as baking.
    • Take 1.25 cups whole wheat flour (150 grams) in a seive.
    • Add ½ teaspoon baking soda and 1 pinch salt. 
    • Sift the dry ingredients and keep aside.

    b) mixing wet ingredients for cake

    • In a bowl take 1 cup cold water. The water has to be cold or chilled.
    • Add ½ cups sugar (85 grams sugar). with a whisk mix very well till all the sugar is dissolved.
    • Then add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon lemon juice or lime juice or vinegar. mix well.
    • Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or lime juice or vinegar. For the vinegar, you can use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar. 
    • Then add ¼ cup sunflower oil. Mix very well.

    c) making cake batter

    • Now add the wet ingredients to the sifted dry ingredients.
    • With a wired whisk and with light pressure from your hands, begin to mix.
    • Mix to a smooth batter. Small tiny lumps are fine. Do not over mix the batter.
    • Pour the eggless cake batter in the cake pan. gently tap and shake the sides so as to even the batter in the pan.
    • Place the pan in the preheated oven for 180 degrees celsius. If using otg then use both the top and bottom heating elements on (toast mode in the indian otgs).
    • Bake the cake for 30 to 40 minutes till the top is golden. Time varies from oven to oven, so it can take less or more time than 30 to 40 minutes. 
    • Check cake with a skewer and it should come out clean.
    • Place the cake pan on a metal rack and let it become warm.
    • When the cake becomes warm or cools, remove it from the pan and keep on a wooden board or a chopping board or a large plate or tray. Then place it upright.
    • Then with a skewer poke holes in the cake all over. Keep aside.

    making honey glaze for honey cake

    • In a small bowl, take 3 tablespoons honey.
    • Add 1 tablespoon rose water or drinking water. Instead of water you can also use a fruit juice like apple juice, mango juice or orange juice. But do note that some flavor of the fruit juice will be felt in the cake.
    • Mix very well with a spoon. The rose water should get mixed evenly with the honey. Keep aside.

    making jam glaze

    • Take 3 tablespoons strawberry jam in a pan. You can also use rose jam (gulkand) or mango jam or any fruit jam.
    • Add 2 teaspoons sugar and 2 tablespoons water.
    • Keep the pan on stove top and lit the gas stove on a low flame. Mix very well and begin to heat this jam glaze mixture.
    • Break the lumps of jam and mix it with the water. Stir often. stir and mix to a smooth jam mixture.
    • Let the jam glaze come to a boil and then switch off flame. Remove the pan from the stove top and keep aside. Let the jam mixture become lukewarm.

    making honey cake

    • Spread the honey glaze all over the cake with a spoon or spatula.
    • Spread honey evenly and all over. Also spread it on the sides of the cake.
    • Optional step is to slice the cake before spreading the lukewarm jam glaze. Or else you can slice the honey cake later.
    • Spread lukewarm jam glaze all over with a spoon or spatula. Also spread on the sides.
    • Now sprinkle desiccated coconut all over the honey cake. Optionally the desiccated coconut can also be spread at the sides.
    • Gently press desiccated coconut with a spoon or butter knife, so that it sticks to the jam glaze.
    • Let the jam glaze set (about 15 to 20 minutes) and then you can serve slices of honey cake. Leftover remaining slices can be refrigerated. They stay well in the fridge for about a week. 

    Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)

    Nutrition Facts
    Honey Cake
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 218 Calories from Fat 72
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 8g12%
    Saturated Fat 2g13%
    Sodium 66mg3%
    Potassium 82mg2%
    Carbohydrates 35g12%
    Fiber 2g8%
    Sugar 21g23%
    Protein 2g4%
    Vitamin C 1.2mg1%
    Calcium 7mg1%
    Iron 0.8mg4%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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    This Honey Cake post from the archives, originally published in December 2017 has been updated and republished on January 2023.

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    30 Comments

    1. Can i replace oil with butter in your recipe?

      And also can i add 1tsp baking powder too in addition to 1/2tsp baking soda?
      I want to try your recipe for my daughter’s birthaday day after tomorrow…

      1. Yes you can use butter, but then use a wired whisk for mixing the butter with water as the cold water will solidify the butter when you add it. Don’t add baking powder as ½ teaspoon baking soda is apt for the cake. Happy Baking!

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