Honey Cake
by Nigella. Featured in FEASTIntroduction
This is the cake to make for Rosh Hashanah. Indeed, you couldn’t proceed without it. Many people give them as presents over the Jewish New Year and you are quite likely to end up with more than one of them if you’ve invited people over for dinner. And each one will be a little different from the last. This recipe comes from Michelle Guish, and is her mother’s recipe, and hence is known as Mish-Gish’s Mother’s honey cake in my house. I have to say, I am amused by honey cake that doesn’t have a drop of honey in it.
You can eat this cake just as it is — but I love it drizzled with butterscotch sauce.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
This is the cake to make for Rosh Hashanah. Indeed, you couldn’t proceed without it. Many people give them as presents over the Jewish New Year and you are quite likely to end up with more than one of them if you’ve invited people over for dinner. And each one will be a little different from the last. This recipe comes from Michelle Guish, and is her mother’s recipe, and hence is known as Mish-Gish’s Mother’s honey cake in my house. I have to say, I am amused by honey cake that doesn’t have a drop of honey in it.
You can eat this cake just as it is — but I love it drizzled with butterscotch sauce.
For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.
Ingredients
Yields: 10 slices
For the cake
- 500 grams plain flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 200 grams soft light brown sugar
- 3 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon mixed spice
- 2 eggs
- 250 grams butter
- 300 millilitres golden syrup
- 300 millilitres milk
For the butterscotch sauce
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 50 grams unsalted butter
- 150 grams golden syrup
- 125 millilitres double cream
For the cake
- 3⅓ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup soft light brown sugar
- 3 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 eggs
- 17 tablespoons butter
- 1¼ cups golden syrup or light corn syrup
- 1¼ cups milk
For the butterscotch sauce
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup golden syrup or light corn syrup
- ½ cup heavy cream
Method
For the cake
- Preheat the oven to gas mark 5/190°C/170°C Fan/375°F.
- Grease and line a 25cm/10inch springform tin.
- Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, bicarbonate of soda and mixed spice into a bowl.
- In another smaller bowl beat the eggs.
- Melt the butter and golden syrup in a saucepan on a gentle heat, then add the milk and let it cool a little before adding to the flour mixture with the eggs.
- Whisk the mixture until smooth and then pour the batter into the greased and lined tin, and cook for 1¼–1½ hours. The cake will rise during cooking (but fall on cooling) though you want the middle to remain a bit sticky.
- Let the cake cool in the tin completely before you take it out and serve.
For the butterscotch sauce
- Heat the brown sugar, white sugar, butter and golden syrup in a saucepan.
- After 5 minutes' bubbling away, add the double cream. Stir well, and when all is smooth and combined, serve.
- You can just as easily make this in advance, leave it in the pan and reheat to warm when you want it.
For the cake
- Preheat the oven to gas mark 5/190°C/170°C Fan/375°F.
- Grease and line a 25cm/10inch springform tin.
- Put the flour, baking powder, sugar, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice into a bowl.
- In another smaller bowl beat the eggs.
- Melt the butter and golden syrup or light corn syrup in a saucepan on a gentle heat, then add the milk and let it cool a little before adding to the flour mixture with the eggs.
- Whisk the mixture until smooth and then pour the batter into the greased and lined tin, and cook for 1¼–1½ hours. The cake will rise during cooking (but fall on cooling) though you want the middle to remain a bit sticky.
- Let the cake cool in the tin completely before you take it out and serve.
For the butterscotch sauce
- Heat the brown sugar, granulated sugar, butter and golden syrup or light corn syrup in a saucepan.
- After 5 minutes' bubbling away, add the heavy cream. Stir well, and when all is smooth and combined, serve.
- You can just as easily make this in advance, leave it in the pan and reheat to warm when you want it.
Additional Information
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
Store the cake in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 1 week. The cake can also be frozen, wrapped tightly in a double layer of food wrap and a layer of foil for up to 3 months. Unwrap and thaw at room temperature for 3-4 hours. Individual slices can also be frozen — wrap in food wrap and put in an airtight container, and freeze for up to 1 month.
The sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month. If frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge. Warm sauce gently in a saucepan before using.
MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
Store the cake in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 1 week. The cake can also be frozen, wrapped tightly in a double layer of food wrap and a layer of foil for up to 3 months. Unwrap and thaw at room temperature for 3-4 hours. Individual slices can also be frozen — wrap in food wrap and put in an airtight container, and freeze for up to 1 month.
The sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 1 month. If frozen, thaw overnight in the fridge. Warm sauce gently in a saucepan before using.
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What 3 Others have said
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Posted by j.rose on 25th September 2020
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Posted by Beviec on 24th September 2020
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Posted by moragsmum on 29th September 2019
Show more commentsI made this with the addition of a layer of fresh sliced pears at the bottom of the cake pan. It was great! Next time I'll try cooking for a little less time though, as it was a touch overdone.
Turned into a monster in the oven, needed a deep tin. Tastes delicious, and moist. Will serve 10 at least.
Years ago my Mum used to buy Dutch Honey cake (in Kingston, I believe) - it has little chunks of sugar on top and had a wonderful dark colour. We loved it slathered with butter. Fifty odd years later I checked recipes for Dutch Honey cake - and indeed, no honey at all....