Honey loaf cake, wow, you are the answer to my quarantine woes. When we were in Dublin, we visited a cool little cafe that served a delicious honey cake with our coffees and we absolutely loved it. So, I was thumbing through our British Bake Off cookbooks looking for a recipe and found this super simple version for honey loaf cake.
I tinkered with it just a bit since I’m using sourdough starter to all of my homemade baked goods and I bought a giant bucket wheat berries, so everything is wheat flour at the moment. So, I swapped out the self-rising flour for wheat flour and added my sourdough flare. But, boy howdy, it is delicious.
I also added more lemon juice to the icing than the original since it was way too thick as it was in the book. I’m guessing there’s some variation in the UK vs U.S. ingredients.
But, the result is super tasty and I absolutely love the nuttiness that the wheat flour gives the cake. I’m definitely getting used to the wheat sourdough flavor, it’s really unique.
I think, if you’re short on ingredients, any citrus or any liquid would work in the cream cheese icing. Flax eggs could certainly hold up this cake, too. Loaf cakes are super forgiving that way. And coconut oil could be subbed in for the butter.
If you don’t have the cream cheese, just try a simple drizzle icing with only powdered sugar and liquid. It’ll be great!
Try the glaze as icing from this awesome Meyer Lemon Pound Cake, it’s perfect.
Not only is this a great dessert, it makes a fantastic breakfast treat. We absolutely loved having it around (for the few days it lasted). What treats are you enjoying during your lockdown?
Honey Loaf Cake
Ingredients
275 grams honey
225 grams butter
125 grams light brown sugar
240 grams whole wheat flour (or gluten-free flour)
100 grams sourdough starter discard
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
3 medium eggs, room temperature, beaten to mix
GLAZE:
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon water
ICING:
50 grams cream cheese
1 tablespoon honey
125 grams powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Method
Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Weigh the honey, butter, and sugar. Heat in a pan over medium heat until melted and smooth, stirring occasionally.
Remove pan from heat.
Sift flour, salt and ground ginger in a mixing bowl and make a well in the center.
Pour the melted honey mixture and beaten eggs into the well. Mix everything together until combined into thick batter.
Use a rubber spatula to scrape the mixture into a 9×5 greased and lined (with parchment paper) loaf pan.
Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 50-55 minutes, checking at 45 minutes and covering with foil if necessary to prevent over-browning of the top. Check for a skewer or toothpick to come out clean in the center of the loaf when done.
Meanwhile, gently beat the honey and water together for the glaze and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and keep hot.
When the cake is done, remove from the oven and set the tin on an oven rack and use a skewer or toothpick to poke holes all over the top of the cake.
Spoon or brush the hot glaze over the top of the cake and allow it to seep into the sponge.
Leave the cake to cool for about 20 minutes and carefully remove it from the loaf pan.
Allow cake to cool completely.
Meanwhile, beat together ingredients for the icing.
Once cake is completely cooled, spread icing over the top of the honey loaf cake.
Serve. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Honey Loaf Cake
While in Dublin, we visited a cool cafe that served a delicious honey cake with our coffees and loved it. I found this super simple version for honey loaf cake.
Ingredients
- 275 grams honey
- 225 grams butter
- 125 grams light brown sugar
- 240 grams whole wheat flour (or gluten-free flour)
- 100 grams sourdough starter discard
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 3 medium eggs, room temperature, beaten to mix
- GLAZE:
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon water
- ICING:
- 50 grams cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 125 grams powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Weigh the honey, butter, and sugar. Heat in a pan over medium heat until melted and smooth, stirring occasionally.
- Remove pan from heat.
- Sift flour, salt and ground ginger in a mixing bowl and make a well in the center.
- Pour the melted honey mixture and beaten eggs into the well. Mix everything together until combined into thick batter.
- Use a rubber spatula to scrape the mixture into a 9×5 greased and lined (with parchment paper) loaf pan.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 50-55 minutes, checking at 45 minutes and covering with foil if necessary to prevent over-browning of the top. Check for a skewer or toothpick to come out clean in the center of the loaf when done.
- Meanwhile, gently beat the honey and water together for the glaze and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and keep hot.
- When the cake is done, remove from the oven and set the tin on an oven rack and use a skewer or toothpick to poke holes all over the top of the cake.
- Spoon or brush the hot glaze over the top of the cake and allow it to seep into the sponge.
- Leave the cake to cool for about 20 minutes and carefully remove it from the loaf pan.
- Allow cake to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, beat together ingredients for the icing.
- Once cake is completely cooled, spread icing over the top of the honey loaf cake.
- Serve. Store in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
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