A honey cake is one of the most fragrant things I bake. The moment the honey goes into the warm batter and the warm tin goes into the oven, the kitchen fills with a smell that is specifically and unmistakably honey — warm, slightly floral, deeply sweet — and that smell stays in the kitchen for hours after the cake comes out.

Honey as the primary sweetener gives a cake with a distinctly different character from a sugar-sweetened sponge. It is denser, moister, and more complex in flavour — the specific character of the honey coming through the batter and giving each slice a warm, slightly floral sweetness that granulated sugar simply cannot replicate.

I use a good quality British wildflower honey that has a clear, vivid character and that gives the cake a specifically wonderful floral fragrance. This cake is also associated with Rosh Hashanah — the Jewish New Year — where a honey cake is the traditional bake, symbolising the hope for a sweet new year.

It is one of those recipes with genuine cultural resonance that makes baking it feel like something more than simply making a cake.

Ingredients for Mary Berry Honey Cake

For the Honey Cake

300g good quality runny honey — wildflower, acacia, or orange blossom
150g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
150g soft light brown sugar
3 large eggs, beaten — at room temperature
300g plain flour, sifted
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground mixed spice
½ tsp ground nutmeg
150ml hot strong black tea — cooled to room temperature
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1 unwaxed orange

For the Honey Glaze

3 tbsp good quality runny honey — warmed until liquid
Brushed generously over the warm cake as soon as it comes out of the oven

CHECK THIS RECIPE Mary Berry Lemon Cake Recipe

Optional Decoration

A scattering of flaked almonds over the top before baking
An extra drizzle of warm honey just before serving

How to Make Mary Berry Honey Cake

Step 1 — Preheat and Prepare

Preheat your oven to 160°C / 140°C fan / Gas 3. Grease a 900g (2lb) loaf tin generously and line with baking parchment, leaving overhang at both long sides.

Step 2 — Melt the Honey and Butter

Place the honey, butter, and soft light brown sugar in a medium saucepan. Heat over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved into the honey. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for ten minutes.

Step 3 — Add the Wet Ingredients

Whisk the beaten eggs, sunflower oil, vanilla extract, and orange zest into the cooled honey and butter mixture. Add the cooled black tea and stir to combine.

Step 4 — Add the Dry Ingredients

Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, ginger, mixed spice, and nutmeg directly into the honey and egg mixture. Whisk gently until a smooth, slightly liquid, deeply fragrant batter forms. The batter will be considerably more liquid than a standard sponge batter — this is correct and is what gives the honey cake its characteristic dense, moist crumb.

Step 5 — Bake

Pour the batter into the prepared tin. If using flaked almonds, scatter them over the surface now.

Bake for 55 to 65 minutes until the cake is deep golden, the characteristic loaf cake crack has formed down the centre, and a skewer inserted into the very centre comes out clean.

The honey and sugar in the batter give a very dark crust that can look almost over-done. Always check with a skewer rather than relying on colour.

Cover loosely with baking parchment after 40 minutes if the top is darkening too quickly.

Step 6 — Apply the Honey Glaze

While the cake is still warm in the tin — immediately after removing from the oven — brush the warm honey generously over the entire top surface of the cake. The warm cake absorbs the honey slightly, giving additional moisture and a beautifully glossy, fragrant top.

Leave to cool completely in the tin before lifting out.

My Top Tips For Perfect Mary Berry Honey Cake

The type of honey matters enormously. A honey cake has honey as its primary flavour and the character of the honey is the character of the cake. A vivid, fragrant wildflower or orange blossom honey gives a cake with a clear, specific floral sweetness. A very mild, very neutral supermarket honey gives something pleasant but without the specific fragrance that makes a honey cake worth the name. Buy the best honey you can find.

CHECK THIS RECIPE Mary Berry Lemon Victoria Sponge Recipe

The black tea in the batter is the detail that gives depth. Hot black tea — cooled before adding — gives the honey cake a slightly tannic, slightly complex depth that plain water cannot replicate. It is a traditional ingredient in Jewish honey cake recipes and gives a richer, more interesting result than any neutral liquid would. Use a proper black tea — not herbal, not green.

The batter is much more liquid than a standard cake batter — do not add more flour. The honey, brown sugar, butter, oil, eggs, and tea give a batter that is significantly more liquid than a creamed butter sponge batter. This is correct and gives the characteristic dense, moist, slightly sticky crumb. Adding more flour to firm it up gives a dry, less interesting cake.

Bake at a lower temperature than a standard cake. Honey and brown sugar both accelerate browning at higher temperatures. 160°C / 140°C fan gives an even bake without burning the surface. Check the skewer rather than the colour.

Apply the honey glaze while warm — generously. The warm cake absorbs the honey glaze slightly rather than letting it sit purely on the surface. Three tablespoons of warm honey brushed over the warm cake gives an additional layer of honey fragrance, a slight additional moisture, and a glossy finish that is genuinely beautiful.

Serving Suggestions

Sliced at room temperature with a cup of strong tea. As part of a Rosh Hashanah celebration spread alongside apples dipped in honey — the traditional symbolism of both honey and apple for the new year. As a gift — the honey glaze gives a glossy, beautiful appearance and the cake keeps well for a week.

How to Store Mary Berry Honey Cake

At room temperature: Store wrapped in baking parchment and foil, or in an airtight container, for up to 1 week. Honey cakes improve significantly over the first three to four days as the honey permeates further through the crumb and the spices deepen and integrate.

In the freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature. Apply additional honey glaze after defrosting.

Mary Berry Honey Cake Recipe

Mary Berry's honey cake is a fragrant, golden, deeply moist loaf cake made with runny honey — warming, elegant and completely wonderful.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1

Cooling Time 1

Total Time 2 20

Servings: 12 Slices

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British

Calories: 340

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

Honey Cake:
300 g good quality runny honey
150 g unsalted butter cubed
150 g soft light brown sugar
3 large eggs beaten, room temperature
300 g plain flour sifted
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
½ tsp mixed spice
½ tsp ground nutmeg
150 ml hot strong black tea — cooled
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1 unwaxed orange
Honey Glaze:
3 tbsp good quality runny honey warmed
Optional:
Flaked almonds scattered over the top before baking

CHECK THIS RECIPE Mary Berry Chocolate Biscuit Cake Recipe

Method

Preheat oven to 160°C / 140°C fan / Gas 3. Grease and line a 900g loaf tin with parchment overhang.
Melt honey, butter, and brown sugar in a saucepan over low heat — stir until dissolved. Cool 10 minutes.
Whisk beaten eggs, oil, vanilla, and orange zest into cooled honey mixture. Add cooled black tea — stir.
Sift flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and all spices directly into wet ingredients. Whisk gently until smooth. Batter will be quite liquid — do not add more flour.
Pour into tin. Scatter flaked almonds if using. Bake 55–65 minutes until skewer comes out clean. Cover loosely after 40 minutes if darkening too quickly.
Immediately brush warm honey generously over the entire top surface. Cool completely in tin. Lift out using parchment.

Notes

The type of honey matters — wildflower or orange blossom gives a vivid, specific floral character.

Black tea gives depth that plain water cannot replicate — a traditional ingredient in honey cake.

The liquid batter is correct — do not add more flour. The honey gives a moist, dense crumb.

Bake at a lower temperature — honey and brown sugar accelerate browning. Check by skewer not colour.

Apply honey glaze while warm — absorbed slightly and gives fragrance, moisture, and gloss.

Improves over 3–4 days. Keeps up to 1 week. Freezes for 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use maple syrup instead of honey?

Maple syrup gives a different but still wonderful result — a slightly more caramel-like, slightly less floral sweetness. Use the same quantity. The cake will be distinctly maple rather than distinctly honey.

Can I add walnuts or pecans?

Yes — 75g of roughly chopped walnuts folded through the batter give a pleasant crunch and a slightly bitter note that balances the sweetness of the honey beautifully. A very traditional addition in Jewish honey cake recipes.

Can I make this without the tea?

Replace the black tea with warm water. The cake will still be very good — slightly less complex in flavour without the tea’s tannins.

Why is my honey cake very dense?

A honey cake is meant to be denser than a standard sponge — the honey gives a naturally denser, moister crumb. If it seems excessively dense and slightly sticky in the centre, it may need more baking time. Check the skewer — it must come out completely clean.