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Slices of honey cake on a large plate with a single slice in the upper left with powdered sugar on it.

Honey Cake: A Grandma's Recipe from Ukraine

Beth Lee
Honey cake is steeped in tradition, made with black tea and warming spices like cinnamon and ginger. While honey cake is indeed a traditional way to mark the Jewish new year, Rosh Hashanah, I recommend making this family recipe with roots in Ukraine all year long to enjoy with coffee, tea, and friends.
5 from 6 votes
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine Jewish Holiday Baking, Ukrainian
Servings 24
Calories 213 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup strong brewed black tea, strained
  • 1 cup honey
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (brown sugar is also okay)
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3 to 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
  • ½ cup raisins

Instructions
 

  • Boil the tea mixture: In a large pot, add the freshly brewed tea, honey, sugar, and oil. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the honey and sugar dissolve.
    Tea mixture for honey cake in a pot on the stove ready to mix and heat.
  • Turn the heat to medium and add the baking soda. Keep stirring for another 30 seconds. The mixture will foam and expand in volume.
    Tea mixture foaming in pot after the baking soda is added.
  • Add the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves and mix. Set the mixture aside and let it cool to room temperature.
    Spices added to pot with tea mixture in it.
  • Prep/Preheat: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 91/2-inch Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.
    A Bundt pan greased and ready for the batter.
  • Mix the batter: Once the tea mixture has cooled, add the eggs and mix well with a whisk.
    Batter in a red bowl with flour mixed in.
  • Add 3 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time, whisking in between additions. As the dough becomes thicker, switch to a wooden spoon. The batter should be the consistency of a thick but pourable milkshake. If it seems too thin, add the final ¼ cup of flour. When the batter is smooth and thick, stir in the walnuts and raisins.
    Honey cake batter in a red bowl with nuts and raisins ready to mix in.
  • Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. With a spatula, smooth the batter. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Depending on the color and size of the Bundt pan, the bake time could be up to 1 hour. If a toothpick comes out clean or the internal temperature is above 190°F, it is ready.
  • Store: Place the Bundt pan on a cooling rack. When the cake reaches room temperature, release it from the pan and wrap it in a kitchen towel. The flavor of the honey and spice will evolve over time, so this cake is even better after a day or two— but I won’t stop you having a slice right out of the oven.
    Honey cake removed from Bundt pan and placed on a white tea towel.

Notes

  • Let the tea mixture cool before you add the eggs or the eggs could curdle!
  • Feel free to adjust the spices to your taste buds - use more or less or a different set of spices. Cardamon would be another nice flavor addition, for example.
  • When adding the flour, take note of the texture of the batter. It should be like a pourable thick milkshake when the right amount of flour is added.

Nutrition

Calories: 213kcalCarbohydrates: 36gProtein: 3gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 55mgPotassium: 81mgFiber: 1gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 31IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 13mgIron: 1mg
Keyword honey cake, Kovrizhka, traditional baking
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