Kirbie's Cravings

2 Ingredient Honey Cloud Cake (No Flour, Butter or Oil)

This cloud cake has such a unique texture. It is so fluffy and light, that it feels like you are eating a cloud. This cake is just 2 ingredients and doesn’t require flour, butter, or oil. The cake is airy and soft and melts in your mouth as you eat it.
a slice of honey cloud cake on a white plate.

I’m excited to share this fun dessert. It may look like a regular cake, but you’ll be surprised when you start eating it. It’s a great dessert to serve at a gathering or to make for your family.

Ingredients

  • Honey
  • Egg Whites

Honey: Honey acts as a sweetener and provides flavor. If you only make this cake with plain sugar or syrup, you will taste the egg whites. But because honey has such a strong flavor, it overpowers the flavor of the egg whites. This cake will likely work with other syrups but you need to make sure to choose a syrup with a strong flavor and one that doesn’t contain any fat (like milk, oil, butter) because you won’t be able to whip the batter to stiff peaks if you have fat in the ingredients.

Cloud Cake

This cake is inspired by a Portuguese dessert known as Molotof Pudding. It is sometimes referred to as cloud cake,  Portuguese egg white pudding, or Portuguese pudding cake. Traditional molotof pudding is made using egg whites and sugar. A caramel sauce is also added to the cake pan before adding in the egg white sugar batter. When the dessert is finished baking, it’s flipped out of its pan so that the caramel sauce drizzles down the cake.
a whole cloud cake on a serving plate.
The first molotof pudding I came across was actually called cloud cake. I really loved the cloud texture of the molotof pudding but wanted to make a simpler version. This cake I am sharing today has a similar cloud-like texture. However, the texture isn’t quite the same because the egg whites are not mixed with sugar. And instead of pouring the syrup only at the bottom of the pan, it’s mixed directly in the batter. As a result, the cake doesn’t achieve as much height as the pudding, but it is wonderfully soaked and flavored.

This cake has a very light and airy texture. It is also very soft and moist from the honey.
slices of cake on plates.

How to Make Cloud Cake

The egg whites and honey are beaten to stiff peaks. The batter is then poured into a bundt pan or similar tube pan. It is then baked in a water bath. Baking it in the water bath keeps the cake moist and helps the cake rise.
whipped egg whites on a beater.

one slice of cake on a plate.

More Unique Cake Recipes

2 Ingredient Honey Cloud Cake

Servings: 8 slices
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, Portuguese
This honey cloud cake is airy, light and fluffy and tastes like you are eating a cloud. It is just 2 ingredients and doesn't require any flour, butter or oil
4.46 from 11 votes

Ingredients

  • 5 large egg whites
  • 3 oz (89 ml) honey

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease the interior of a 6 cup bundt pan with cooking oil spray.
  • Add egg whites to a large mixing bowl. Beat at highest speed with whisk attachment until light and frothy. Without turning off your mixer, gradually add in the honey and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. You can also do this with a handheld mixer but I prefer a stand mixer because that makes it easier to pour in the honey gradually.
  • Add your batter to the bundt pan. You want to add your batter in layers. Add enough batter to cover the bottom of your pan and use a spatula to spread it evenly across, while also applying light pressure so that the batter will take the form of the cake pan. When you are done with one layer, add more batter, and repeat. Doing it this way will also prevent any large air pockets in the middle of your cake. Bang the bottom of your cake pan against your counter a few times to remove any remaining air pockets from the batter.
  • The cake is going to be cooked in a water bath. To do this, place your cake pan into a larger baking pan. I used a 9 x 13 baking pan. Pour 1/2 inch of water into the larger pan. Then put your cake pan inside the larger pan.
  • Bake for about 15 minutes at 350°F (177°C). Check on your cake after 15 minutes but don't open the oven door. It is very important that you don't open the oven door because you need the heat to continue to cook the cake. The top of your cake should have risen slightly above the cake pan and be a medium brown color. You do want to be careful not to overbake the cake while the oven is on (see notes section for more details). Without opening the oven door, turn off the oven and let the cake continue to cook for 30 minutes with the oven door shut. Your cake will continue to rise once the oven is turned off. It should rise to double the volume of the original batter before starting to sink down a little.
  • After 30 minutes, you can remove the cake from the oven. Let the cake cool in the water bath for 10 minutes, then remove from the water bath and let the cake continue to cool in the pan. The cake will shrink a little more as it cools. Once the cake has cooled, flip cake over onto a plate. If desired, drizzle with more honey before serving. The cake looks and tastes best the day it is made so I don't recommend making the dessert a day ahead of time. Leftovers can be stored in fridge in an airtight container.

Notes

  • 3 oz of honey refers to volume not weight. It is also equal to 6 tbsp of honey. I found this to be the perfect level of sweetness for my family but I know people's sweet preferences can vary greatly. If you wish for a sweeter cake, you can use 1/2 cup (4 oz) of honey instead of 3 oz. I found 1/2 cup of honey too sweet but the cake still baked properly. You can also just drizzle more honey or syrup on the cake after it is finished.
  • This recipe uses egg whites from 5 large eggs (using US standards).
  • You do need to be careful not to overbake the cake. I found that even baking 5 extra minutes when the oven is on completely changed the results. Overbaking it will cause the cake to shrivel up once it cools. Instead of a cake it will be like a compact bread (cloud bread if you've ever had it).
  • The cake will only rise a little above your cake pan when you turn off your oven and should be brown on the surface. Your cake will continue to cook and rise higher after the oven is turned off. It should rise to close to double its original size before gradually sinking back down.
  • This recipe is for a small cake made in a 6 cup bundt pan. I used a Nordicware 6 cup bundt.*
  • *This product link is an affiliate link. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
  • This is the smaller size bundt, half the size of the more common 12 cup bundt pan. You can also make this cake in other tube pans with the same capacity, just make sure it doesn't have a removable bottom, otherwise the water will leak in. This cake is good for a small family but if you want to make it for a larger party, you can try doubling the recipe and bake in a 12 cup bundt pan. The baking time should remain the same. (I haven't tried doubling it myself but I think it should work).
  • This recipe is inspired by a recipe shared by Emmymade.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 43kcal, Carbohydrates: 9g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 0.04g, Sodium: 35mg, Fiber: 0.02g, Sugar: 9g, NET CARBS: 9

The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.

Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Mention @KirbieCravings and tag #kirbiecravings!

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Recipe Rating




106 comments on “2 Ingredient Honey Cloud Cake (No Flour, Butter or Oil)”

  1. how do you top this cake?

    • We like to drizzle honey over the top – this info is included in the recipe card at the end of the post.

  2. Hi, can I steam it instead of baking it? Thank you.

  3. Yummm Looks delicious! (AND It can be used for Pesach/ Passover. As it has No Flour (or any other ingredients that’s NOT used for Pesach/ Passover.
    Thanku.
    I did read the part that it’s Best right away… that’s going to be difficult. Can it be Frozen?

  4. To my surprise, this turned out great! I tried the applesauce but I really want to make it with the pear puree next. Fun recipe!

  5. I don’t have a bundt pan, so I made this in a muffin tin using the same directions except for I baked with oven on about four minutes less. They turned out so beautiful and delicious. My family loved them. They were easy to grab and eat with no cutting required, so I might make them again like this for my book club. Delicious and so simple!

    • We love that it worked in a muffin pan! Thanks so much for letting us know – glad you enjoyed the recipe!

  6. This sound good and easy, but I have a question before I try. Is the water bath put into the cold oven and heated with the oven before the cake is put in or do we put the cake into a cool bath and into the pre-heated oven at the same time???
    Thank you.

    • You don’t need to preheat the water bath. Once you have the cake batter in the pan, place the pan in a baking dish, add the water and place the pan in the oven.

  7. Making this both ways to compare. Yummy

  8. Just made this for the first time. Absolutely delicious, but I have definitely had a few things go a bit off-kilter as well.

    First, I actually had a bundt pan that was smaller than called for (6 inch instead of 6 cups, whoops!) so I had quite a bit of batter left over. I ended up adding some lemon juice to the extra and baking it separately to get some pretty decent soft meringues.

    What I baked per the recipe will had the same issue a lot of others here were posting about, it was very wet still after turning out, though it still came out keeping its shape and without sticking. It was sort of like a whipped flan. Delicious, but a bit off-putting. So I decided to risk reheating the oven back to 350 and baking it right-side up on a silpat lined baking sheet for about another 8 minutes. It got a little bit of caramelization and I loved the results.

    Thanks for the recipe to start with. This site is awesome and I’m looking forward to trying some of the others!

  9. I followed this recipe exactly and it was still practically still raw after 45 mins.

    • That’s really strange! Are you sure you had the correct oven temperature? If it was, maybe your oven isn’t calibrated.

  10. I’ve tried the cake twice, but I am having an issue with it firming up/drying out. The cake rises nicely and the exposed batter browns and gets spongy. Each time I’ve baked it, I baked it for 17 minutes to get to a uniform brown, which I think is medium. But when I flip the cake, it’s wet and runny. (But also airy? It’s weird. Tastes good, though.)

    Are you baking in a regular or convection oven? I’m trying to figure out what could be different.

    • Hm, it definitely shouldn’t be runny – it may need more time in the oven. We use a regular oven.

  11. I’ve tried this recipe twice and still can’t get the egg whites to form stiff peaks, or peaks of any kind, after adding the honey… What gives?

    • We’re sorry you’re having issues! First, are you whipping the egg whites until they’re light and frothy before adding the honey? You should add the honey then and do it slowly while the mixer is running. Another issue could be the temperature of the eggs – if they are very cold they will take longer to whip. Also, there can’t be anything else in the bowl when you start whipping the eggs – even a drop of yolk or water or even a residue on the bowl can cause issues. Any sort of fat or oil will prevent your egg whites from whipping to stiff peaks. So a drop of egg yolk, oil residue on your measuring cup, mixer, bowl, etc. If you are using pure honey there should not be any oil but if you are using some other honey flavored syrup that has oil, fat, milk, etc added to it then it won’t work.

  12. Good recipe

  13. I don’t know where I went wrong, but when I turned turned it out onto my plate it looked wet and was not browned at all. It has a good flavor, but but it didn’t seem to rise at all. I am gonna try again if you can maybe tell me what I could have done wrong.

    • Did you whip the egg whites until they held stiff peaks? That’s how the cake gets its rise. Also, if the cake was wet it might have needed a little extra time in the oven.

  14. Can I use golden syrup instead of honey in the 2-ingredients cake?

    • We haven’t tried it but we think other syrups will work – the only thing is that you might taste the eggs more, so please see the Ingredients section in the post for more info.

  15. Looks cool! can i make it in a square pan or some other pan? thank you!

  16. Hi! Can this cake be made in a loaf tin ??

  17. good food

  18. It sounds Good

  19. Is honey cloud cake good for patient with gallstone?

  20. Hi

    I doubled the recipe following your guidelines and it was a syrupy flop. The baking time needs to be adjusted, etc. I found all syrup where the pan was in the water bath, the rest was a large bubbled foam. Would appreciate it if you would experiment with doubling the recipe for us who have regular sized Bundt pans so that we can enjoy it too. I also would appreciate a response re: the results of your adjustments. Thank you
    Nanna

    • Sorry we haven’t tried doubling the recipe however the baking time should be almost the same. I’ve seen recipes for traditional Molotof pudding using a regular-sized bundt pan and the baking time was around 15 minutes.

  21. Can hardly wait to try this recipe…

  22. Oops I see I misread put bunt cake in water bath in 9×13?

  23. The beginning of the recipe says a 9×13 pan then later says a 6cup Bundt pan which is best?

  24. Loved the reccipe and cant wait to try it. My daughter in law does not eat flour and my grandson is a Type I Diabetic. I will make sure I try the recipe the next time they come to visit.

  25. I recently had to go gluten free and I really miss cake. This looked really easy, with ingredients I always have on hand so I gave it a try. Wow, it’s so delicious and spongy. I will definitely make it again.

  26. Absolutely awesome

  27. What if I can’t look at the cake without opening my oven. Mine doesn’t have glass.

  28. By greasing or oiling the pan will that not make cake fall like angel food cake?

  29. Could this be made with aqua faba instead of egg whites, do you think? I might give it a try, as I never know what to do with the yolks!

  30. Will try these.

  31. Can you put fruit in it?

  32. I’m definitely going to give this a try.. Using fresh eggs from my chickens and honey from my hive. It seems to be really light and fluffy!

  33. Does anyone know, is this like angel food cake at all? I’d love an angel food cake I could eat in spite of all my specialty eating plans.. the pics look like it, but I didn’t know if taste and texture are truly like it or something else entirely.

    Thank you

  34. I’m going to try these recipes.

  35. Please would love have the recipe for the honey cloud cake sent to my email address thank you

  36. I haven’t made it yet but I’m going to tonight

  37. Very nice. Easy to make and was devoured in no time. Loved the honey flavour.

  38. This looks amazing do you think adding 2 tbsp powdered swerve sweetener (id rather not add more honey for sweetness) would affect the end result ?

  39. This cake sounds fabulous but I have a problem
    I have a wood burning cooker with a solid door so it’s not possible to turn it off or see the cake without opening the door
    Can you suggest a similar cake using my type of oven?
    Thanks, Jannie

  40. Can I use a regular size bundt pan for the smaller cake?

  41. V. Nice I will try

  42. Would this tolerate a little flavor extract? Like butter and vanilla flavor? I like honey in hot lemon water, coffee, tea, baking, etc., but can barely stand it’s true smell and flavor. It makes me gag…

    • We haven’t tried making this cake without the honey – it adds sweetness and flavor. If you use an extract instead your cake won’t be sweet.

  43. I will definitely try this ~ it sounds nice and uncomplicated too !?
     Lynn Waldron 

  44. Wow, this is so interesting, I’ve never heard of a cake made with just honey and egg whites before! Unfortunately, I don’t have a 6-cup bundt pan, but I may try doubling it for a 12-cup like you have in the notes.

  45. This looks so cool! can i use a regular square cake pan..? ideas on size if so…? ty!

  46. Great quick recipes.  I will try one day.

  47. Please unsubscribe me. I can’t find the place to do it. Thanks

  48. Do you think that maple syrup would swap for honey? Thank you

  49. My oven does not have a window in the door. How can I check the cake without opening the oven?

    • If you can’t check it, we recommend just turning the oven off after 15 minutes without opening the door.

  50. How do you bake in a water bath?

    • All of the instructions are in the recipe card – the bundt pan is place in a large baking dish with water. This method of baking gently cooks the cake.

  51. Just wondering if you can use the egg whites in a carton.

    • We’re not sure – they often don’t work in recipes where the egg whites are whipped but we haven’t tested it so can’t say for sure.