This unique honey cake is just 3 ingredients. It doesn’t need any butter or oil, but it still comes out soft and moist. It’s easy to make and it’s a great cake to serve for dessert or afternoon tea.
a slice of honey cake on a plate.

I enjoy eating this cake with coffee or tea. The cake texture is not your typical cake texture. It’s more like a sponge cake. I also like how easy it is to make. If you use a stand mixer, the mixer does almost all of the work for you.

Ingredients

  • Honey
  • Eggs
  • Flour

Honey: The honey gives the cake sweetness and flavor. It also keeps the cake moist.

Eggs: The cake relies on the eggs for structure. Unlike most sponge cakes, you do not need to separate the egg whites and yolks for this recipe.

Flour: This cake is made with regular all purpose flour. You do not need to use any baking powder.
a piece of cake on a fork with a slice behind it.

How to Make Honey Cake

  • Add eggs and honey and mix on high speed for 10 minutes or until mixture is more than triple the volume. If you have a stand mixer, I recommend using it. When you lift the beaters, the mixture that drips off should be able to stay on top without sinking back down.whipped eggs and honey in a mixing bowl.
  • The flour is then sifted and folded in. Make sure you sift the flour in. This makes it easier for it to be incorporated into the batter without deflating the egg mixture too much.
  • The cake is then ready to be baked.

Cake Texture

This cake is a variation on my 3 Ingredient Cake. The texture of the cake is quite unique. It’s like a sponge cake but not quite. If you’ve had Japanese castella cake, the texture is most similar to that as it uses a very similar technique. However this cake is much easier to make than traditional Japanese castella cake.
a honey cake on a plate with honey drizzled over the top.

More Unique Cakes to Try

4.55 from 11 votes

3 Ingredient Honey Cake

This unique honey cake doesn't contain any butter or oil. It is moist and soft and easy to make.
Servings: 8 slices
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 3 large eggs, straight from fridge
  • 1/3 cup (79 ml) honey
  • 1 cup (128 g) all purpose flour

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Grease the interior of a 7 inch round nonstick springform cake pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. I didn't line the sides and the cake shouldn't stick if you thoroughly grease the sides.
  • Add eggs and honey to mixing bowl. Beat on highest speed for about 10 minutes or until the mixture becomes more than triple in volume. I used a stand mixer. You may need a little longer with a hand mixer. When you lift the beaters, the batter that drips off should be thick enough that it will stay on top and not sink back into the batter. See post for photo for reference.
  • Sift in half of the flour. You can use a flour sifter or a fine mesh strainer. Make sure the flour is sifted in. This allows you to easily incorporate the flour into the egg mixture without deflating it. Gently fold the sifted flour into the egg mixture with a spatula. You want to be very gentle in the folding and only fold until you no longer see any flour. Try your best not to deflate the egg mixture. Check the bottom of the bowl a few times to make sure unmixed flour has not sunk down. Then sift in remaining flour and gently fold in.
  • Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Bake for about 25 minutes or until surface is a medium brown and tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Let cake cool completely before serving. Drizzle more honey over surface of cake before cutting and serving. (I usually drizzle just enough so that the surface is covered in a thin layer of honey). I don't recommend leaving out the additional honey. It adds sweetness and moisture to the cake (the cake doesn't contain too much honey because otherwise the batter would be too heavy and the cake wouldn't rise properly).

Notes

  • This cake has a unique texture. It's similar to a sponge cake but not quite the same as a traditional sponge cake. The technique used for this cake is inspired by Japanese castella cake and it has a very similar texture as castella cake but is much easier to make than a castella cake.
  • I used this 7 inch springform cake pan.*
  • *This product link is an affiliate link. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
  • The recipe uses standard US large size eggs.
  • I recommend using eggs straight from the fridge.
  • Make sure to bake at 325F. If you bake at a higher temperature, the cake will overcook and brown too fast.
  • The key to this cake working is the eggs being whipped until the batter can hold its form. You also need to be careful to not deflate the egg mixture too much when folding in the flour, otherwise your cake will not rise properly.
  • The cake itself is only lightly sweetened with the honey. If you try to add more honey to the batter, the egg mixture will not whip up properly. This is why more honey is added at the end. The cake will soak in the honey drizzled over it and it adds more moisture and sweetness to the cake. How much honey you want to add at the end really depends on your sweetness preference. I like to cover the whole surface in a thin layer of honey but you can do a lighter pour that doesn't cover the whole cake.
  • I used this 7 inch springform pan.*
  • *This product link is an affiliate link. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
  • Estimated nutrition is for the cake without the additional honey drizzled on top.
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 123kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 2g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 27mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 11g, NET CARBS: 23
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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