Honey recipes

Honey lemon loaf cake

This loaf takes the familiar lemon cake in a warmer direction. Honey goes into the batter and into a thin, clear syrup brushed over the warm crust. The result is a softly textured cake with plenty of lemon and no heavy layer of icing.

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By ApiNote editorial team3 min readUpdated
Golden honey lemon loaf with two slices, a clear syrup finish and fine lemon zest.

From the honey kitchen

Honey lemon loaf cake

10 slices · one 20 × 10 cm loaf Easy

Prep
20 min
Cook / bake
55 min
Rest / chill
1 hr
Total time
2 hr 15 min

Equipment: 20 × 10 cm loaf tin, baking paper, mixer, fine grater, skewer and cooling rack.

Ingredients

Amounts are for the yield above. 1 tbsp = 15 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml; use level measures for dry ingredients.

Cake

  • 220 g plain flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder (about 8 g)
  • ¼ tsp fine salt
  • 125 g unsalted butter, softened
  • 50 g caster sugar
  • 120 g runny honey
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 100 g plain Greek yogurt
  • Finely grated zest of 2 unwaxed lemons, reserving a little for the top

Clear syrup

  • 30 g runny honey
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice (30 ml)

Step by step

  1. Prepare the tin

    Heat the oven to 170°C / 150°C fan / 340°F. Line a 20 × 10 cm loaf tin with baking paper, leaving a little overhang for lifting. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

  2. Beat the butter base

    Beat the softened butter and sugar for 3–4 minutes until lighter and fluffy. Beat in the 120 g honey, then the eggs one at a time. Scrape the bowl between additions. A slightly curdled appearance at this point is usually corrected when the flour is added.

  3. Fold rather than overmix

    Fold in half the flour mixture, then the yogurt and most of the lemon zest, then the remaining flour. Stop as soon as there are no dry streaks. Scrape into the prepared tin and gently level the top.

  4. Bake and check the centre

    Bake for 50–60 minutes. Check from 45 minutes: a skewer pushed into the centre should come out without wet batter, with only a few moist crumbs. Honey browns readily, so loosely cover with foil if the top is colouring before the centre is done.

  5. Brush with clear syrup

    Warm the remaining 30 g honey with the lemon juice just enough to mix smoothly. Leave the cake in its tin for 10 minutes, prick the top lightly with a skewer and brush on the syrup in two passes, allowing it to soak in. It is a thin syrup, not icing.

  6. Cool before slicing

    Lift the loaf onto a rack and finish with the reserved zest. Allow about an hour of cooling in total before slicing, or longer if the centre is still warm. Cutting too early can make a tender cake compress into dense-looking slices.

Allergens: Wheat (gluten), milk and eggs.

Honey is not suitable for children under 12 months. Read the guidance.

Timings are guides. For meat and fish, check the internal temperature, not just the clock.

Why there is sugar as well as honey

A small amount of sugar helps the butter cream into a light base; honey brings flavour and moisture. Replacing every gram of sugar with extra honey is not a like-for-like change and can make the centre heavier. Weigh the honey instead of judging it by eye.

Fine zest gives the cake its lemon aroma. Grate just the yellow surface and leave the bitter white pith behind. The lemon juice belongs in the finishing syrup so the batter keeps its intended balance.

Keeping the crumb tender

Overmixing after the flour goes in can toughen the loaf. Fold gently and stop once combined. If using a differently sized tin, expect the baking time to change; a wider, shallower cake usually cooks sooner.

Once completely cool, wrap well and keep in a cool place for up to two days, or refrigerate in hot weather. For longer storage, freeze individual cooled slices for up to two months and thaw wrapped. This version has no cream topping to add at the last minute.

Originally published . Editorial update: ApiNote.

Recipe created for the ApiNote honey kitchen. Preparation and cooking times are guides; ovens, ingredient sizes and room temperatures vary.

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