Honey cake that I remember eating for only very few times from local Indian bakery – Saravana bakery in Salem. After that once in Chennai after marriage. I am a big fan of local bakery items. The smell as we enter the bakery just takes me to another world. After coming here to Singapore, I see all the cake shops selling perfectly iced cakes, looking smooth, dream soft sponge cakes. Still my heart goes for the local bakery cakes. I like that flavour, I am not sure which essence they use and the though the icing here is light and fluffy, I like the grainy, sweet and flavoured icing that they use in the bakeries locally. I always say this to Vj that I crave for Indian local bakery cakes and he would be laughing at me why so. Now too, my parents buy and keep cake for me when I visit my home and I gobble all of it in one or two days that I stay there. I will write about the buns, puffs later in another post.
So I was thinking to try this honey cake for few years now and finally saw a post in this blog and loved it. I realised honey cake is about the syrup, jam and coconut on the top. I used the eggless orange cake recipe for this cake. You can bake your favorite basic vanilla cake and make this honey cake too. I chose orange cake as my kid like orange flavoured cake. When I finished making this cake and tasted it, I was so happy that I could finally eat my favorite cake, that too homemade and eggless version.
Check out the video for Indian honey cake:
Eggless honey cake recipe
Recipe Cuisine: Indian | Recipe Category: Dessert
Prep Time: 10 Mins | Cook time: 35 mins | Serves: 10
Prep Time: 10 Mins | Cook time: 35 mins | Serves: 10
Ingredients
Plain flour/Maida – 1 & 1/4 cup
Condensed milk – 1 cup minus 2 tbsp
Oil (I used sunflower oil) – 1/2 cup
Orange juice – 1/2 cup
Powdered sugar – 3 tbsp
Baking powder – 1 tsp
Baking soda – 1/2 tsp
Orange zest – 1/2 tsp
Lemon Juice – 1 tsp
Vanilla essence – 1 tsp
Condensed milk – 1 cup minus 2 tbsp
Oil (I used sunflower oil) – 1/2 cup
Orange juice – 1/2 cup
Powdered sugar – 3 tbsp
Baking powder – 1 tsp
Baking soda – 1/2 tsp
Orange zest – 1/2 tsp
Lemon Juice – 1 tsp
Vanilla essence – 1 tsp
For Syrup
For topping
Mixed fruit jam – 4 tbsp
Sugar – 1 tsp
Desiccated coconut – As needed
Sugar – 1 tsp
Desiccated coconut – As needed
Method
- Pre heat the oven to 180 deg C. Mix flour,baking powder,baking soda with a whisk to ensure even mixing. In another bowl, mix condensed milk, orange juice, oil, sugar, vanilla essence, lemon juice.
- Add flour and mix well. Add orange zest (orange skin part, grated) and mix.
- Transfer to a baking tray ( I used 8 inch square tin) greased with oil and dusted with flour. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool down for 10 mins and invert over a wire rack to cool down completely. Trim the sides.
- Prick the cake with tooth pick at various places. Mean while prepare sugar syrup by boiling water and sugar just until sugar dissolves.
- Bring to luke warm and mix honey.
- Heat jam and sugar over low flame in a pan until it melts.
- Over the flat surface of the cake, pour the prepared syrup generously so that the cake absorbs the syrup. Over this, spread the jam to form a thin layer.
- Sprinkle desiccated coconut all over the surface to cover up the jam. Cut into desired shape and serve.
Notes
- Add honey only to luke warm sugar syrup.
- Since this cake is super moist because of syrup, jam, this has to be consumed within 2 –3 days (kept inside fridge)
- After slicing the cake, you can also pour the syrup so that the sides of the cakes also get generous syrup.
One of my most favorite cake – honey syrup drenched, jam and coconut flavored honey cake.
Wow �� yummy cake. I am a big fan of this cake. Surely gonna try. Thanks raks
Wow �� yummy cake. I am a big fan of this cake. Surely gonna try. Thanks raks
Cake looks very yummmy…..mouthwatering,…. I always love this honey cake…..will try soon….
It's my favorite when I am in school.
Hi Raji, I just read your interview @ sulekha .. Loved the way you narrated your passion towards cooking ! Lovely pics .. Keep rocking !
Hello raks,
Link for eggless orange cake directs to carrot and orange juice.
Very tempting.I have tried cake recipe long back.it was very tasty.now I will try this.as you said bakery smells are so nice
Amazing Cake Raji!! I try most of the recipes from your blog. Is the 1 cup measurement that u have is equal to 250 ml? 1 cup = 250 ml is my understanding. Please clarify.
Amazing Cake Raji!! I try most of the recipes from your blog. Is the 1 cup measurement that u have is equal to 250 ml? 1 cup = 250 ml is my understanding. Please clarify.
Thanks for the recipe Archana. Shall try it out this week…
Thanks for the recipe Archana. Shall try it out this week…
Wow.. Wonderful coloured cake..and neat presentation.. Sure will try..
I use 240 ml cup http://www.rakskitchen.net/p/cup-measurements.html
My name is Raji by the way 🙂
Raji, this post is haunting me at work! I'll make this very soon. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Good alternative to iced cakes!! Hoping to make it for birthday parties. 🙂
Hi Raji
Awesome. I love this cake. Awesome clucks asusual
Hi Raji
Awesome. I love this cake. Awesome clucks asusual
Woaa what an interesting recipe!! I imagined the yummy moist flavor seeing your making process 😀
nice raji superb excellent . no words to say. mouthwatering. hatsof to u. keep it up.
Hai raks shall I use wheat flour instead of maida and tell me option for condensed milk? My baby love this
Hi raks,
This reminds me of the coconut buns we get in India.. Yumm o Yumm…. And I sneak peaked your little helpers hand today!!! 🙂
raks…is it dry coconut or the normal coconut used in chutneys? can u pls clarify
oh i eat this lot in childhood.. thanks for remembering.. Will try out for sure
Dry coconut. You get as desiccated coconut in shops near baking items
Sara, you can adapt my carrot muffins recipe for base and try the same http://www.rakskitchen.net/2014/06/eggless-carrot-muffins-recipe-eggless.html
never ate this but looks so delish
Fantastic post and a lovely little story..liked very much when u said ur heart goes back to the local bakery even wen u see the most fascinating cakes..shows ur lov…great job as usual
Fantastic post and a lovely little story..liked very much when u said ur heart goes back to the local bakery even wen u see the most fascinating cakes..shows ur lov…great job as usual
have you used fresh orange juice or store bought
Hi Raji, can you plz suggest alternative to condensed milk?
May be try with milk, since I bake occasionally as well, cant tell you exact alternate suggestion, sorry.
Fresh juice.
I love this cake in bakery.. Looks moist and yum
Is the coconut sweetened or unsweetened?
Hi,
I tried your recipe. It came out very tasty. Me and my husband loved it. I shared cake with my neighbors and colleagues, I got good compliments.
Thanks for sharing such an awesome recipe
Tried this recipe yesterday, it was a major hit at home, everyone loved it…the texture, taste and appearance were perfect…thanks for accurate measurements.
Wanted to know if it is ok to eliminate orange juice and orange zest from the recipe, will it make any difference to the flavor of the cake?
Hi mam
Yesterday I tried this cake. It was very tasty and so soft. Thank you for the recipe
Hii,
You haven't mentioned about baking time as well as temperature..& i have 1 more doubt, why we need to add extra sugar with jam..when jam itself is sweet.. :)!!
Baking temperature is alwayssame as the preheat temperature unless otherwise it is mentioned. So in this case, its 180 deg C as mentioned in step one. Step 3, I have mentioned the baking time – 30 mins 🙂
Adding sugar to jam is to make it more spreadable.
It’s awesome
Hi raks..i tried to make this cake using airfryer.the cake dint raise.the taste was gud.can u pls tell me wat might have gone wrong.
Hope your baking powder and baking soda are fresh stock. And also I have to ask you, can you follow the same recipe in airfryer?
You are right Raks my baking powder was expired :(.I tried out again with the new stock.It came out well.thank you.And yes I used the same recipe to bake in the airfryer.
Hi raji
tried your recipe today it came out really well. I think it would be even better if quantity of sugar is reduced.
Hii raji,is that possible to make it without oven
Tried this cake raji n its yummy. Gonna try ur other recepies as well. Thanks for wonderful recepie
Hii raji, is that possible to make it without oven
Hi.. Just wanted to know that can I substitute oil with butter as the aroma of the oil doesn't cum out well in my cakes.. Though I also use sunflower as mentioned in ur cake recipes.. Thanks.. Looking for ur immediate response as I want to bake this cake tomorrow..
Hi raji,
I got it soften from inside I kept it for 32 mins n recipe used as it is. What can b done better pls suggest me.
can bake in pressure cooker, but pressure cooker may get spoiled after few bakes.
Sorry for my later response, I guess you can replace with same amount melted butter. In this cake the oil smell wont be there as we use orange juice and zest.
Did you preheat the oven? Did you open the oven door in between baking?
Hi Raji ,
Nice presentation. I am going to try this. Which brand Jam did you use?
Kissan
Hi Raji, Big fan of your site :). Please can you clarify if the Powdered sugar you've used is icing sugar or have you just ground granulated sugar into a powder? I'd like to make this cake for my daughter's bday, please can you reply soon?
Regards
Preeya
I powdered the granulated sugar. Icing sugar is not pure sugar. So powder granulated sugar 🙂
Perfect :). Thanks Raji! I'll let you know how the cake turns out.
Hi Raji,
Looksyummy.speaking of local bakery cakes am a big fan of pudding cake which is available in most of the bakeries.could you try to get the recipe of it pls
Hi, can we use this honey syrup and jam for frosting normal vanilla cake?
Yes sure
Can I use wholewheat instead of wholewheat flour..
I don't get you. U mean whole wheat flour instead of maida? Yes you can try
Hi tried this cake. It's super duper hit among my friends & family.
Hi Raji, this cake looks yummy, could u pls tell me that can i use mango juice instead of orange juice?
Ya you can try 🙂
Hi raji, am new to baking. I bought Nestle milkmaid as it's written sweetened condensed milk on it. Do I have to add enough sugar as per ur recipe or less bcoz of sweetened condensed milk?
Confused , pls clarify?
Hi Raji, nice post. I just followed all the measurements and ingredients..the cake looks very good but after pouring honey my cake was over sweet and it's a bit soggy too.. Any thoughts?
Yes I have added sugar and sweetened condensed milk, so follow the same 🙂
Did you cooled the cake completely before pouring the honey syrup?
hi raji i am abig fan of urs and thanks for all ur receipes. can u pls tell me that the orange juice u hav used here Is it a natural orange juice extracted from orange without dilution?
Yes it is natural orange juice without water.
can i add egg too for extra fluffy, wil it go well with lemon juice and orange juice?
I think you can google search to adapt the recipe 🙂 I have not that much idea about baking with eggs.
thanks! can you please mention baking temperature?
Baking temperature = preheating temperature = 180 deg C
hi, I AM A BIG TIME FOLLOWER OF YOUR RECIPES, CAN YOU PLEASE HELP ME , WONT THE CAKE TURN TOO SWEET AFTER ADDING MILKMAID, JAM & SUGAR PLUS HONEY?? PLEASE HELP
Slightly sweeter, just because of that it is called Honey cake 🙂
Did u not get my comment which isent on june 8th. Its not posted
Agree. Yummy cake ! Just like an Indian bakery honey cake. I put 1 egg and lessened the condensed milk. Turned out great ! Thank you for the receipe Raks
I tried this cake,but my doesn't came out well, its little bit rough or rubbery, could u tell where I may went wrong. All the other things are OK.
Hi looks yummy want to try …can I make the cake couple of days in advance ..how long does it stay fresh?
You can bake the cake and keep refrigerated. Cannot keep outside.
My cake always sinks. Can I know what the reason for it could be ? And how do i make sure I get a perfectly risen eggless cake ?
Cake sinks if liquid content is more or oven door slammed in between the baking. Open the oven door only towards the end of the baking time 🙂
Hi, i tried the cake. Baked it for 35 mind as felt little under. But to my dismay the cake was cooked around the corner but not in the middle. Besides the corner too tasted like uncooked flour. Let me know the mistake i would have done if possible. Thanks
I guess your baking powder or baking soda did not work. Use fresh stock.
I tried this cake recipe and it is very tasty and yummy.Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Any alternative for orange juice?
Thank you so much for the recipe. My first time cake baking was disaster. So, after longtime saw your recipe and it came out so well. Gifting it to my mom tomorrow as her birthday gift:)
SO so glad to hear that 🙂
Thanks for the recipe… It really came out so well… My son loved it
I love honey cake.. And this egg less honey cake with orange juice and zest will defiantly so delicious..
Love this recipe. Tried and tested. But just wondering what’s the alternative for orange juice?
It helps in giving texture to the cake. Also adds flavour, highly recommend it. You can try same amount of liquid with a tbsp of lemon juice mixed to it.
Hi, Raji, I have almost tried all your cake recipes and always it was a hit with my family and friends, haven’t tried this honey cake and wanted to know if I can use this as only orange cake recipe with chocolate chips
And I really want to compliment you for the carrots and blueberry muffins both are simply amazing. Thank your for sharing delicious and never failed recipes, big fan of your baking section and homemade rasam
Thanks a lot 🙂 Yes you can do that…
Raji, I’ve tried few of ur recipes & it has turned out well mostly. Thanks for the wonderful recipes. Can I use butter instead of oil in this cake?
Thank you Anu, yes you can use same amount of melt butter.