Honey and Lemon Cake – Citrus Bliss

I adore citrus, whether in savory dishes or sweet, so when it was announced as the theme for this SundaySupper, I got very excited. Hosted by Jen of Juanita’s Cocina, this week, there is a bounty of citrus dishes for your delight and delectation. My offering is a Honey and Lemon Cake – because the honey lemon cake is just too good not to share.

A perfect honey and lemon cake

There is something about citrus fruit that just makes me happy. The fragrance of limes always transports me back to Latin America, even though I use them most in Asian cooking (and mojitos!), while lemons always make me think of summer, no matter what the weather is doing outside.

For the past few months, I have tried to make different dishes and drinks from lemons, such as lemon and blackberry meringue cake, gluten-free lemon meringue pie, or even mojito. I’ve even replaced my morning cup of tea with a slice of lemon and ginger in hot water. It’s actually much better at waking me up – I now save my cup of tea for when I get home from work.

A slice of honey and lemon cake
My homemade honey lemon cake

I had a couple of attempts at this honey and lemon cake recipe – I made the recipe up as I went along, which pretty much guarantees at least one failure – but it was a very happy day of baking. I don’t mind if things go wrong; it’s part of the fun, particularly for recipe invention.

The honey and lemon cake I’ve come up with is, in effect, just a simple sponge cake with a few additions, but the key ingredients of honey and lemon really stand out. The honey adds a depth of flavor to contrast against the zingy lemon, and both the lemon juice and honey ensure that the cake is perfectly moist, even when using gluten-free flour. This is how to make lemon ginger honey cake:

A perfect honey lemon cake

Honey and Lemon Cake

A simple yet elegant dessert that brings a burst of sunshine to any occasion,
4 from 1 vote
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, European, Mediterranean
Servings 8
Calories 265 kcal

Ingredients
  

For the cake

  • 100 g butter
  • 50 g caster sugar
  • 50 g honey
  • 3 eggs
  • 175 g self-raising flour I used a gluten-free blend
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp ginger

For the glaze

  • 4 tbsp icing sugar
  • 2 tsp honey
  • Lemon juice
  • Flaked almonds to decorate

Instructions
 

For the cake

  • Grease and line a small, round cake tin. Preheat the oven to 170oC.
  • Cream the butter, sugar and honey together, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Add a pinch of flour with the last egg to prevent the mixture from curdling.
  • Fold in the rest of the flour, incorporating lots of air.
  • Grate in the zest of the lemon – be careful to only grate the yellow outer zest, as the white underneath can be bitter.
  • Cut the lemon in half and squeeze in the juice from one half of the lemon.
  • Add the teaspoon of ginger and lightly stir so all the ingredients are mixed in.
  • Spoon the mixture into the tin and bake in the centre of the oven for about 45 mins. Check that the cake is cooked through with a skewer. If it comes out clean, the cake is done.
  • Leave cake to cool for a few mins in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

For the glaze

  • Once the cake is cool, put the two tsp of honey and the juice from the remaining half of the lemon into a pan. Heat briefly just until the honey becomes more 'liquidy'. Remove from heat and seive in the icing sugar, stirring well. You should have a runny consistency, not too thick.
  • Pierce the cake several times with a fork, then spoon over the glaze. Don't worry if it runs all over the place – that is part of the charm!
  • Before it sets, decorate with flaked almonds.
  • Once the glaze is dry and cool, dust the cake with icing sugar.
  • Serve on its own or with a dash of cream.
Keyword baking, desserts, gluten free, vegetarian
About the author
Kate

Hi, I'm Kate, the creator of Happy Baking Days. I'm a food lover, recipe creator, and kitchen explorer. I have amateur baking knowledge gained from years spent in the kitchen with my grandma and mum, where I graduated slowly from dusting work surfaces with flour and licking the spatula to the finer arts of pastry and meringue. Now in my own kitchen, I put all those years of training into practice, experimenting with recipes and ingredients from around the world. Join me as I share my culinary journey and favorite recipes that make cooking a delightful experience.

1 thought on “Honey and Lemon Cake – Citrus Bliss”

  1. 4 stars
    I stumbled upon this honey and lemon cake recipe last weekend, and it was an absolute game-changer! The combination of the sweet honey and zesty lemon created a perfect balance of flavors. Definitely adding this to my list of favorite desserts!

    Reply

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating