How to Make Moist Honey Tea Cake Loaf Just Like Grandma’s

Loaves, loaves, loaves… I’ve always had a ove hate relationship with them. On one hand, growing up in Algeria, we used to go to a bakery and purchase this loaf but it was so dry for my liking. So I swore off tea cakes or loaf cakes in general unless they are dense and full of flavor. Something like my Healthy Pumpkin Bread with chocolate chips or my Pecan Banana Bread with Streusel Topping or even the famous lemon loaf from starbucks because let’s be honest… That cake is melt in your mouth delicious.

But the point being, that I absolutely hate loafs that are bland-ish and dry. Those are two things I don’t want in my loaf cakes. That’s why I decided that it was finally time for me to share something that would benefits my fellow dry loaf haters!

This time around, I am bringing you a honey tea cake that is full of buttery goodness as well as egg yolks to make it extra moist and fatty. We don’t stop there, no… We go the extra mile and make a honey syrup for it, to make sure that it turns out as moist as possible with those incredible honey notes.

This is my go to honey tea cake recipe!

So after multiple failed batches of loaf cakes at our house, we finally found the secret! Fat is key, so don’t be shocked when you see the amount of butter and yolks that we use in this recipe. It is well worth it, and at the end of the day this is a little treat.

Definitely not meant to be eaten all in one sitting! Don’t forget to share your baked goods, always! It will make people happy and it will keep you feeling better about having self control when it comes to delicious treats like this one :)… That’s my tip of the day!

Seriously though, what makes this tea cake recipe special?

As if I didn’t talk oh so highly of this tea cake already… But I have no problem saying it again and again!

• This honey tea cake is an easy cake that is sure to impress the crowds.
• It is very easy to make! All you need to do is mix the ingredients together and throw it in the oven to bake.
• This tea cake is moist and dense, both at the same time!
• Granted I am posting this article in July, this honey loaf could very well be a recipe that you could make for the holiday. It will make a great Christmas day dessert.

Ingredients to make tea cake

To make this tea cake you will need the following ingredients:

• Flour– All purpose regular flour is perfect for this loaf cake recipe.
• Baking powder– Baking powder is what is going to make our cake rise.
• Salt– Salt in your baked goods is always necessary.
• Egg yolks and an egg– This cake recipe requires egg yolks as well as an egg. The egg yolks are gonna add a whole lot of fat to keep this cake as moist as can be.
• Heavy cream– Since we are on the topic of fat, we are also adding heavy whipping cream to keep the cake dense and moist.
• Vanilla bean paste– Vanilla add such a beautiful floral flavor to this cake. Don’t skip it!
• Butter– Again with the fat to keep this cake extra moist. If you are using salted butter, omit the extra salt in this recipe to keep things balanced.
• Honey– The star of the dish. Use good quality tasting honey so that you get that flavor to shine in this tea cake. You will use the honey as a syrup to moisten and flavor your cake at the end.

Substitutions for vanilla bean paste

I like using vanilla bean paste for this recipe because you can see the gorgeous specks of vanilla once you slice your honey loaf. But if you don’t have it and want to use something you have on hand at the time you can use either vanilla beans or vanilla extract. If you are using vanilla extract use 1 teaspoon, and if using an actual vanilla bean use ½ a vanilla bean and save the other half for next time or maybe make my Vanilla Bean Italian Meringue Buttercream 😉

how to make the best honey tea cake recipe?

First, start by preheating the oven to 350F then butter and flour a 8.5×4.5 inch baking pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks, egg, heavy cream, and vanilla.

In a stand mixer bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, salt. Add in the sugar and mix until incorporated (about 20seconds). Add in the softened butter and half of the egg mixture and beat on medium low until incorporated (about 3 minutes.) Now increase the speed to medium high and beat for another 3 minutes in order to get a thick and airy cake batter. Lower the speed again and add the remainder of the egg mixture and gently mix until incorporated (about 2 minutes)

Pour the batter into the prepared baking sheet and bake for 35-45 minutes. You will know that the cake is ready when it no longer jiggles in the center, has a golden brown top, and a knife of a wooden skewer comes out clean when inserted in the center.

5 minutes before pulling out your tea cake loaf, prepare the honey syrup. Mix the honey the the water in a small measuring cup or bowl, and mix until you get a smooth syrup. Brush the top of the loaf with the honey syrup immediately after pulling it out. You can also drizzle it on top if you don’t have a brush.

Pull the loaf out of the oven and let it cool down for 20 minutes because running a spatula around the edges, pulling it out and letting it cool down on a wire rack for another 20 minutes. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Testing the loaf for doneness

Cakes can dry out very easily if over baked. But I am here to show you exactly how you can make sure that your cake won’t over bake.

Since, ovens differ quite a lot, knowing how to test your loaf cake for doneness is absolutely necessary.

To test your loaf, insert a knife or a wooden skewer into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready. There could also be some dry crumbs on the knife which also indicated that the cake is ready. When the loaf is pulled out of the oven it will continue baking, so a few dry crumbs are fine. You want to make sure that the knife or the wooden skewer it not covered in cake batter still since that indicated that the loaf if not ready yet.

If you don’t have a wooden skewer and don’t want to poke your loaf with a knife, you could shake the pan lightly and see if the cake jiggles still. If it jiggles, it means the batter is still raw and needs more baking. If not, it’s ready.

You could also using your finder, gently push down on the top center part of the loaf. If the cake bounces back, you’ll know that the cake is ready but if the cake has an indentation then it needs some more baking.

All in all, your cake needs to be springy to the touch, golden brown and not jiggly when you move the pan.

Honey Tea Cake

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More honey recipes you will love!

• Peach Panzanella Salad with Honey Vinaigrette
• Honey frozen yogurt with roasted strawberries
• The best broccoli salad with a lightened up dressing!
• Honey almond granola
• Sticky honey butter chicken popcorn
• Honey walnut shrimp

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