Love the honey cake from Iyengar Bakery? This Indian honey cake recipe is eggless, soft, and full of rich honey flavor. Topped with jam and desiccated coconut, it's a delicious treat you can make at home. Here's how to make it with step-by-step photos and a quick video tutorial.
I still remember those college hangouts when Bangalore Iyengar Bakery’s honey cake was our favorite treat. This Indian honey cake is soft, fluffy, and soaked in honey, just like the one I loved. The mix of sweet jam and coconut on top makes every bite even better. Oh! it tastes delicious.
This Indian honey cake recipe I am sharing here brings back those memories with its soft, eggless texture and rich honey flavor. Now, I can enjoy this classic anytime and so can you with this easy recipe.
About this Honey Cake Recipe
I love how simple this Indian honey cake recipe is. It's eggless, flavorful, and so easy to make at home. Start with baking a soft vanilla sponge, soak it with sweet honey syrup, and top it with fruity jam and desiccated coconut. Every bite is rich, flavorful, and just like the classic bakery-style treat.
Unlike the layered Medovik, this Indian version bakes in a single pan, so there's no extra work, just soft, honey-soaked cake ready to enjoy. It's the perfect treat when I want something homemade without spending hours in the kitchen.
Even the frosting is easy with a generous spread of jam and a sprinkle of coconut. That classic combination brings back memories of bakery-style honey cake, with just the right balance of sweetness and texture. Every bite is pure nostalgia.
How do you make honey cake from scratch?
Ingredients & Substitutions
For Eggless Sponge Cake - You need all-purpose flour (or maida), curd/yogurt, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cooking oil, and vanilla essence. You can substitute all-purpose flour with wheat flour for a healthier option.
For Honey Syrup - You need honey, sugar, and rose essence. If rose essence is not available then you can skip it.
Other Ingredients - Jam and desiccated coconut. I have used mixed-fruit jam here. You can also use strawberry jam.
How to make Indian Honey Cake Recipe (With Step By Step Photos)
Bake a Sponge Cake
1) Prepare a basic vanilla sponge cake. You can bake the cake in an oven or without the oven (as shown below the recipe card).
Make Honey Syrup
2) In a saucepan or small pan, combine water and sugar. Heat the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches a boil. Let it boil for another 2 minutes, then remove from heat.
3) Allow the syrup to cool slightly until it's warm but not boiling. Stir in the honey and rose essence until well combined.
Soaking the Cake with Honey Syrup
4) Using a toothpick or skewer, gently poke holes all over the top of the sponge cake. This allows the syrup to penetrate the cake evenly.
5) Pour the prepared syrup over the cake slowly with a large spoon. Don't drench the cake all at once. Instead, let the cake absorb the syrup for a few moments before adding another spoonful. Continue adding syrup in small amounts until the cake is moist but not soggy. The cake will only absorb so much syrup, so stop when it reaches its saturation point.
Making the Jam Topping and Finishing Touches
6) Heat a non-stick pan over low heat. This ensures the jam won't scorch. Add the mixed fruit jam to the pan. Continuously stir the jam as it melts on low heat. This prevents burning and ensures even heating. The jam is ready when it reaches a spreading consistency. This means it should be thin enough to easily coat the cake. Turn off the heat immediately.
7) Work quickly while the jam is still warm and spreadable. Spread the jam evenly over the top of the cooled cake.
8) Sprinkle some desiccated coconut over the cake. Cut it into rectangular pieces. Enjoy!
Tips to make the Best Honey Cake
- This bakery-style honey cake is sweet to taste so adjust the quantity of sugar while making the sponge cake.
- Once the syrup is warm (not hot), stir in the honey. Honey can lose its delicate flavor at high temperatures.
- Slowly ladle the honey syrup over the cake. Don't drench the cake all at once.
- Let the cake absorb the syrup for a few moments before adding another ladleful. Continue this process until the cake is soft but not soggy. Remember, the cake can only absorb so much honey syrup, so stop when it reaches its saturation point.
- The addition of rose essence is optional.
- Store any leftover honey cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to 2 days.
Storage & Reheating
- You can store honey cake in an airtight container in a refrigerator. It stays good for 2 days.
- We have used dairy product, for making the sponge cake, and it is advised to consume them within 48 hours.
- Before serving, heat it for 10-20 sec in the oven & serve.
Other Eggless Cake Recipes you might like
- Black forest cake with chocolate lace wrap
- Doll cake
- Shinchan cake
- Semolina cake
- Chocolate drip cake
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Recipe Card
Indian Honey Cake Recipe
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker, Cake tin
Ingredients
For making honey syrup
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup water
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- 2-3 drops rose essence
Other ingredients
- 2 tablespoon desiccated coconut
- 2 tablespoon mixed fruit jam
Instructions
Bake a sponge cake
- Prepare a basic vanilla sponge cake. You can bake the cake in an oven or without the oven (as shown below the recipe card).
Making honey syrup
- In a saucepan or small pan, combine water and sugar. Heatthe mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it reaches a boil. Letit boil for another 2 minutes, then remove from heat. Allow the syrup to coolslightly until it's warm but not boiling. Stir in the honey and rose essenceuntil well combined.
Soaking the cake with honey syrup
- Usinga toothpick or skewer, gently poke holes all over the top of the sponge cake.This allows the syrup to penetrate the cake evenly.
- Pour the prepared syrup over the cake slowly with a largespoon. Don't drench the cake all at once. Instead, let the cake absorb thesyrup for a few moments before adding another spoonful. Continue adding syrupin small amounts until the cake is moist but not soggy. The cake will onlyabsorb so much syrup, so stop when it reaches its saturation point.
Making the jam topping and finishing touches
- Heat a non-stick pan over low heat. This ensures the jamwon't scorch. Add the mixed fruit jam to the pan. Continuously stir the jam asit melts on low heat. This prevents burning and ensures even heating. The jamis ready when it reaches a spreading consistency. This means it should be thinenough to easily coat the cake. Turn off the heat immediately.
Video
Notes
- For making the sponge cake you can use this easy recipe.
- Once the syrup is warm (not hot), stir in the honey. Honey can lose its delicate flavor at high temperatures.
- Slowly ladle the syrup over the cake. Don't drench the cake all at once.
- Let the cake absorb the syrup for a few moments before adding another ladleful. Continue this process until the cake is moist but not soggy. Remember, the cake can only absorb so much syrup, so stop when it reaches its saturation point.
- The addition of rose essence is optional.
- Store any leftover honey cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to 2 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to bake a sponge cake without oven?
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup all purpose flour or maida
- 1 cup curd/yogurt (dahi)
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ cup cooking oil
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla essence
Preheat the pressure cooker: For baking a cake in the oven, we always preheat the oven. Same way, we will preheat the pressure cooker.
Add 1 cup of salt to the base of the pressure cooker. Spread it evenly. Remove the gasket and the whistle from the lid of the pressure cooker. Place the lid on the pressure cooker and close it securely. Heat it in the lowest setting of the gas stove.
Take maida/all-purpose flour. Sieve it twice. Keep it aside. In another mixing bowl, add curd & sugar. Whisk it well until the sugar dissolves.
Now add baking powder & baking soda to the curd and sugar mixture. Whisk it well. Let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes you will notice bubbles appearing on the surface of the mixture. Add vanilla essence & oil. Whisk it well.
Add the sifted flour to the mixture. Mix it gently using the cut-and-fold method. Don't over-mix it. There should be no lumps in the batter. Transfer the batter to a greased cake pan(6*6). Tap it gently to remove any air bubbles.
Open the lid of the pressure cooker. Be careful it will be hot. Keep a hot pot stand inside it. Place the cake tin over the stand. Close the lid. Bake it on the lowest flame. It will take around 55 minutes to bake.
After 55 minutes, slowly open the lid of the pressure cooker. Be careful it will be hot. The timing may differ for you. Please check the cake after 45 minutes. Insert a toothpick/skewer in the middle of the cake and check. If the skewer comes out clean then it's done. Your sponge cake is ready.
Hi! I’m Preeti Nayak, and with over two decades of hands-on experience in Indian cooking, I’m excited to share my passion with you. As the author, photographer, and editor behind every well-tested, family-friendly recipe on this blog, my goal is to help you cook with confidence and bring the bold, authentic flavors of India to your table.
Rajesh
good recipe
Preeti Nayak
Thanks:)
raji
Tried! Good recipe.