This moist decadent gluten free honey cake recipe is going to become your new favorite. I am so excited to share this recipe with you. This cake is perfect for Rosh Hashanah, Tu B'Shevat, or ANYTIME!
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Get ready for Rosh Hashanah with this delicious moist gluten free honey cake recipe. Honey is a large part of the Rosh Hashanah celebration. If you don't celebrate this holiday, don't let that stop you from trying this sweet new cake recipe!
For this recipe inspiration, I wanted to adapt a recipe from one of the masters of Jewish baking, Smitten Kitchen. (She adapted this recipe from another baker, but I like how she changed it up.) I used her majestic honey cake recipe and tweaked some quantities, and changed a couple of ingredients to make it the best gluten free honey cake ever!
This homemade honey cake recipe mixes together quickly and makes two loaves, one bundt cake, or one loaf and several mini bundt cakes.
If you love cake as much as we do, this delicious gluten free peach cake is another delicious cake recipe to try!
Why This Cake is Great:
This simple cake is infused with sweet honey flavors. It is one of the best cakes I have made in a long time. When you look at the ingredients, it can be hard to see how it all comes together. Somehow the flavors all do blend nicely and it will only take one bite for you to be hooked.
Note, the original recipe called for whiskey, which I decided to omit since there is controversy as to how much the alcohol burns off during baking.
I made this as a bundt cake and it was soooooo good!! So moist!!! I love having people try my baked goodies and be shocked they are gluten free!! Thank you for another great recipe!"
Chris S.
If you love cake as much as we do, you will want to check out all of my yummy Gluten Free Cake Recipes!
This recipe for gluten free honey cake for Rosh Hashanah can make one loaf and four mini cakes, or two loaves. These little mini bundt cake pans make these little honey cakes so cute!
This is one of my favorite gluten-free flour blends for cookies, cakes, pie crust, biscuits, and muffins! (Do not use this flour blend for yeast recipes.)
Ingredient Notes:
- Gluten free flour blend - I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF and Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
- Baking Powder - Use aluminum-free.
- Xanthan gum - If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- Coffee - Use regular or decaf.
- Butter - You can substitute more light oil for the butter if you are dairy-free.
- Eggs - Size large eggs.
- Oil - Any unflavored light oil will work.
- Pure vanilla extract - I do not recommend imitation vanilla.
- Honey - You do not have to use expensive local honey to make this recipe. Any pure inexpensive honey is fine.
Tools Needed:
If you are new to cake baking, here is a good write-up of my favorite Kitchen Tools For Baking Cakes.
- Mixing Bowls - I love these because they don't slide around!
- Loaf Pan - For a loaf-style cake.
- Mini Bundt Pan - For bundt-style mini cakes.
Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:
Step 1: Add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk to blend.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, add the wet ingredients and whisk. Honey can be thick and difficult to mix in so I recommend melting the butter, then pouring the honey into that bowl. Whisk them together and pour them into the larger bowl.
Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix. Try not to overmix your batter so your cake is lighter and fluffier.
Step 4: I want to talk about the batter because this batter is going to be a lot runnier than my usual gluten free cake batter. The runny consistency is very similar to my gluten free Japanese banana bread recipe.
Step 5: Pour the batter into a mini bundt cake pan. Fill a little over halfway full.
Step 6: Bake at 350º F for 25 minutes until done.
Step 7: If you are baking in loaf pans, pour the batter into greased bread loaf pans. Fill ¾ full.
Step 8: To get the top of the cake to be tall and domed, bake at 400º F for 8 minutes, then turn the heat down to 350º F for 40 minutes. The actual bake time will vary depending on the size and depth of your loaf pans.
Optional toppings:
You can enjoy these honey cakes as is, or with a topping. I recommend either dusting with powdered sugar or drizzling icing over the top.
You may also love this New York deli-style Gluten Free Crumb Cake recipe.
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ:
If you use pure 100% honey, your honey is gluten free. Always read the ingredients to make sure you buy pure honey without additives.
You can easily make this cake dairy-free by swapping more light cooking oil instead of butter.
If you would like your cake to be moist and fluffy, I recommend mixing the batter very carefully. Overmixing can make the cake turn out denser.
The best way to test for doneness is to insert a toothpick into the middle of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, your cake is finished baking. If you see crumbs or batter, you will need to bake the cake longer.
This cake will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
You can easily freeze this honey cake. Wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap. Place it into a large freezer bag and seal the bag.
If you are an avid cake baker, check out this Gluten Free Cake Troubleshooting Guide.
If you love honey as much as I do, give this easy honey sesame candy recipe a try too!
More Gluten Free Cake Recipes:
- This Gluten free lemon layer cake makes a great birthday cake!
- If you are a chocoholic, you need to try this gluten free chocolate cake!
- Many bakeries use my Gluten free vanilla cake recipe, it is
- Homemade gluten free French apple cakes
You can also check out all of my homemade gluten free cake recipes because I have so many delicious recipes for you!
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Honey Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 cups gluten free flour blend * see note
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup honey * see note
- ½ cup light oil * see note
- ½ cup butter, melted * see note
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup coffee * see note
- ⅓ cup orange juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F. If you want your cake to have a dome top, preheat the oven to 400º F.
- In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients and whisk to blend.
- In a separate bowl, add the wet ingredients and mix. Because the honey can be difficult to blend, I recommend melting the butter and honey in a dish. Mix the honey and melted butter, then add it to the rest of the wet ingredients.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until it is just barely mixed. Over mixing the cake batter will make the cake turn out denser.
- Grease two loaf pans, a large bundt pan, or mini bundt cake pans. I use spray coconut oil.
- Fill the loaf pans about ¾ full. Mini bundt bake pans should be filled half full.
- If you are making a dome top, cook the loaves for 8 minutes at 400º F then turn the heat down to 350º F. If making a bundt cake, bake at 350º F only.
- Bake for 40-45 minutes. Bake time is going to vary widely depending on what you bake your cake in.
- To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is done baking. If you see batter or crumbs, the cake needs to bake longer.
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF and Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the butter for light oil.
- I used regular coffee, you can also use decaf. Another good option is black tea. Smitten Kitchen also said you can use water if you prefer.
- These cakes will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn't test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
Fearless Dining
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Rivka
Amazing amazing recipe!! My husband and daughter became gluten free recently and they were so upset that they wouldn't get to have their favorite desserts especially the ones for the holidays. I tried many different gluten free dessert recipes but to no avail. I found your recipes and they have ALL been delicious and taste like their the real deal! I can't thank you enough for all the yummy recipes that are so easy to follow and so delicious! My husband and daughter are so grateful to have gluten tasting desserts again and the rest of us are enjoying them too! I can't wait to make all the recipes on here!! Thank you!!!!!!!!!
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Rivka, you made my day!! I am so glad your husband and daughter are enjoying my recipes!! Thank you so much!
Jenna Smith
Well unfortunately this didn’t turn out how I had hoped. I put it in two loave pans and it burned the entire outside and didn’t cook evenly on the inside. I’m wondering if I should have used a Bundt pan instead? Our oven runs hot so I turned down the temp but still didn’t work.
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Jenna, I am sorry to hear this happened. What gluten free flour blend did you use? If the inside didn't cook evenly, I am wondering if it was a really starchy blend. Let me know and we can troubleshoot this.
Katie
How much light oil additionally if not using butter?
Sandi Gaertner
The substituted oil would be the same quantity as the butter.
Julie
OMG fabulous! I am not a baker and this Honey Cake is moist, velvety, rich in flavor. (Dome didn’t happen) Absolutely the most delicious GF cake ever! And, I substituted 1:1 Sugar for Whole Earth Erythritol & MonkFruit, and brown sugar for Wholesome Organic Coconut sugar. Used GF King Arthur measure for measure flour.
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you loved this cake. I haven't tried subbing the sugar, so thank you for the tips!
Julie
Found my answer to coffee, I. Missed it when transposing recipe. I am substituting with and brown sugars for coconut and monkfruit.
Sandi Gaertner
I am glad you found it. Thank you!
Linda
Yes, this is a great cake. However you give credit to Smitten Kitchen for this Majestic Honey Cake, who you say made changes to it from ‘another baker’. I think it’s only fair to give credit where it’s due. Smitten Kitchen only decreased the baking powder from 1 tbsp. To 1 tsp. In this great recipe from Marcy Goldman, a very well known Canadian baker and cookbook author. THis recipe can be found in her book, Jewish Holiday Baking, along with many other great recipes. But you adapted it nicely to be gluten free.
Sandi Gaertner
Thank you so much for filling in some blanks on the history of this cake. I hadn't heard of Marcy, so I appreciate the information.
Millie
This looks like a fabulous gf honey cake! But I'd like to make only one loaf, which will be simple except for the 3 eggs. Can I use 2 eggs or is it critical to get closer to 1.5 eggs?
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Millie, I haven't split up the recipe so I am unsure how that would turn out. You can easily make both loaves and freeze one.
Sam
What is considered light oil? Which would be best for this recipe?
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Sam, I often use canola or avocado oil.