Honey Cakes
If you are looking for a lovely afternoon tea accompanied by yummy cinnamon-honey mini cakes served with butter and apricot confiture, this is it. These mini honey cakes, which resemble muffins, are generously spiced with cinnamon and sweetened with fragrant honey — quick to make and delicious to enjoy even at breakfast as a charming alternative to toast. Known in Danish as honningkager and also beloved in Ukraine and Poland as medivnyk or miodownik, these traditional sweet treats vary from kitchen to kitchen, but the key is always the quality of the honey. Gently melting honey with sugar and butter, then warming it further with cinnamon and a touch of cloves, not only deepens the flavour of the cakes but fills the house with an incredible, lingering aroma that makes every bite feel like a small celebration.
Honey Cakes Recipe
By Zosia Culinary Adventures | Date: March 03, 2026
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time:25 minutes
Yield: 12
Requires a Large 12-cup non-stick muffin pan
Ingredients:
150 g unsalted butter plus extra for greasing the muffin pan
150 g raw honey
150 g brown sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
300 g all purpose flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tsp baking soda
4 tsp ground cinnamon
3 tsp ground cloves
100 g candies orange peel
Instructions:
Butter the 12-cup non-stick muffin pan, making sure each cup is evenly coated. Preheat the oven to 356°F (180°C) fan option.
In the medium sauce pan gently melt the honey, sugar, and butter together. Stir in the cinnamon and cloves, then allow the mixture to cook over low heat for about 2 minutes, taking care not to let it come to a boil. Leave the mixture to cool for 5 minutes, then beat in the eggs, one at the time.
In a separate large bowl, sift the flour together with the baking soda and salt, then gradually whisk these dry ingredients into the honey mixture, adding the orange peel at the end.
Spoon the honey cake batter into the muffin tins, dividing it evenly among the cups.
Bake for 20–25 minutes until the cake is well risen and golden brown (test doneness with a toothpick inserted into the center), then transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely.
Serve warm with a pat of butter and your favorite confiture, accompanied by a lovely cup of tea.
