Honey Cakes flavored with orange, ginger, and brown butter are moist without becoming dense. These mini ginger loaves are perfectly soft, full of citrus honey notes and delicious with a smear of butter.
My mother is the quintessential southern lady who gives baked goods as gifts for holidays, birthdays, new neighbors, and special occasions. She doesn't just throw them in a tupperware or wrap a cake in aluminum foil, no she packages them with class and decorations. I wish I could say the same for my giveaway bakes, but I have yet to receive any complaints.
I've seen my mother bake eight cakes, decorate them with icing, berries, holly leaves, and then individually wrap in clear plastic adorned with homemade bows. She then delivers them door to door with a smile and genuine excitement. We should all be lucky enough to receive one of her baking gifts.
On the other hand, if you live next to me you might receive a half layered cake, several slices of pie, or an extra pan of brownies. Since I'm always recipe testing, photographing, and making food, leftovers are plentiful. I've even told neighbors to just bring over empty plates for me to fill with pie and cookies. Everyone seems happy, preventing me from eating all the goodies myself!
Now, back to the honey cakes. I chose to bake mini cakes for gifting to friends. (Don't be to harsh on my simple holiday packaging.) Using winter flavors of browned butter, ginger, and orange create a rich cozy sensation. A bit different than your typical spice cake, but perfect for a chilly morning or evening treat by the fire.
I suggest you bake all four, wrap up three as gifts, and save the fourth for yourself!
🧈 What is Brown Butter?
Brown butter is made by cooking unsalted butter until the milk solids turn a medium brown color. This process cooks out any of the water in the butter resulting in a rich nutty or toasty flavor. A great technique for adding more depth to your baked goods.
To make brown butter (also called beurre noisette), simply place your butter in a light colored skillet so you can see the color change and cook on medium heat. First the butter will start to foam as it melts, then it will slowly change from a golden hue to a darker more toasty brown color. It should start to give off a nutty aroma as it browns.
Remove your brown butter from the heat and put in heat safe bowl to let it cool. Make sure not to overcook your butter to a dark brown almost black.
Can I bake this honey cake recipe in a loaf pan?
In short, yes you can convert this recipe to one large banana bread size loaf by using a 9 inch by 5 inch loaf pan. The only change will be the baking time. Increase your baking time to 40-45 minutes and check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the loaf. If the toothpick comes out dry with only a few small crumbs, your honey cake is baked.
Tips for Orange Ginger Honey Cakes:
- Make sure to use brown butter for a nice nutty flavor addition.
- Use fresh squeezed orange juice and fresh orange zest.
- Use local pure honey for better flavor.
- Place your mini cake pans on a cookie sheet in the oven.
- Use four 6 inch mini loaf pans. Try these mini loaf pans.
- Halfway through baking, lightly cover your row of cake pans with a sheet of aluminum foil. This will prevent the tops from over browning. The moist cake batter takes a but longer to fully bake through the center.
- Check each cake for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center. Cakes are ready if toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs.
- Let your cakes cool before removing them from their pans.
- Serve with butter spread or mix additional brown butter and honey for a drizzle!
How to Store Honey Cakes
- Once cooled these honey cakes can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 week. Make sure to keep in a cool location to prevent humidity causing mold on moist goods. Alternatively you can wrap each cake individually in plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.
- To freeze honey cakes, wrap in two layers of plastic wrap and or place in an air tight container in the freezer for up to 3 months of freshness. Allow cakes to thaw to room temperature before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
The whole milk can be substituted for almond, oat, or soy milk evenly. Just make sure to use an unsweetened plain version to prevent added sweetness or massive flavor change.
Yes, you can use a 12 cup muffin pan to make regular sized orange ginger honey muffins. Simply fill each muffin well ¾ full with batter and bake at 350 F (176 C) for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
If you're not a huge fan of orange, simply swap the orange juice and zest for your favorite citrus. I would recommend going with lemon or grapefruit!
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Orange Ginger Honey Cakes
Ingredients
- 250 grams all purpose flour
- 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon orange zest, *zest of one orange
- 113 grams unsalted butter, browned *see notes
- 270 grams honey
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 125 grams whole milk
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 50 grams granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F (160C) and prepare four 6 inch mini loaf pans. (spray with non-stick spray or a thin coating of butter and flour.)
- In a medium bowl, hand whisk together sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda, ginger and orange zest.
- Brown your butter by placing in a small skillet on medium heat. Stir until butter is melted. Continue to stir and heat until butter is foamy and brownish in color.
- Pour the warm brown butter into the bowl of stand mixer. Allow it to cool to room temperature.
- Next, add the honey, orange juice, milk, sugar, and slightly beaten eggs into the mixing bowl with the browned butter.
- Mix on medium speed using the paddle attachment until smooth.
- Slowly spoon in flour mixture on medium speed until a cake batter is formed. (scrape sides and bottom of bowl to incorporate all ingredients.
- Divide batter amongst the four pans.
- Place pans on cookie sheet and bake for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. (Cover loaves with a sheet of aluminum foil halfway through baking to prevent over browning.)
- Place pans on cooling rack to completely cool before removing.
- Eat and enjoy!
Notes
Baking Pans
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- Place your mini cake pans on a cookie sheet in the oven.
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- Use four 6 inch mini loaf pans. Try these mini loaf pans.
Maria Ladwig
Jenn,
I do not buy almond milk. Does regular milk change the sweetness level of the bread? Could it be substituted?
I am excited to try these for Christmas.
Jenn
I use unsweetened almond milk, so substituting regular milk should be fine:)
Rachel
The recipe states to use whole milk. If I used almond milk, would it still be half a cup?
Jenn
Yes you can swap whole milk for almond milk with same measurement.
Sidney Jo
I’m excited to try this recipe and I notice it doesn’t call for any salt, which I’ve never tried before! With all the glowing reviews I would guess there’s no lack of flavor, but any thoughts?
Jenn
Hi Sidney! I felt the flavor was fine, if you would like to add some start with 1/8 to 1/4 tsp and see what you like:)
Ishwant
Hey,
Can i use milk instead of eggs if not then what i can use
Jenn
You can try to replace each egg with a 1/4 cup of sweetened condensed milk or whole milk. I haven't tried for this recipe, so I can't guarantee the results. Let me know how it goes!
Sara
Can fresh ginger be used or is it too much flavor?
Jenn
Hi Sara, I would stay with the ground ginger since its better for the high temperatures of baking. You would need a lot of fresh ginger to get the same flavor.
Yann
Made it today! Delicious. Thanks for a great recipe. Now I want to bake everything in mini loaf pans .
Marie Berdini
Delicious little cakes to have on hand for a treat and to give away. Loved them on first try. I do think next time I'll add more orange zest.
Margaret
Can I make two loafs out of this, instead of fourini loaves? How much cook time would it take?
Stefany
Jenn,
I do not have mini loaf pans. How would you adjust baking a full loaf?
Jenn
Honey cakes can be more dense, so I love baking in smaller cake pans. You can use a regular loaf pan, but will take longer to bake all the way through. Make sure to check with a toothpick.
Kimberly
I was about to ask the same question, but considering your answer, how would I adjust the time for a large muffin pan? I know I can pretty much eyeball it oh, but I thought I'd ask. Also, would you change the temperature?
Whitney
Is there some reason I couldn’t make these much smaller... like using a madeleines pan? I’m wanting to try something different for a batch or two and these sound amazing!
Jenn
I can't say for sure, since I haven't tried it. But let me know if you do!
Victoria
Hi Jenn,
I have made these twice now & LOVE them! I have given out a few of them as little gifts. I am looking at switching up the flavors but keeping the core of the recipe as it works so well. I do have one question, how are you using/incorporating the 1/4c of sugar? Is it in the loaf or are you using as a dusting on the top? Thanks for the
Jenn
yay!! so glad to hear you're loving them! Would love to hear what other flavors you choose:)
Victoria
Sorry Jenn, I see now where the sugar is.... sorry!
Lisa Baird
These little cakes are a winner, winner, chicken dinner! I followed the recipe as written but did substitute non fat dairy milk for the almond milk. They are appropriately called 'cakes' as that's what they are with a tender crumb, subtle flavors, and especially tasty with butter. I will be making another batch.
Aadiba
can I substitute honey for sugar?
Jenn
Hi Aadiba! I would try replacing the 3/4 Cup of Honey with 1 cup of sugar and an additional 1/4 cup of the Almond Milk. Let me know how it goes.
priya
looks and sounds delicious! making idea great
Shelly Mitchell
I made these this morning and they were so good. I recently got the Nordic Ware mini beehives pan and wanted a honey cake to make in them. This was perfect. I added an extra tablespoon of oj, replaced the dry ingredients with Kodiak Cakes buttermilk and Chia mix and replaced the butter with greek yogurt. I'll be making these again. Thanks
Kate Lundberg
I live in Beijing, China where it can be difficult to find normal Western ingredients. When I came across this recipe last weekend I knew I had everything for it and I was SO eager to make them! I borrowed a mini loaf pan from a friend and baked the rest of the batter in a pie plate which turned out very much like a regular cake, so I'll be making an orange flavored cream cheese frosting or glaze for it. Like some of the other commenters have said, I also added some extra fresh-squeezed orange juice to boost that delicious citrus flavor. I also used regular cow's milk rather than almond milk. I'm planning (way ahead) to make these again for Christmas morning breakfast!
Jenn
oh wow!! So glad you enjoyed them Kate!! Thanks for sharing:)
Niyati
Hi Jenn!
Loved this easy recipe and planning to try it soon but I don’t eat eggs. Is there any replacement that I can use?
Cathy
I’m allergic to ginger what could I substitute?
Elise
Delicious - baked for 30 minutes and they were lovely. Definitely spread with butter. wrapped and decorated as per your picture and they were a hit. Gave them to each family at our Rosh Hashana dinner.
Jenn
Yay!! So glad you enjoyed:)
Bondita
Wow! I love homemade cakes and this looks delicious. I'll definitely try this out
Ash
Do you think it would be possible to substitute the ginger for another spice? And if so, which one would you recommend? I have a friend who despises ginger to her very core, but I think these loaves would be such a charming gift!
Jenn
Hi Ash! Try using Nutmeg instead 🙂
Megha
Hey, can I deduct the orange juice?
Jenn
You can substitute for lemon juice or water 🙂
sanya
So I want to make this cake for my exam tomorrow, but I just want to do a ginger honey cake, what should I do about the orange juice?
Jenn
Hi You can substitute with lemon juice 🙂 the acidity is what helps make the texture of the cake.
Sanya
Hey, so I tried it and it worked pretty well, I also flavoured the recipe with tea and frosted it with lemon cream cheese icing.
It was a hit and was really appreciated by all the chefs at my school.
Jenn
So glad you liked it! Lemon icing sounds fabulous!
Jennifer B
So I’m confused you say to prepare 6 loaf pans, then you say to fill 4 pans, I only had enough batter for 3. What did I do wrong. I specifically got the 6in mini loaf pans for this recipe.
Jenn
Hi, I'm not sure where it says 6 loaf pans. The recipe is to divide the batter evenly between four '6 inch' mini loaf pans.
Jennifer Bruns
Oh Lordy you are right it says 4 6 inch pans, excuse my confusion. It’s the holidays lol. I still only had enough batter for 3. Any recommendations for high altitude?
Patti
I don’t own a mixmaster with a paddle attachment. How can I mix this otherwise and for how long?
Jenn
Do you have a hand mixer?
Heer
Hi,
Is it possible for me to substitute the eggs with something else?
Jenn
Have you ever used flax eggs?
Melissa
Can I substitute other types of flour and use the same measurement?
Larisa Childerston
These are amazing.
anil
Wow! I love homemade cakes and this looks delicious. I’ll definitely try this out
Brianna Baker
Can I make this in a standard bunt cake pan? I just love the shape.
Jenn
Yes! Check out this recipe https://twocupsflour.com/orange-brown-butter-cake/
Kim
Hi. I want to make these for gifts using crystallized ginger. How much do you think I should substitute for the ground ginger?
Carole
Loving the delicious photography and cant wait to try this recipe. We have fabulous local honey in our area and plenty of citrus. Haven't baked for years. I hadn't thought of sharing baked goods, you have given me some ideas and started me thinking baking again. Thank you.
Alisha Khan
These look like tea cake and yummy. The recipe is worth trying. Can I substitute orange juice with something else? because the orange season is over.
Lila
Wow! This was different than any loaf I’ve tried, in a very pleasant way. Highly recommend to anyone tired of the same old baked goods. I substituted buttermilk & added salt. Browning the butter, I only set my smoke alarms off once. 10/10 success
Stephanie
Hi, this looks delicious!! I wonder if you have ever tried making it dairy free? How did it turn out?
I would like to attempt it, I assume swapping whole milk for oat milk, butter for dairy free butter and eggs for flaxseed or chickpea powder.
You may not know this answer but I thought I would ask just in case! I’m new to this...
Thank you
bre
hi! I was wondering if I used a Madeline pan if I can do that and just reduce the bake time to my usual time. Since Madelines are like cookies with a soft cake-like texture, I was wondering if that would work? Thanks so much in advanced for your time! 🙂 Looks delicious