I’ve been having fun with olive oil cakes, including Italian Apple Olive Oil Cake and this Orange Ricotta Cake. But my very favorite currently is this Greek orange honey cake!
This light, flavor-packed honey cake skips all the fuss. And it’s the simple cake that will feed a crowd.
In search for easy desserts that aren’t laden with butter or frosting, I happened upon a slightly different version of today’s honey cake in Jamie Oliver’s book Food Escapes. An inspiration from the island of Aegina, where pistachios and honey from local beekeepers are aplenty! I was immediately hooked!
This Yiayia-approved honey cake can easily feed a crowd (12 to 15 or so). And it’s the kind of simple dessert where you dump all the ingredients in one single bowl and mix! But, there is more…
Why this Honey Cake Works
There is a lot to love about this honey cake. Top of the list, it’s insanely DELICIOUS and very easy to make! But here are a few more things bakers and non-bakers alike will appreciate:
1. The combination of flours, all-purpose flour with coarse semolina (farina), gives it such interesting texture.
2. Greek yogurt here lends a great light and fluffy texture. Plus, its slightly tangy flavor balances so well with crave-worthy citrus from the generous amounts of orange and lemon zest.
3. The honey-pistachio SYRUP is king in this recipe! Admittedly, Jamie’s original recipe called for less syrup; I found that more of it was need for such a large cake. It lent flavor, and made for a perfectly “sticky” cake.
4. Finally, as always, if you’re going to make an olive oil cake, use the best olive oil you can. Shameless plug…I highly recommend our Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil. Learn more here.
Pro Tip
For maximum flavor, drizzle the hot syrup–made of honey, fresh orange juice, lemon juice, and pistachios–on the cooled cake. If you have the time, I highly recommend that you let the cake sit a few hours before serving (it’s even better the next day when all the flavors and moisture have settled!)
Watch how to make this honey cake:
Greek Orange Honey Cake with Pistachios
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: Up to 15 Pieces 1x
Description
This light, flavor-packed honey cake skips all the fuss. And it’s the simple cake that will feed a crowd.
Ingredients
For Cake
- 5 large eggs
- 1 cup low-fat Greek yogurt (I used fat-free plain Greek yogurt)
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 5 tbsp ground almonds (do this in a small food processor)
- zest of 1 Meyer lemon
- zest of 1 orange
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup coarse semolina (OR farina, Cream of Wheat, or this Creamy Wheat Cereal)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil
- Handful shaved almonds for topping, optional
For Honey Pistachio Syrup
- 1 1 /4 cup shelled salted pistachios
- 1 1/4 cup quality runny honey
- juice of 2 oranges
- juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan with butter and dust with flour (shake the pan a little to get an even coating of flour).
- Make the cake batter. Place all the cake ingredients (except the shaved almonds) in a large mixing bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon or a whisk to combine.
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread evenly with a spatula.
- Bake in heated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden and well cooked-through. To be sure, insert a wooden skewer into the center of the cake, it should come out clean if the cake is done.
- Remove from the oven and let the cake completely cool in the pan.
- Once the cake has cooled, prepare the honey syrup. Toast the pistachio in a dry non-stick pan over low to medium heat (pan needs to be large enough for the remaining syrup ingredients). Once they start to smell, stir in the honey. Add the orange juice and lemon juice. Bring to a boil for 1 to 2 minutes, or until nice and syrupy. (Do NOT taste the hot syrup, it will burn your mouth)
- Stab the cake all over with a small knife or a skewer to create holes. Pour the honey pistachio syrup all over the cake as evenly as possible. If you need to, use a spoon to distribute the pistachios across the top of the cake. Sprinkle shaved almonds, if using.
- You can cut the cake into 12 to 15 squares and serve at this point (see notes for best results.)
Notes
- Note: The syrup needs to be hot when you pour it on the cooled cake, the cake will better absorb it. Also, for best results, allow the cake to sit for a few hours before cutting and serving. It is even better the next day when the flavors and the moisture have settled in.
- Adapted from Jamie Oliver’s Food Escapes
- Recommended for this recipe: Our Private Reserve Greek extra virgin olive oil. Also see our Greek olive oil bundle!
- Visit our store to browse our spices, olive oils and bundles!
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Greek
Keywords: Orange Honey Cake, Honey Cake, Greek Cake, Orange Cake, Pistachios
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More Recipes to Try
Greek Pastitsio (Bechamel Pasta Casserole)
Mediterranean Bean and Broccoli Pasta
One-Skillet Garlic Dijon Chicken
Whats the name in Greek
Any idea if I can leave out the sugar completely? Will it affect anything other than the sweetness of the cake?
Likely just the flavor will be affected
Made this for my Easter lunch yummo 🙂 Thank you
Found the nut topping was more than required for the tray size I used.
Thanks, Maria! Glad you enjoyed it!!
Hi there, My husband is Greek and I am Portuguese so I love to try new recipes. I have a quick question – I have semolina at home but only fine semolina – can I use the fine instead of the coarse? Love your recipes and videos by the way!
Hi Susana, that will likely work here. It will just give you a finer textured cake, but it should still taste delicous
I wasnt going to put the 2 cups of sugar, used one cup honey instead ..and way better. That’s way to much sugar ..
★★★★★
Great! Sometimes you need to tweak a recipe to suit your taste, for sure!
Made this cake for Christmas and it was a huge hit with my family! It even stayed for a few days time. I halved the recipe and then also halved the honey in the syrup because I thought it would be too sweet. It ended up being perfect for our taste with half the honey. I would definitely make this again and would add a touch of salt to the cake to really bring out the flavors.
★★★★
Yay! Happy to hear everyone enjoyed it!
Can I omit the nuts? I’d like those with but allergies to have a piece.
But, not but. Lol
Nut not nut. Lol.
★★★★★
Hi! I am in the states and have googled Runny Honey. I dont see it available at all in the states and was wondering if there is a brand or any recommendations for me to use? Hope that isn’t a stupid question? I am new to this way of eating.
Hey Kristen, “runny honey” simply means not too thick…if you need to, just give it a quick few seconds in the microwave so it runs nicely.
How do you store the cake over night? For consumption the next day? Must it be refrigerated? It does not say?
Linda, if you just leave it out at room temperature for one or two nights, it should be fine covered. When I want to keep it for a few days, I place it in the fridge and take it out well enough before serving.
Does it have to be coarsed semolina?
If you can, use coarse semolina, it’s a different texture and turns out quite moist with the use of syrup.
This cake is truly wonderful! I must follow a strict gluten free diet so I made a couple of changes to the base recipe by replacing the flours with my gluten free flour blend but the three times I have made it so far came out terrific! Thank you for sharing a cake recipe that is appealing to so many in my family!
★★★★★
So glad to hear it, Liz! And glad it worked out with your GF substitution
what is the best way to store the cake (after soaking with syrup) overnight?
Can I use fine semolina instead of coarse?
That will work, but you’ll get a slightly different texture.