Discover an easy Greek honey cake recipe that yields a moist syrupkissed cake in under an hour stepbystep tips to bake showstopping family favorite
Ingredients
Scale
3 large eggs (room temperature)
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (120 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup (120 g) plain Greek yogurt
1 cup (160 g) fine semolina
3/4 cup (95 g) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Zest of 1 orange
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of fine salt
For the syrup: 3/4 cup (230 g) honey, 1/2 cup (120 ml) water, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 cinnamon stick
Optional garnish: 1/2 cup toasted chopped walnuts or almonds
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch (23 cm) round or square pan and line the bottom with parchment.
In a large bowl, whisk eggs and sugar until pale and slightly thickened, about 2–3 minutes by hand (or 1 minute with a mixer) until the mixture ribbons.
Add the olive oil and Greek yogurt to the egg-sugar mixture and whisk until smooth. Stir in the vanilla extract and orange zest.
In a separate bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, semolina, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Gently fold the dry mix into the wet until just combined; a slightly lumpy batter is fine.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Tap the pan once on the counter to settle the batter and release large air bubbles.
Bake for 28–35 minutes until the top is golden and springs back lightly; a skewer inserted in the center should come out with moist crumbs (not wet batter). If using a darker pan, begin checking at 25 minutes.
While the cake bakes, make the honey syrup: combine honey, water, sugar, lemon juice, and a cinnamon stick in a small saucepan. Warm gently until the sugar dissolves, then simmer 4–5 minutes until slightly thickened and aromatic. Remove the cinnamon stick and keep the syrup warm.
When the cake is out of the oven, poke the top gently with a skewer across the surface (about 10–12 holes). Pour the warm syrup evenly over the hot cake; allow the cake to rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour so it fully absorbs the syrup.
Sprinkle toasted nuts and a little extra orange zest on top if using. Slice with a serrated knife and serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
A quick, weeknight-friendly Greek-style honey cake: a moist semolina-flecked crumb scented with orange zest and cinnamon, finished with a glossy honey syrup. Comforting, forgiving, and ideal with coffee or tea.
