This honey cake is a cozy, no-fuss classic that skips the eggs and keeps the sugar light. The recipe comes from the Friendship Club Cookbook, a collection published in 1951 by a Madison-area women’s social club that likely included UW students and faculty wives. The cake is simple, nostalgic, and perfect for a late-summer treat.
Ingredients
1 cup honey
3 tablespoons sugar
2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ cup milk (or more, as needed) — I used evaporated milk.
½ cup chopped walnuts
Peel of one orange, finely chopped — I zested the orange instead.
Dash of cinnamon, cloves, and anise
Directions
- Heat the honey and sugar on the stovetop until just warm — not boiling.
- Mix the dry ingredients: sift the flour, baking powder, and spices into a bowl.
- Pour the warm syrup into the dry ingredients and stir.
- Add milk until the consistency is easy to stir.
- Mix in the orange peel and chopped walnuts.
- Pour into a greased pan (layer or loaf) and bake in a slow oven (around 275°F) for 35 minutes. Increase the heat slightly (to 300°F) for the last 10 minutes.
- When the cake is done, brush the warm top with sweetened milk and sprinkle with extra nuts, if you like. (I added a bit of the evaporated milk on top.)
- Serve the next day, sliced thin. The flavors deepen overnight, making it even better.
Review
Honey always feels like late summer to me — sunflowers, bees, and golden warmth. That’s why this recipe felt like the perfect fit for this time of year. It’s quick, uses pantry staples, and makes a great picnic companion.
I made two small tweaks:
- Milk swap: I used evaporated milk to keep things simple and to match the sweetened milk topping. About ½ cup went into the batter, and I poured about ⅓ cup on top right after taking it out of the oven.
- Orange zest: Instead of chopping the peel, I zested the whole orange. It added a bright citrus note, though it did overpower the honey a bit. If you go the zest route, I recommend drizzling honey over each slice to bring that flavor back.
The original recipe calls for slow baking for 45 minutes and increasing the heat halfway through. That isn’t very specific, but what I did turned out well. I baked this in a loaf pan at 275°F for 35 minutes and then 300°F for the last 10 minutes. Any longer or hotter would have made this cake overdone in my oven.
The cake is sturdy and spice-forward, with a texture that holds up well in warm weather. It’s the kind of dessert that feels like it belongs in a campus kitchen — easy to make, easy to share, and full of character.
