Easter Honey Bundt Cake (Polish Babka)

Easter Honey Bundt Cake (Polish Babka)

This Easter honey babka is a soft, moist cake with a gentle honey aroma, lemon zest and a simple honey-citrus glaze. It looks beautiful on the Easter table and stays fresh for days—ideal to bake the day before.

Ingredients (22–24 cm bundt tin)

Dry ingredients

• 2 cups wheat flour (type 450–550)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger

Wet ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup liquid honey (Polish multiflower or acacia)
• 1/2 cup neutral oil
• 3/4 cup milk (cow or plant-based)
• Zest of 1 lemon or orange

Honey-citrus glaze

• 3 tbsp honey
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1–2 tbsp icing sugar (to thicken, optional)

Step-by-step instructions

1. Grease the bundt tin with butter and dust with flour or breadcrumbs. Preheat the oven to 170°C (top–bottom heat).
2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with sugar until pale and fluffy.
4. Add honey, oil, milk and citrus zest to the egg mixture and whisk briefly until combined.
5. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix—the batter should be smooth and slightly thick.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and level the top.
7. Bake for about 35–45 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
8. Cool the cake for 10–15 minutes in the tin, then carefully turn out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.

Honey-citrus glaze

1. Gently warm the honey in a small saucepan until fluid (do not boil).
2. Add lemon juice and stir. If you want a thicker, more opaque glaze, whisk in 1–2 tbsp icing sugar.
3. Pour the slightly cooled but still runny glaze over the cooled cake, letting it drip down the sides.

Tips and variations

• Use acacia honey for a very mild flavour, or multiflower honey for a more classic profile.
• You can add a handful of raisins, chopped nuts or orange peel to the batter.
• The babka keeps well wrapped at room temperature for 2–3 days—ideal for Easter breakfast and dessert.