Gluten-Free Honey Tea Cake

I bake this in the afternoon, usually while something else is in the oven and the house is already warm.

It is a honey cake, which sounds fancier than it is. There is no frosting, no layers, nothing to assemble. You brew a cup of strong tea, let it cool, and it goes into the batter where milk would normally go. That is the whole trick. The tea keeps it moist for days and gives it a darker, less sugary flavor than most honey cakes, which can lean syrupy.

It is also gluten-free, and I want to be plain about why that matters here. Most gluten-free cakes go dry or grainy by the second day. This one does not, because of two things: the honey holds water, and the batter rests before it goes in the pan. Skip the rest and you will taste the rice flour. Do not skip the rest.

We eat it the evening it comes out of the oven, with tea, and the rest goes into an airtight container in the refrigerator. Chilling does something worth knowing about. The cake firms up overnight, so it slices cleanly instead of crumbling, and it keeps getting better as it sits. There is always a slice ready when someone wants one.

Why the tea

Tea does three things a splash of milk cannot. It adds liquid without adding fat, so the crumb stays light. Its tannins cut the honey, which otherwise tastes one-note. And it browns the cake more deeply in the oven.

Notes before you start

• The pan. I use a 12 × 5-inch loaf pan. In a standard 9 × 5 the batter will come up too high, so fill it two-thirds and bake the rest as a few muffins, or the middle will sink.
• The baking powder. ¾ tablespoon is 2¼ teaspoons, if that is easier to measure.
• Measure the oil first. Then the honey slides straight out of the same cup with nothing left behind.
• The rest is not optional. Fifteen to twenty minutes lets the rice flour and starches drink up the liquid. It is the difference between tender and sandy.
• The batter is soupy. It pours like a thin soup rather than a cake batter, and that is correct. It sets up in the oven. If it makes you nervous, set the loaf pan on a baking sheet and you will have nothing to scrub off the oven floor.

Save

Gluten-Free Honey Tea Cake

A gluten-free honey tea cake made with a cup of strong brewed tea, cinnamon and sliced almonds. Keeps four days in the refrigerator, with no gluten-free grit.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Resting Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins

Servings: 8 slices

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 large eggs room temperature
• 3/4 cup neutral oil avocado, grapeseed, or canola
• 1 cup honey
• 1 cup oat flour
• 3/4 cup white rice flour
• 1/2 cup tapioca starch
• 1/4 cup potato starch
• 1 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 Tbsp baking powder 2 1/4 tsp
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 cup strong black tea brewed strong with 2 tea bags: Earl Grey, English Breakfast, regular, or decaf
• 1/2 cup sliced raw almonds
• Extra honey for drizzling

Method

 

1. Brew the tea and let it cool completely. Warm tea will scramble the eggs.
2. Whisk the eggs and brown sugar until frothy.
3. Add the oil, followed by the honey. Tip: measure the oil first and the honey will slide right out of the same measuring cup.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the oat flour, white rice flour, tapioca starch, potato starch, xanthan gum, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda.
5. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and mix just until combined.
6. Slowly stir in the cooled tea until the batter is smooth.
7. Let the batter rest for 15–20 minutes to allow the gluten-free flours to hydrate.
8. Pour the batter, which will be very thin, into a greased 12 × 5-inch loaf pan and gently tap the pan to release any air bubbles.
9. Sprinkle the sliced almonds over the top.
10. Bake at 350°F for 40–45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
11. Let the cake cool, then drizzle or brush the top with honey before serving.

Notes

A 12 × 5-inch loaf pan is the right size here. In a standard 9 × 5, fill the pan only two-thirds and bake the rest as a few muffins, or the middle will sink.

The batter is very thin, closer to soup than to cake batter, and that is correct. It sets up in the oven. Set the loaf pan on a baking sheet if you want insurance against drips.

¾ tablespoon baking powder is 2¼ teaspoons, if that is easier to measure.

Do not skip the 15–20 minute rest. It is what keeps a gluten-free cake from tasting gritty.

Store the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It keeps four days, improves on day two, and slices much more cleanly cold than it does warm. It freezes well whole or in slices.

Questions I get about this cake

Can I use a 9 × 5 loaf pan?

Yes, but fill it only two-thirds and bake the remainder as muffins. A full 9 × 5 will dome and then sink in the middle.

Can I use a gluten-free all-purpose blend instead of the four flours?

You can, cup for cup, but leave out the xanthan gum if your blend already contains it. The texture will be slightly softer and less nutty than with oat flour.

Why does the batter need to rest?

Rice flour and starches absorb liquid slowly. Twenty minutes of rest is what keeps a gluten-free cake from tasting gritty.

Does the tea make it taste like tea?

Barely. It reads as depth rather than flavor. It keeps the honey from tasting like syrup. Earl Grey is the one you might notice, faintly, and pleasantly.

How long does it keep?

Four days in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and it improves on day two. Cold, it also slices much more cleanly, which matters with a gluten-free crumb. It freezes well, whole or in slices, thawed and re-drizzled with honey.

This is the cake I make when I want tomorrow to be easier than today. If you bake it, come back and tell me which tea you used. I am still deciding whether Earl Grey or English Breakfast wins.