Honey and chocolate is not such a common combination, but if you open your mind a little – it’s actually great and both honey and chocolate work very well together.
This cake is festive, easy to make, chocolatey-yet-honey-y and perfect for those of you who are tired of plain honey cakes and want to add some chocolate to the whole deal. It makes a great dessert for Rosh Ha’Shana and for all year round.

Photo: Natalie Levin
Honey and Chocolate Cake
22 cm round cake


For the cake:
12 ml. (1/2 cup) boiling water
1 tsp. instant coffee powder
200 ml. sour cream – see notes for nondairy version
125 ml. (1/2 cup) vegetable oil
100 grams (1/2 cup) sugar
240 grams (2/3 cup) honey
Pinch of salt
2 large eggs
280 grams (2 cup) all-purpose flour
70 grams (1/2 cup) cocoa powder
100 grams milk chocolate, chopped
For chocolate and honey ganache:
150 grams dark chocolate
1 tbsp. honey
125 ml. (1/2 cup) heavy cream – see notes for nondairy version
Decoration:
Roasted and halved pecans

Photo: Natalie Levin
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 170c degrees and grease the pan.
- In a large bowl, mix water and coffee until dissolved.
- Add sour cream, oil, sugar, honey and salt and mix into a smooth mixture.
- Add eggs and beat into a smooth mixture.
- Add flour, cocoa and baking powder and whisk just until incorporated. It is important to avoid over-processing of the batter which can damage the final texture of the cake.
- Pour the batter into the pan, and smooth the top.
- Sprinkle chopped chocolate evenly on top.
- Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the cake is stable and a skewer inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs.
- Cool completely at room temperature. Go with a knife through the sides of the pan to loosen the cake from the mold.
- Chocolate and honey ganache: chop the chocolate and place in a bowl.
- Heat a small pot of honey, cream and salt to simmer.
- Pour the hot cream over the chocolate, wait a minute, and beat well until a uniform and shiny chocolate ganache is formed.
- Pour the ganache over the cake and cool for about 2 hours in the refrigerator to set.
- Remove the cake from the pan and garnish the top with halved pecans.
- Serve at room temperature.
Notes:
- Keep the cake in a closed container in the refrigerator up to a week.
- Serve the cake at room temperature rather than cold.
- Instead of honey you can use date syrup or maple.
- Instead of pecans you can use any other nut you like.
- Nondairy version: in the cake – instead of sour cream, use soy milk the same amount; in the ganache – use coconut cream (at least 17% fat) instead of cream the same amount.
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