Ethiopian Honey Wine Cake (Tej-Spiced Cake)

About This Recipe

This cake draws inspiration from tej, Ethiopia's traditional fermented honey wine, capturing its warm, honeyed sweetness and hints of spice in cake form rather than as a drink, using cardamom and cloves for aromatic depth. The batter relies heavily on honey rather than refined sugar for its sweetness, giving the finished cake a moist, dense crumb and a rounder, more complex sweetness than a plain sugar-based cake. Finished with a simple honey glaze brushed over the warm cake, this dessert reflects Ethiopia's deep-rooted appreciation for honey, an ingredient central to both its cuisine and its ceremonial drink.

Ingredients

Serves 8

• 2 cupsall-purpose flour
• 1 tspbaking powder
• 1/2 tspbaking soda
• 1 tspground cardamom
• 1/2 tspground cloves
• 1/2 tspsalt
• 3/4 cuphoney(for batter)
• 1/2 cupvegetable oil
• 2eggs
• 1 cupplain yogurt
• 1 tspvanilla extract
• 1/3 cuphoney(for glaze)
• 1 tbspwarm water(for glaze)

Instructions

1. 1

   Whisk the dry ingredients

   Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom, cloves and salt together.

2. 2

   Mix the wet ingredients

   In a separate bowl, whisk honey, oil, eggs, yogurt and vanilla until smooth.

3. 3

   Combine

   Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined, without overmixing.

   Mix the batter just until combined — overmixing develops too much gluten and results in a tougher, less tender cake.

4. 4

   Bake

   Pour into a greased cake pan and bake at 175C/350F for 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. 5

   Make the glaze

   Warm the honey with a tablespoon of water until thin and pourable.

6. 6

   Glaze

   Brush the warm glaze generously over the still-warm cake.

7. 7

   Serve

   Let cool slightly before slicing and serving.

Variations

• •

  Adding a splash of orange zest to the batter gives extra aromatic brightness.

• •

  A version with chopped nuts folded into the batter adds texture.

• •

  Serving with a dollop of yogurt on the side echoes the tanginess used in the batter itself.

Storage

Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week; the honey helps keep the cake moist over time.

Frequently Asked Questions