health
March 5, 2026
Rachel Roddy’s recipe for apple, honey and poppy seed cake
The chemistry and alchemy of honey’s special kind of sweetness, and how it complements just the right kind of apples in a humble yet delicious cake
TL;DR
- Honey acts as a humectant, keeping cakes moist and preventing hardening.
- Its fructose content provides greater perceived sweetness, allowing for less sugar to be used.
- Amino acids in honey intensify the Maillard reaction, leading to caramelization and a nutty flavor.
- Recommended honey varieties include chestnut and Greek pine for their complex notes.
- Choose apples with sweet, creamy, drier flesh like russets or Cox's Orange Pippin, avoiding overly shiny varieties.
- The recipe involves a simple one-bowl method, mixing butter and honey, then adding eggs, milk, dry ingredients, and apple slices.
- The cake is baked at 180C (160C fan) for approximately 40 minutes, with an option to cover with foil if browning too quickly.
- A strand of raw spaghetti can be used to test for doneness.
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