Why I Don’t Bake With Honey - And The Nourishing Apple Cake

In many traditional food cultures, honey is treated as something special — almost medicinal. It’s valued as a living food, full of delicate enzymes, beneficial compounds, and natural antimicrobial properties. But those qualities are fragile. When honey is heated to baking temperatures, most of those beneficial enzymes are destroyed and the honey essentially becomes just another sweetener.

For this reason, I prefer to keep honey raw and use it in ways where it can maintain its natural integrity — stirred into warm tea, drizzled over yogurt, or added to foods once they’ve cooled slightly. It’s a small shift in the kitchen, but one that respects the ingredient.

When baking, instead of honey I reach for maple syrup or coconut sugar. Both create a warm, balanced sweetness that works beautifully in rustic recipes while still allowing the other ingredients to shine. Maple syrup brings moisture and softness to cakes, while coconut sugar adds a deeper caramel flavor.

This philosophy fits naturally with the kind of cooking I love most — simple, nourishing food inspired by the traditional kitchens of places like Krete, where meals were built from real ingredients grown close to the land: ancient grains, olive oil, yogurt, fruit, and simple natural sweeteners.

One of my favorite ways to bring those ingredients together is this rustic apple einkorn breakfast cake. It tastes like a treat — something children happily eat — but it’s actually balanced enough to start the day with. The apples bring natural sweetness and fiber, the einkorn flour provides gentle protein from an ancient grain, and olive oil adds healthy fats that help sustain energy through the morning. Flax and chia seeds support digestion, which is one of the reasons this cake has become a staple in my kitchen.

It’s the kind of breakfast that feels comforting and satisfying — something you can enjoy slowly with coffee or tea, knowing that it’s nourishing your body at the same time.

Rustic Apple–Einkorn Breakfast Cake

Yield

6–8 slices

Prep time: 20 minutes

Bake time: 45–50 minuteS

Ingredients

Flax Eggs

• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed

• 5 tablespoons warm water

Mix together and let sit 10 minutes until thick and gel-like.

Wet Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• ½ cup ricotta or thick Greek yogurt

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Sweetener (choose one)

Maple Version – softer crumb

• ⅓ cup pure maple syrup

Coconut Sugar Version – deeper caramel flavor

• ¼ cup coconut sugar

• 3 tablespoons milk or yogurt

Optional Fermented Version

• ¼ cup active sourdough starter (100% hydration)

If using starter, reduce the flour slightly.

Dry Ingredients

If not using sourdough starter

• ¾ cup einkorn flour

If using sourdough starter

• ½ cup einkorn flour

Plus:

• 2 tablespoons chia seeds

• ½ teaspoon cinnamon

• ½ teaspoon baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon baking soda

Fruit

• 2 medium apples, peeled and finely diced

  
  

  (about 2 cups)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven

Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly grease a 6–7 inch cake pan with olive oil.

2. Prepare flax eggs

Mix flaxseed with warm water and let sit for 10 minutes until thick.

3. Combine wet ingredients

In a bowl whisk together the flax eggs, olive oil, ricotta or yogurt, vanilla, salt, and your chosen sweetener. If using sourdough starter, whisk it in now.

4. Mix dry ingredients

In a separate bowl combine the einkorn flour, chia seeds, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda.

5. Make the batter

Fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until just combined. Allow the batter to rest 5 minutes so the einkorn and chia can hydrate.

6. Add apples

Fold in the diced apples.

7. Bake

Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake 45–50 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

8. Cool

Allow the cake to cool 20–30 minutes before slicing. The crumb firms up and becomes more tender as it rests.

This cake is lightly sweet, filled with soft apples, and satisfying enough for breakfast while still feeling like a small treat. It pairs beautifully with tea or coffee — and in our house, it rarely lasts more than a day or two.