There are some cakes and pastries that simply demand your attention. Honey Danish is one of them. The moment these beautiful swirls emerge from the oven, golden, glossy and touching each other around the edges, it becomes almost impossible to resist reaching for one.
I have to admit that I am a complete cake fanatic. Give me a freshly baked pastry, a cup of coffee and a quiet afternoon, and I am perfectly happy. However, there is something particularly tempting about a Honey Danish. It has all the things I look for in a great sweet treat. There is delicate pastry, a beautiful golden colour and, best of all, a light coating of honey that turns deliciously sticky as it meets the warm surface.
The honey is what really makes this Danish special. I don’t want a thick layer that overwhelms the pastry. Instead, I prefer a light coating that catches on the ridges and settles into the little twists of each swirl. As you bite through the pastry, you get that gentle sweetness followed by the buttery richness underneath.
There is also something wonderfully inviting about the way these bake together.
My baking tray holds twelve individual portions. However, once they start expanding in the oven, the swirls reach out and make contact with their neighbours. Suddenly, those twelve separate pastries become one magnificent golden collection. The edges touch, the tops caramelise slightly and the whole tray looks almost too good to disturb.
Almost.
Because, of course, somebody has to be brave enough to pull one apart!
I particularly enjoy adding sultanas to my Honey Danish. They are not necessarily part of a traditional Danish pastry, but I think they make a delicious addition. Their natural sweetness works beautifully with the honey. More importantly, they add little bursts of chewy fruit among the soft pastry layers.
For me, that combination is hard to beat.
As the pastry bakes, the sultanas become plump and wonderfully fragrant. Meanwhile, the honey develops a deeper flavour across the surface. Together, they create a pastry that feels comforting without becoming excessively heavy.
There is also plenty of opportunity to make these your own. You could leave out the sultanas if you prefer a simpler Danish. Alternatively, you could experiment with a slightly different dried fruit. Raisins would work, while chopped dried apricots could add a gentle tang.
Nevertheless, I keep coming back to the humble sultana.
Part of the joy of making these pastries comes from watching them transform. At first, you have neat little swirls arranged carefully in the tray. Then the oven works its magic. The pastry puffs, the layers become golden and the individual pieces expand towards each other.
Before long, the kitchen smells absolutely incredible.
That aroma alone is enough to bring people wandering into the kitchen asking when they can have one.
I recommend allowing the pastries to cool slightly before serving. They are particularly enjoyable while still warm, when the pastry remains wonderfully tender and the honey topping retains its irresistible stickiness. However, don’t wait too long. Like many freshly baked treats, these are at their most tempting while they still have that just-baked character.
A Honey Danish also makes a lovely addition to a relaxed breakfast or brunch. Personally, though, I don’t think you need an excuse. Cake fanatics rarely do.
Serve one alongside coffee, tea or perhaps a glass of cold milk. Better still, put the whole tray in the middle of the table and let everyone help themselves. The sight of those golden swirls pressed together is guaranteed to attract attention.
Just remember to grab yours first.
After all, when twelve gorgeous Honey Danish pastries are sitting in front of you, there is always the danger that somebody else will get to the best-looking one first.
And that, in my book, would be a tragedy.
Honey Danish
Equipment
- wooden spoon or dough scraper
- Baking Tray 12-portion or individual Danish pastry tray
Ingredients
Danish Pastry Ingredients:
- 500 g strong white bread flour
- 7 g fast-action dried yeast
- 50 g caster sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 250 ml warm milk
- 1 large egg
- 50 g unsalted butter melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg beaten, for brushing
Filling Ingredients:
- 75 g unsalted butter softened
- 60 g soft brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 100 g sultanas
Honey Topping Ingredients:
- 4 tbsp clear honey
- 1 tbsp water warm
Instructions
Making the Dough:
- Place the flour in a large mixing bowl and add the yeast, caster sugar and salt. Keep the salt and yeast separated initially.500 g strong white bread flour, 7 g fast-action dried yeast, 50 g caster sugar, ½ tsp salt
- Make a well in the centre and pour in the warm milk. Add the egg, melted butter and vanilla extract.250 ml warm milk, 1 large egg, 50 g unsalted butter, 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Mix everything together until a soft dough forms.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for approximately 8–10 minutes. The dough should become smooth, soft and slightly elastic.
- Alternatively, use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and knead for around 6–8 minutes.
- Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a clean tea towel or cling film and leave somewhere warm for approximately 1–1½ hours.
- The dough should become noticeably larger and roughly double in size.
Preparing the Filling:
- While the dough rises, place the softened butter into a small bowl.75 g unsalted butter
- Add the brown sugar and cinnamon, then mix until you have a soft, spreadable paste.60 g soft brown sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- Set aside until needed.
Roll Out the Dough:
- Once the dough has risen, gently knock it back to remove some of the excess air.
- Place it onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a large rectangle, approximately 40cm × 30cm.
- Don’t worry if the measurements are not exact. The important thing is to create a reasonably even rectangle that will allow you to form plenty of lovely layers.
- Spread the cinnamon butter mixture evenly across the surface.
- Scatter the sultanas over the top, distributing them as evenly as possible.100 g sultanas
Create the Swirl:
- Starting from one of the longer edges, roll the dough tightly into a sausage shape.
- Take your time here because a reasonably tight roll helps create those attractive pastry spirals.
- Once rolled, use a sharp knife to cut the dough into 12 approximately equal portions.
- Each piece should reveal a beautiful spiral of pastry, cinnamon filling and sultanas.
Arrange in the Tray:
- Place each spiral into your 12-portion baking tray.
- Leave a little space between each one. They may look rather lonely at this stage, but don’t worry.
- As they rise and bake, the pastries will expand and eventually touch each other.
- This is part of what makes the finished Honey Danish so appealing.
- Cover the tray loosely and leave the pastries to prove for another 30–45 minutes.
Brush with Egg:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan / 200°C conventional / Gas Mark 6.
- Once the pastries have puffed up, gently brush the exposed pastry with beaten egg.1 large egg
- Try to avoid flooding the spaces between the pastries because you want the golden colour to develop mainly across the tops.
Bake:
- Place the tray into the preheated oven and bake for approximately 20–25 minutes.
- The pastries should become beautifully golden brown.
- As they bake, watch the individual swirls expand towards one another. Before long, they should be touching around their edges, creating that wonderfully tempting tray of golden pastry.
- If the tops begin browning too quickly, loosely cover the tray with foil for the final few minutes.
Add the Honey:
- While the Danish pastries are baking, gently warm the honey with the tablespoon of warm water.4 tbsp clear honey, 1 tbsp water
- You don’t need to boil it. The aim is simply to loosen the honey so that it becomes easy to brush.
- Remove the pastries from the oven when they are golden and cooked through.
- While they are still warm, brush the honey mixture generously over the tops.
- The honey will soak into the warm pastry slightly while leaving a beautiful glossy, sticky coating across the surface.
- This is the moment when they become particularly difficult to resist.
Cool and Serve:
- Allow the Honey Danish to cool in the tray for approximately 10 minutes.
- Carefully transfer them to a wire rack, although you can also leave them together in the tray for a more rustic presentation.
- Serve warm or allow them to cool completely.
- For the ultimate cake-fanatic experience, enjoy one while still slightly warm with a freshly brewed cup of coffee.