The first honey cake dough was prepared by the baker Mr. Christian E. Rasch in 1783. The sale of the cakes did not, however, become a lucrative business at that time, and Mr. Rasch had to toil through an impoverished life until he died in 1799. After his death, development gathered momentum, and the town's previous wigmaker, Mr. Immanuel M. Achtnich, took over the bakery, making the honey cakes his speciality. Historians speculate that the reason for the honey cake's popularity was due to the fact that they could be kept for many days in airtight cake tins without getting dry. Formerly, common folk had rye bread on weekdays and white bread on Sundays, but now they had a special cake that would stay for longer, so there would always be a treat for unannounced visitors. Fortunately, these days, honey cakes do not have to be saved just for special occations!

A Shared Honey Cake Heart is a Real Commitment!
Beware of who you share your honey cake heart with! Traditionally, the honey cake hearts were not only for those with a sweet tooth; they also had an important social function. Morality was of utmost importance in Christiansfeld, and the Moravians did not tolerate any secret "hanky-panky". Marriages were arranged by the family and, if the couple agreed to the marriage, they were taken to the minister so that he could announce the engagement. The minister would then take a honey cake heart and breakt it in two. The young couple would each eat their half in the sight of the minister and then, under his blessing, the engagement would be officially announced.