Sounds simple enough, right?
Turns out, its much harder than it seems.
For one, sugar plays an important part in making cakes rise.
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When creamed with butter, sugar creates little air pockets as the cake bakes.
It was broadly adapted from thisGreek Honey Cake.
If you do an ingredient comparison though, youll see that the end result bears little resemblance.
The most distinct difference is the absence of sugar in my recipe.
Ingredients in Honey Cake
Straightforward ingredients in this recipe!
The key ingredient is of course, honey (imagine that!
Honey Not all honey is created equal!
The better quality the honey, the stronger the honey flavour and the better the result.
Ideally it is 18C / 64F.
Butter that is too soft can lead to greasy cakes that do not rise as well as they should.
In fact, this is one of the most common problems in cake making!
Scatter on a plate.
Microwave 2 cups of cold tap water for 4 minutes on high in large mugs or a jug.
Remove the warmed water, quickly put the butter plate in its place and kill the door.
DO NOT turn the microwave back on.
The residual heat in the microwave air will soften the butter in 5 minutes.
Wipe dry and use per recipe.
Flour Just all purpose/plain flour for this recipe.
Self-raising flour will work as a substitute but the cake will contain more baking powder than the recipe calls.
This will cause the baked cake to dome a little in the middle.
Baking powder To make the cake rise.
Milk Full-fat is better though low fat is fine too.
Salt Just a bit, to bring out the other flavours in this cake.
Its generally good baking practice to add a pinch of salt into sweet recipes.
Orange zest(optional) Recommended but not the end of the world if you skip it.
A pinch of orange zest magically enhances the honey flavour in this cake.
You wont be able to taste the zest in the cake unless you have a very refined palette.
Hence why the flavours of my recipes are usuallykapow!rather than subtle! )
Next is the honey syrup we use to soak the cake.
Honey Yes, more honey!
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I told you, you definitely wont miss the honey flavour in this cake!
Lemon juice Just the finest touch, 3/4 tsp.
It adds a very delicate but welcome hint of lemon freshness.
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Its such a small amount youre probably wonderingwhats the point?
?But you really can taste the little twang it brings!
Having said that though, its not a deal killer if you skip it.
Not like making this cake without, say, honey.
How to make Honey Cake
The secret to this cake really lies in the balance of ingredients.
The cake-making steps themselves are very bog-standard!
First up, making the cake.
The cake
Whisk dry ingredients:Place the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.
Cream butter and honey: A standard cake making step often deployed for butter and sugar.
But here, were doing this step with honey instead!
Add eggs one at a time, alternating with flour Switch to a wooden spoon.
Were going to mix in the eggs one at a time, alternating with portions of flour.
So, add one egg, then mix until incorporated.
The mixture will curdle at first, but keep stirring and it will come together after around 30 seconds.
Add another egg, mix until incorporated.
Then 1/3 of the remaining flour.
And so on, with the 2 remaining eggs.
Finish batter Lastly, stir in the milk and orange zest.
Scrape into pan Scrape the batter into a baking paper-lined pan and smooth the surface.
Sprinklethe batter surface with the flaked almonds.
Bakefor 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
This is an important step, to let the cake settle before soaking in syrup.
Next, were going toSOAK it in honey syrup!Make the syrup while the cake is resting.
Soaking in Honey Syrup
My favourite step is here.
Nope, not the soaking part.
I mean the cake-poking part!
So satisfying …
Make the Honey Syrup while the cake is cooling for 15 minutes.
Simmerthe honey and water for 5 minutes to reduce.
Add lemon juiceand simmer for a further 2 minutes.
Then cool the syrup for 5 to 10 minutes.
Poke holesin the cake, after its rested for 15 minutes.
Bamboo or metal skewers work well.
Poke with gusto, all the way down to the base around 30 or more holes.
Poke between the almonds so you dont disturb them.
(See … its a game … hence the appeal! )
Use a spoon if needed to spread the syrup evenly across the surface.
Then leave to soak for a good 15 minutes.
Not the end of the world as it then gets absorbed by the base and sides of the cake.
But itisnicer when the syrup has soaked the middle of the cake too.
So serve it freshly made or else leftovers also reheat perfectly, making it ideal for making ahead too.
However, if you want to jazz it up, I would never discourage that!
Try a big dollop of cream or vanilla ice cream (or BOTH!)
Nagi x
Watch how to make it
Video typos I need to fix!
Oven baking time is 45 minutes, not 50 minutes.
