Honey Cake for your honey

Ok, so this recipe didn't come out as well as we wanted it to, which is why "Sunday" Baking is on Tuesday this week! Was it that I don't have the right shaped pan? That I'm not totally used to my new oven? That between my sister and I, the cake didn't know where to put all those good cooking vibes?? Anyway, there was something unexpected about the texture. Still, we won't have any trouble finishing it off...and D's happy for us to try again until we get it exactly right ;-)


This Saturday was Gay Pride in Paris (some fantastic pictures -- very possibly taken by someone you know -- are to be found at this post on D.K.'s website) and Laney and I wanted to do something related with our baking. We thought of something fruity, but D. had recently made such a lovely clafouti that we thought we ought to go a different direction. We decided to make this Honey Cake (based on a Moosewood Desserts Cookbook recipe), perfect for your honeys whatever their sex and gender!


Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups honey
3 eggs
1 tsp lemon zest
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup strong coffee, cooled
2 Tbsp Kahlúa (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly oil a tube pan or bundt pan (or whatever you happen to have around if, like me, you sorely lack the right baking pans to make anything fun).

With an electric mixer (if you have one, or a whisk if you don't), mix together the oil and sugar. Beat in the honey, eggs and lemon zest. In a separate bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, all-spice and nutmeg.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and add the coffee and Kahlúa (if using). Mix well.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, until the cake pulls away from the side of the pan and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool and serve to your honey or other people who are hanging around looking longingly at your cake!


D. has complained about the ginger in the cake (there's no getting anything past those tastebuds!), so next time I'll try the cake without ginger, and maybe with orange zest and Grand Marnier instead of lemon and Kahlúa.