Honeycake (not your Bubbe’s)

I’ve challenged myself to post 29 honey recipes in the next month – BEFORE Rosh Hashana.

Not just your Bubbe’s honey cake. As a beekeeper and avid cook I can take you and your honey places you’ve never been before- culinarily speaking.

So grab your honey and let’s get Buzzin’.

30g of honey- how much is 30g of honey? In a honey bees’ lifetime she will produce 1/12 tsp of honey. The process itself has multiple steps and requires the combined efforts of an entire hive. 

Using honey in baked goods has several advantages over sugar. Honey creams with fats rapidly giving a smooth fluffy mixture. Honey produces an attractive deep brown crust on breads. Since honey absorbs moisture from the air, baked goods remain moist and fresh much longer than when cooked with sugar. When substituting honey for sugar in recipes, consider the following guidelines:

To be clear – I am not your Bubbe. But this is my Honey Cake. Pretty much. No substitutes here.

You Will  Need: 

• Tube Pan
• Oven
• Baking tray or pan
• Stand mixer with paddle OR large mixing bowl with appropriate spoon
• 450g unbleached flour
• 20g Flax meal
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 Teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • • • • • 175g vegetable oil
          • 140g Honey
          • 200g White sugar
          • 100g Demarara or brown sugar
          • 3 eggs
          • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract
          • 180ml Strong coffee
          • 40ml Golani Honey Whiskey
          • 120ml Citrus juice (pineapple, orange, lemon – any combination)*

Make the Magic Happen:  

1. Preheat oven to 180c
   • Prepare your tube pan. This used to be my job when I was young.
   • cut out a parchment circle to fit the bottom of the pan
   • grease the inside, bottom and tube thoroughly
   • dust with flour
   • put the parchment in the bottom 
2. In your mixing bowl, beat the following thoroughly:
   • oil
   • honey
   • sugars
   • vanilla
   • coffee
   • citrus juice
   • whiskey
   • eggs
   • cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg
3. In another bowl, or on a piece of paper, combine the:
   • flour
   • flax meal
   • baking soda
   • baking powder
   • salt
4. Beat the flour mixture into the wet batter mixing bowl until just combined 
5. Scrape the sides and bottom of the mixing bowl
6. Allow it to sit for 5 minutes
7. Beat for 3 more seconds
8. Pour into your prepared tube pan
9. Bake for 1 hour at 180c. The clean skewer test will guide you

Allow to cool at least 20 minutes before inverting on to a plate. Serve naked or with frostings or shmears of your choice.

Store in an airtight container. Refrigeration is not a bad idea. Freezes well and makes a great gift.

*I did not have enough citrus juice so instead I used a combination of the remaining spiced pineapple syrup from the RumbleBee and some lemon juice. Use what you’ve got.