Honey & almond drizzle cake
“This cake is based on a recipe cooked by my friend, Alex from 26 Grains,” explains food writer Anna Jones. “For days after eating this cake, I could think of very little else.
“This is my version. It makes a large loaf and is quite rich, so you’ll get a lot of slices out of it.”
Honey, almond and cardamom drizzle cake recipe
Ingredients: (Makes one loaf) For the cake:
200g light spelt or plain flour 150g ground almonds
2tsp baking powder
250g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
200g demerara sugar
150ml honey or maple syrup Zest of an unwaxed orange
Zest of an unwaxed lemon
4 medium organic eggs
For the drizzle:
4 cardamom pods 4tbsp honey or maple syrup 1tsp orange blossom water 2tsp toasted sesame seeds 1tsp fennel seeds 1tsp coriander seeds
To serve:
A good drizzle of honey or maple syrup. Plain yoghurt of your choice
Method:
1. Heat the oven to 170°C/150°C fan/ gas 3.
2. Grease a 900g loaf tin and line with baking paper. Put the flour, almonds, baking powder and a good pinch of sea salt into a large mixing bowl and whisk until there are no lumps of baking powder. In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, or with an electric hand whisk, beat the butter, sugar and honey until creamy and combined.
3. Add both orange and lemon zests, then the eggs one by one, mixing well between additions.
4. Add the dry ingredients a large spoonful at a time, again mixing between additions. Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and smooth out the top with the back of a spoon. Bake for 55 minutes to one hour, until the cake is dark golden on top. It will sink a little in the middle.
5. Take the cake out of the oven and leave in the tin. Bash the cardamom pods in a pestle and mortar to release the seeds, then put the seeds into a small saucepan with all the remaining drizzle ingredients. Bring to a simmer and reduce to a thin syrup - it will thicken a little more as it cools.
6. Prick the cake a few times with a skewer and pour over the syrup, then leave the cake in the tin until cooled completely. Serve in thick slices, with yoghurt mixed with honey.
THERE’S one woman who particularly sticks in Cherry Healey’s mind after filming the new series of 10 Years Younger In 10 Days.
The Channel 5 makeover show sees the TV journalist and her team transform the looks and confidence of those who feel a lot older than their years, thanks to non-invasive cosmetic procedures, along with hair, make-up, and fashion overhauls.
In the case of devoted mum Alison, who has three children who all have special needs, she had no peace in her life and was at the end of her tether. And while, thanks to the experts, we see her ditch her usual uniform of a fleece and workout leggings, what the show also did was give her the tools to change her life for the better.
“I felt excited because Alison seemed to get some strength,” recalls Healey, who has two kids of her own, Coco and Edward.
“And I think there’s going to be a shift in dynamic at home. I think she’s going to be able to ask for a lot more help because she realises that, by driving herself into the ground and being a martyr, she’s actually
not helping anyone. It’s OK to kind of release a bit and say, ‘I’m not coping’.
The 40-year-old continues: “I get really stressed; I’m a working mum. I’m not anywhere in her (Alison’s) sphere of challenging experiences, and even I want to get in a car sometimes and just sit there and eat McDonald’s, with no noise.
“One of my favourite things about the show is that you really get to connect with the people you’re filming with,” said the presenter who’s known for working on BBC documentaries about drinking, body issues, dating, childbirth and money.
“It is always people that have not had much love and care given to them, and there’s just something really powerful about a hug – about touching someone’s hand... And so, I really missed that during the pandemic.
“But we did the best we could, whilst protecting everyone because, you know, you have to,” she concludes. 10 Years Younger In 10 Days, Channel 5, Thursday, 8pm