Honey cake
It’s taken me years to develop a honey cake I’m happy with. Dark and moist like my Grandma Betty Sedley’s recipe. Hers has been the benchmark since I was a little girl, enjoying it around the table for afternoon tea with my family. She added raisins to hers, which I loved. My cousin didn’t, so of course Grandma made two — one with and one without! If you like yours with raisins, soak 80 - 100g of raisins — I love M&S golden raisins — in warm water for 20 minutes before you start baking. Drain them and once the cake mixture is in the tin, scatter them over the surface before scattering the flaked almonds. The raisins should sink while the almonds sit on the surface. Grandma used to arrange whole blanched almonds on hers, which is also delicious. Enjoy over the new year and to break your fast. Shana Tova!
Makes: 2 x loaves (21cm x 11cm)
INGREDIENTS
220g plain flour
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda Large pinch of salt
1 tsp (heaped) ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger Large pinch all spice (optional)
125ml vegetable oil
85g honey
85g golden syrup
75g caster sugar
50g soft brown sugar (dark or light – I prefer dark) 125ml freshly brewed coffee (or strong tea)
2 large eggs, beaten 80ml orange juice Topping (optional):
A handful of flaked almonds
METHOD
Preheat oven to 160°C (fan) and line 2 loaf tins l (21cm x 11cm). l In a large bowl whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. l In another bowl or large, measuring jug, mix together the oil, honey, golden syrup, sugars and (warm but not boiling) coffee. Stir to dissolve the sugars and to combine everything then stir in the beaten eggs and orange juice. l Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring with a whisk as you pour. Stop stirring as soon as they are combined — with no floury lumps — and then divide the mixture equally between the two lined tins. Sprinkle the top with almonds if using l Bake 30-35 minutes, until the cake springs back when gently pressed — the centre will firm up last, so press lightly on the edges and also the middle to check for done-ness. Make sure it is cooked through but be very careful not to overbake or it will be dry. l Cool in the tins on a wire rack. Once fully cool, remove from the tins and wrap well in baking parchment/foil and cling film, then store for 3 days or more. You can eat it on the day, but the flavours will be so much better if you can wait.