Russian Honey Cake
Serves 24
INGREDIENTS
1 cup strong brewed black tea, strained 1 cup honey
1 cup granulated sugar (or brown sugar) 1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves Nonstick cooking spray
3 large eggs
3 to 3¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
½ cup raisins
DIRECTIONS
In a large pot, add the freshly brewed tea, honey, sugar and oil. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the honey and sugar dissolve. Turn the heat to medium and add the baking soda. Keep stirring for another 30 seconds. The mixture will foam and expand in volume. Add the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves and mix. Set the mixture aside and let it cool to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 1/2-inch Bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray.
Once the tea mixture has cooled, add the eggs and mix well with a whisk. Add 3 cups of flour, 1 cup at a time, whisking between additions. As the dough becomes thicker, switch to a wooden spoon. The batter should be the consistency of a thick but pourable milkshake. If it seems too thin, add the final 1/4 cup of flour.
When the batter is smooth and thick, stir in the walnuts and raisins.
Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. With a spatula, smooth the batter. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Depending on the color and size of the Bundt pan, the bake time could be up to 1 hour. If a toothpick comes out clean or the internal temperature is above 190 degrees, it is ready.
Place the Bundt pan on a cooling rack. When the cake reaches room temperature, release it from the pan and wrap it in a kitchen towel.
The flavor of the honey and spice will evolve over time, so this cake is even better after a day or two — but I won’t stop you from having a slice right out of the oven.