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Soft and moist cake with ginger, cinnamon, cloves and honey

Spiced Honey Cake

Soft and moist cake with ginger, cinnamon, cloves and honey
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Makes: 10 slices
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Ingredients
  

  • 1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp soft brown sugar, light or dark (80 gms) (white is ok too)
  • 2 eggs, at room temperature (I haven't tried an eggless version)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil (100 gms)
  • 1/2 cup honey (170 gms)
  • 1/4 cup orange juice, (60 ml), preferably freshly squeezed
  • 2 tbsps whiskey, (30 ml), optional
  • 1/2 cup warm coffee (125 ml, see notes)
  • 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (180 gms)
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1 tsp ginger powder (see notes)
  • 1/4 tsp clove powder
  • 1/3 cup sliced almonds for topping (30 gms)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 170 C and line a 9x5 inch loaf tin with non-stick baking paper. You can skip the paper and grease the pan, but I find the paper much easier when it comes to taking the cake out, as it's quite fragile.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, vanilla and sugar. Whisk well until slightly frothy and well-combined, about 20 seconds. I used a balloon whisk and didn't find a hand mixer necessary but you can use one if you prefer.
  • Now add in the oil, honey, orange juice and whiskey, and whisk again till combined. Finally, whisk in the coffee. The mixture will likely become frothier at this stage.
  • Sift in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and spices. Fold gently to combine and since there is a lot of liquid, lumps will form. Use a whisk to break them up and make a smooth, runny batter.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared tin, smoothen the top and liberally sprinkle the sliced almonds all over. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the cake has risen, cracked a little in the center, and a toothpick poked in comes out with only moist crumbs, no wet batter. The cake won't dome much and the top will fall slightly as it cools which is common in cakes that are heavy on the liquid, although it should not sink. If the top is browning too fast, cover the tin with foil and continue baking till the center is baked.
  • Allow the cake to cool for about 30 minutes in the tin, then use the paper to lift it out and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Slice into 10 pieces and for more convenient, grab-and-go slices, cut each one into two if you prefer. The cake is fragile so use a sharp knife and be gentle. It also helps to chill the cake for about 30 minutes before slicing.
  • Although the cake is great freshly baked, the flavours of the spices, honey and whiskey are more pronounced on day two, especially after refrigeration. So I do recommend waiting to cut it and storing it in the fridge after day two, where it will keep for about a week. The oil ensures that the cake remains soft and moist even when cold. Serve with hot tea or coffee!

Notes

*This cake tastes more of spices than honey, with subtle whiskey flavours. Feel free to change up or reduce the spices as you wish, as written the ginger is stronger than the others. Nutmeg is also traditional in honey cakes, 1/4 tsp powdered nutmeg should be enough.
*This is not an overly sweet cake so you can increase the sugar to 1/2 cup if you prefer.
*For the coffee, use 1/2 cup hot water mixed with 1 tsp instant coffee powder (or 1 teabag if you don't want to use coffee), and set aside to cool slightly. You could also use brewed coffee, I wouldn't make it very strong. The coffee/tea does not dominate.
*Based on Smitten Kitchen and Pretty Simple Sweet