Rich, dark, and sweet, honey cake was originally a kind of pound cake made by people who could not afford refined sugar or flour (many old honey cake recipes use rye flour, not exactly what we think of as dessert). This is a light, more modern (at least twentieth-century) recipe, quite succulent. Some people stir raisins (about 1/2 cup) and/or chopped almonds or walnuts (also about 1/2 cup) into the batter just before baking. Others cut the loaves in half after baking and add a layer of jam, then reassemble. Personally, I like my honey cake plain.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 1 loaf, enough for 8 or more
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a loaf pan (if you double the recipe, you can use a tube pan). Combine the butter and zest in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook until the butter sizzles, then turn off the heat. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Step 2
Beat together the eggs and sugar until the mixture is light and thick; beat in the honey and coffee, followed by the butter/orange zest mixture. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring just to combine; do not beat any longer. Pour into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool and serve.
