[dropcap type=”circle”]D[/dropcap]ue to popular demand we present the recipe for Heswall Honey Cake. It’s simple, quick and very tasty.
We call it Heswall Honey Cake because at the heart of Heswall Today’s effort is honey from Lower Heswall’s resident beekeeper, Doug Jones. Use any clear honey you wish and produce a cake suitable for any location and any occasion!
INGREDIENTS
250g of clear honey for the batter, plus 2 tbsp put aside for the glaze (preferably Doug the Bee’s Lower Heswall Wildflower Honey, available from the Village Shop on Village Road).
225g of unsalted butter (and a little with which to butter your baking tin).
100g of dark muscovado sugar.
3 large beaten eggs.
300g of self-raising flour.
The zest of an orange (optional).
UTENSILS
A medium pan and a small pan.
A mixing bowl.
A zester.
A knife, tablespoon, wooden spoon and glazing brush.
Wire cake rack.
A 20cm round, loose bottomed cake tin.
METHOD
First, preheat your oven: to 140C for fan ovens, and 160C for conventional ones.
Next, butter and line the 20cm cake tin.
Cut the butter into chunks and put them in the medium pan with the honey, sugar and orange zest if you’ve decided to use it.
Melt the mixture patiently on a low heat. When it has turned to liquid, increase the heat and boil for one minute. Now leave it to cool for 20 minutes – you don’t want the eggs to cook when they are mixed in.
Beat the eggs into the mixture using the wooden spoon. Sift the flour into the large bowl and then add the mixture, beating until you have a smooth batter. It won’t be very firm, but that’s fine.
Pour the mixture into the lined tin and bake for 50 minutes until the cake is well-risen, golden brown and springs back when pressed. A skewer pushed into the centre of the cake should come out nice and clean.
Turn your cake out onto the wire rack. Warm the 2 tbsp of honey in the small pan and brush over the top of the cake to give a sticky glaze, then leave to cool.
Finally, eat the cake.
(Honey cake will keeps for 4 to 5 days when wrapped and in an airtight tin.)
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