1 ts Vegetable oil ;1 tbsp. boiling water
1/4 c Vegetable oil 1 ts Baking powder
1/4 c Raisins, seedless 1/4 ts Baking soda
1/4 c Orange peel, candied 1/4 ts Ground cinnamon
3 Egg yolks 1/4 ts Ground allspice
3/4 c Honey pn Ground cloves
1/3 c Sugar 1/4 ts Salt
2 ts Lemon peel; finely grated 3 Egg whites
4 1/2 ts Instant coffee; dissolve in 1/2 c Almonds, blanched; sliced
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees (F). With a pastry brush coat the
bottom and sides of a 9 by 5 by 3 inch loaf pan with 1 teaspoon of
the oil. Sprinkle the oiled pan with 2 tablespoons of the flour,
tipping the pan from side to side to spread the flour evenly. Then
invert the pan and rap the bottom sharply to remove the excess flour.
Combine the raisins and arrange peel in a bowl, add 2 tablespoons of
the flour and turn the fruit about with a spoon until it is evenly
and lightly coated. Set aside.
In a deep bowl, beat the egg yolks with a whisk or a rotary or
electric beater until frothy. Then beat in the remaining 1/4 cup of
oil, the honey, sugar, lemon peel, and the dissolved coffee. Combine
the remaining 2 cups of flour, the baking powder, soda, cinnamon,
allspice, cloves and salt and sift them into the egg-yolk batter, 1/4
cup or so at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the
raisins and orange peel.
Wash and dry the whisk or beater, and in a separate bowl beat the
egg whites until they form unwavering peaks when the beater is lifted
from the bowl. With a rubber spatula, gently but thoroughly fold the
egg whites into the batter, using an over under cutting motion rather
than a stirring motion.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan and spread it out evenly.
Decorate the top with the almonds, arranging the slices to make
simple daisy shapes in the center of the cake and leaving enough
almonds to make a small stripe at each end. Bake in the middle of
the oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a cake tester or
toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for
4 or 5 minutes, then run a sharp knife around the edges and turn the
cake out on a rack. Cool completely.
Honey cake is often served with unsalted butter.
102 of 116
Yields
1 9″ cake