Moist Holiday Honeycake Recipes

HOLIDAY HONEY CAKE

Steps:

• Place egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes., Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350°. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, cloves and ginger together twice; place in another large bowl., In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks, coffee, honey and oil until smooth. Add to flour mixture; beat until well blended., Add cream of tartar to egg whites; with clean beaters, beat on high speed just until stiff but not dry. Fold a fourth of the whites into batter, then fold in remaining whites., Gently transfer to an ungreased 10-in. tube pan. Bake on lowest oven rack 50-60 minutes or until top springs back when lightly touched. Immediately invert pan; cool completely, about 1-1/2 hours., In a small heavy saucepan, melt butter. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Bring to a boil; cook over medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Stir in confectioners' sugar and vanilla; cook until thickened, about 5 minutes., Run a knife around sides and center tube of pan. Remove cake to a serving plate and add glaze.

MAJESTIC AND MOIST NEW YEAR'S HONEY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the pan(s). For tube and angel food pans, line the bottom with lightly greased parchment paper. For gift honey cakes, I use "cake collars" (available from Sweet Celebrations) designed to fit a specific loaf pan. These give the cakes an appealing, professional look.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Make a well in the center and add the oil, honey, sugars, eggs, vanilla, coffee, orange juice, and rye or whisky.
• Using a strong wire whisk or an electric mixer on slow speed, combine the ingredients well to make a thick batter, making sure that no ingredients are stuck to the bottom of the bowl.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared pan(s) and sprinkle the top of the cake(s) evenly with the almonds. Place the cake pan(s) on 2 baking sheets stacked together and bake until the cake springs back when you touch it gently in the center. For angel and tube cake pans, bake for 60 to 70 minutes; loaf cakes, 45 to 55 minutes. For sheet-style cakes, the baking time is 40 to 45 minutes. This is a liquidy batter and, depending on your oven, it may need extra time. Cake should spring back when gently pressed.
• Let the cake stand for 15 minutes before removing it from the pan. Then invert it onto a wire rack to cool completely.

MOIST HOLIDAY HONEYCAKE

Steps:

• Place an oven shelf in an upper position in oven, and preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a 10-inch fluted tube pan (such as a Bundt® pan) with cooking spray.
• In a bowl, whisk together the unbleached flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg until thoroughly combined. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the canola oil, honey, white and brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, coffee, orange juice, and whiskey. With an electric mixer, beat the flour mixture into the honey mixture just until the batter is thoroughly incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake on upper shelf in the preheated oven until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with moist crumbs, about 1 hour. Cool for 20 minutes in the pan before turning the cake out onto a serving platter.