Honey Cake (wheat free)

I found myself at a loss this weekend with a completely free day on Saturday, my patisserie course was cancelled for the day...what to do....well I decided to pamper myself and have a facial and then bake some wheat free honey cake. 



This recipe is also dairy free but requires lots of vegetable oil instead of butter.  Honey cake originates from Israel and is traditionally served on the Sabbath and at festivals, especially at the beginning of the new year when it is served in the hope of make the year ahead even sweeter.

I have to admit I was alarmed at the sheer liquidity of the cake and was really quite surprised that it rose so much and set.  The addition of a whole cup of honey to the mixture makes this cake incredibly moist.  I adapted the recipe and added a blended gluten free plain flour mix.  I usually think the gluten free flour can tend to make sponge cakes dry out a lot more quickly than regular flour, however, this cake has so many liquid components that I honestly think it could last a week and the flavours would probably develop even more.



Fresh from the oven



When I removed the cake from the oven it seemed a little burned around the edges and I started to worry that the whole exterior of the cake would be as dark in colour.  Waiting about 20 minutes for it to cool down seemed to take forever, I'm a little too impatient and I really wanted to see if the cake had taken on the fluted pattern from the tin. 

Successfully removed from the tin

I was amazed to see the cake had managed to set in the fluted shape of the tin even if some of the cake wasn't perfectly smooth on top (this was completely my fault as I couldn't wait until it was any cooler to take it out  - it was a new baking tin hence the childish excitement).

After leaving the cake to cool completely on the bench I set to work on the coconut cream and dark chocolate topping.  In a small saucepan I warmed the coconut cream to a gentle simmer and then removed it from the heat and melted the chopped chocolate in the cream.

Chopped dark chocolate

The creamy mixture blended together easily and I decided against adding the corn syrup which was suggested in the originally recipe.  When the mixture was ready I began to pour....



The warm coconut - chocolate mixture is poured on top



I was surprised at how much the mixture changed in colour as it set.  The cake ended up covered in a beautifully dark ganache which had a mild coconut taste.  This ganache could even be used as a topping for plain sponge cake or ice cream.



The finished Honey Cake







My first attempt at food styling - do you like the pansies from my garden :)



Overall the flavour of this cake has put me in the mood for some Christmas baking - it tastes of both honey and ginger and is not overly sweet.  I now just have to put a list together of all of the Christmas things I would like to bake and attempt to post some overseas to see if they survive such a perilous trip

Honey Cake (Wheat Free) - adapted from epicurious.com

You will need

• A fluted 10inch cake tin
• 2.5cups of blended plain flour mix
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup raw sugar
• 1.4 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup pure honey
• 3/4 cup lukewarm freshly brewed coffee
• 1.5 tsp grated orange zest
• 1/4 cup coconut cream
• 4 ounces dark chocolate

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180C with the oven shelf in the middle of the oven. Generously grease the fluted cake tin with vegetable oil
• Sieve the flour and stir in the baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices in a large bowl
• Whisk the eggs well in another large bowl and whisk in the sugar, oil, honey, coffee and zest until well combined
• Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and slowly add in the honey mixture until it is all combined
• Pour the cake batter into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 45-55 minutes until risen springy to touch
• Let the cake cool for 20 minutes on a cooling rack in the tin
• Loosen the cake from the pan with a thin rubber spatula and invert the cake onto the rack
• Wait until the cake has cooled before making the topping
• Chop the dark chocolate and place to one side
• In a small saucepan heat the coconut cream until it is simmering
• Remove the pan from the stove and stir in the chopped chocolate until melted
• When the mixture has thickened slightly pour over the cake and leave to cool (the mixture will darken as it cools)