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.

　　

Ingredients

makes 1 loaf, enough for 8 or more

　　2 tablespoons butter, plus butter for the pan

　　Zest of 1 orange, minced

　　1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

　　1/2 cup rye or whole wheat flour

　　1 teaspoon baking soda

　　1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

　　Pinch of salt

　　Pinch of ground allspice

　　Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

　　Pinch of ground cloves

　　Pinch of ground ginger

　　2 eggs

　　1/2 cup sugar

　　1/2 cup honey

　　1/2 cup brewed coffee

　　

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.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.