Honey Cake

  • Difficulty Moderate
  • Active time 40 minutes
  • Total time 2 days 1 hour and 30 minutes
  • Servings 16 portions
  • Honey
  • 250 g honey (see Tips)
  • Cake layers
  • 100 g walnuts
  • 120 g caster sugar
  • 180 g unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 60 g pouring (whipping) cream
  • 1 egg
  • 530 g plain flour
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 tsp cocoa powder
  • 2 pinches sea salt
  • Rum
  • 120 g water
  • 30 g rum
  • Caramel icing
  • 270 g unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
  • 400 g tinned caramel (see Tips)
  • Assembly
  • plain flour, to dust

    Preparation

    Preparation

    Honey

    1. Place a saucepan onto mixing bowl lid and weigh honey into it. Place saucepan with honey over a medium-high heat and cook stirring frequently until darkened (approx. 8 minutes), taking care not to overcook. Remove from the heat and set aside.

    Cake layers

    2. Place walnuts into mixing bowl and chop 4 sec/speed 8. Place in a bowl and set aside.

    3. Place sugar, butter, cream, egg and 200 g of the honey into mixing bowl, then heat 5 min/60°C/speed 2 or until smooth.

    4. Add flour, bicarbonate of soda, cocoa and salt, then start Dough/40 sec. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl with spatula, then start Dough/20 sec. Pour onto a silicone bread mat or plate. Cover and set aside in the fridge until firm enough to roll (approx. 3 hours). Meanwhile continue with recipe. Clean and dry mixing bowl.

    Rum

    5. Place water and rum into mixing bowl, then heat 3 min/100°C/speed 2, without measuring cup. Pour into a separate bowl and set aside.

    Caramel icing

    6. Place butter, caramel and remaining honey into mixing bowl, then mix 30 sec-1 min/speed 3.5 or until smooth. Add reserved walnuts and mix with spatula. Place in a separate bowl and set aside. Clean and dry mixing bowl.

    Assembly

    7. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray (40 x 35 cm) with baking paper and set aside. Set aside another unlined baking tray (40 x 35 cm).

    8. Divide dough into 6 equal portions (approx. 170 g). On a lightly floured silicone bread mat or work surface, roll out a of portion of the dough into a circle (approx. 3 mm thickness). Place on a sheet of baking paper. Cut out a circle (22 cm), then place with paper onto unlined baking tray. Remove offcuts and place on the lined baking tray.

    9. Bake cake layer for 5-6 minutes (180°C), until golden brown. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely. Repeat with dough, placing offcuts in a single layer on the lined baking tray.

    10. Bake offcuts for 6-8 minutes (180°C) until golden brown. Remove from oven and set aside to cool completely.

    11. Place cooled cake offcuts into mixing bowl and crush 10 sec/speed 5.

    12. To assemble: Place a layer of cake on a cake plate or flat tray. Brush with rum mixture (approx. 1 tablespoon). Spread evenly with reserved caramel icing (approx. 3 heaped tablespoons). Repeat with remaining cake layers, rum mixture and icing.

    13. Cover top and sides of cake with remaining icing and coat with reserved cake crumbs (see Tips). Cover cake and place into the fridge for a minimum of 24 hours (see Tips).

    14. Remove cake from the fridge and allow to come to room temperature before slicing to serve (see Tips).

    Tips & Tricks

    TIP

    We recommend a good quality organic honey for this recipe.

    You can replace tinned caramel with dulce leche in this recipe, if desired. 

    Use a palette knife or wide bladed knife to assist coating cake with crumbs. 

    Cake will keep in a sealable container in a cool place for up to 4 days. 

    Honey cake's flavour will develop in the fridge. Serving at room temperature makes for a softer and more flavourful cake.

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