14 Fun Days of February Day 13: Greek Honey Cake

Now, you may all be wondering how honey factors in to the 14 Fun Day of February, but it does!  Honey is an ancient aphrodisiac.  The darker the honey, the stronger the flavor, it last forever, and the flavor can be mild or full bodied.  It is usable with sweet and savory dishes, it’s the all around yummy food! 

One of our FAVORITE desserts using honey is Greek Honey Cake.   I made it for a class years ago. I hadn’t made it before, and of course Joe and I had to try it when it came out of the oven.  To finish it, you pour a sweet honey-rich syrup over it while it is still warm.  For those of you who have never had this, this translates into YUMMMM!

Greek Honey Cake

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon orange zest

3/4 cup butter

3/4 cup white sugar

3 eggs

1/4 cup milk

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup white sugar

1 cup honey

3/4 cup water

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch square pan. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and orange rind. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated. Stir in the walnuts. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool for 15 minutes, then cut into diamond shapes. Pour honey syrup over the cake. For the Honey Syrup: In a saucepan, combine honey, 1 cup sugar and water. Bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.