Sweets and Cakes
Honey Cake/ Honey-Chilli Cake
Now anyone living in Bangalore im sure has seen or relished this cake……..the famous Iyengar Bakery’s Honey cake….One of my fondest memories of Bangalore bakeries produce other than Thoms Cafe’s Meat puffs, Sweet Chariots Rum tarts and Fresh Pineapple Cake, and Iyengar bakery’s Egg puff and Dilpasand is their famous orange coloured jam topped honey drizzled Cake……
This cake has been on the back burners of my to do list for a long time and recently when one of my friends Sonali posted on her fb wall of the various yummy treats Bangalore has to offer I remembered this cake…..and the desire to make it has finally seen the light…..
On my recent trip home I was fortunate enough to be there when the honeyman Prakash knocked on our gates with a freshly removed honeycomb laden with several kilograms of silken pure and fresh honey……. we couldnt contain ourselves and just bought a lot ….i mean a whole comb’s worth of honey from him, twelve kilograms in all…….for a good amount 🙂
So back in the UK well armed with a big bottle of honey….I decided to put it to good use by baking this all time favourite. If only Iyengar bakeries would open a branch here (I hope you are listening Mr Iyengar……:)) …..
Next task was to look up a recipe for the honey cake……..since I did not find a suitable one I decided to adapt a recipe I have for very tasty lemon drizzle cake. So I made the sponge cake, drizzled it with a lot of sweet honey drizzle, topped it with a good layer of raspberry jam, as I love chilli I added a bit of chilli to the jam topping for that little kick( optional) and and……………..the verdict….
If you are living in a location where Iyengar bakeries do not operate , I promise you this recipe will not let you down………….with every honey laden bite into the soft sponge you will sing …….”sugar….ahh….honey honey….you are my candy and you got me wanting you”………tarararara……….Enjoy!!
To make this cake you will need:
Ingredients:
Plain Flour:250gms
Baking powder: 1.5 tsps
Granulated Sugar:250gms
Eggs: 4 large
Unsalted Butter: 250 gms
Milk: 4tbsps
Vanilla Essence:1 tsp
For the topping:
Mixed fruit or berry fruit jam: 4 tbsps
Sugar: 2tsps
Cayenne pepper powder: 1.5 tsps( optional only for honey chilli cake)
For the drizzle or soak:
Honey: 1/2 cup (use a universal standard measure)
Sugar: 4 tsps
Water: 150 ml
Rose water: 2 tsps
Method:
Preheat oven to 160C .
1.Sieve the flour with the baking powder twice and then put into a large mixing bowl.
2. Put all the remaining cake ingredients into the bowl. Ensure the eggs and butter are at room temperature. Beat together till there are no visible signs of dry flour and the mix is uniform. (Put in 2 pinches of food grade natural sunset yellow colouring if you want the authentic Iyengar bakery look, or else skip it.)
3. Pour into 21 cms cake tin which is preferably nonstick with a unlocking base, or any type tin would do.
4. Place in the center of oven and bake for 35- 40 minutes. Check with a skewer at 30 minutes, it should come out clean when insered into center of cake when done.
5. While cake is baking prepare the honey drizzle. Put all drizzle ingredients except rose water into a small saucepan and stir till sugar dissolved, allow to come to a rolling boil on a low flame till it becomes syrupy. Remove any scum that collects on the top. Add rose water. Keep aside to cool down.
6. Once cake is done take out of oven, pierce all over with a toothpick. Pour the cooled syrup over the hot cake.
7. Prepare jam topping by placing jam and sugar in a small saucepan. Heat jam mixture gently till melted. If making honey chilli cake add cayenne pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes more. Cool the topping before pouring over the top of the cake. Spread evenly. Scatter some grated coconut on the top of cake. Let the cake soak in all the lovely honey drizzle for 3-4 hrs. Serve at tea time or anytime , chilled or just as it is.
Enjoy!!
