I’ve never cooked with honey. Let alone cook, I’ve never even taken honey – the healthier sweetener seriously. Maybe the fact that it is sticky & messy kept me away from it all this while. When I was supposed to cook with Honey for my AGC post this week, I took to the internet to read about the benefits of honey. The more I read, the more I realized how much better than sugar honey really is. Did you know that the organic acids, protein, nitrogen elements, enzymes and vitamins in the sugar cane are destroyed in the manufacturing of regular sugar? Honey, which is subject to much less processing retains all its ‘good’ properties and has beneficial antioxidant and antimicrobial properties which are not present in table sugar! And it proved to be an excellent ingredient to bake with!I had a hard time zeroing in on a perfect recipe. I tried a few others with honey, none of which impressed me. (& I obviously wouldn’t share anything below excellent with ya ) But this cake is something else! I knew it would be a delicious success even before I conceived the idea in my mind! I haven’t added too much of oil nor diary. And yet, this cake has a wonderfully spongy texture. The spices, lemon zest & dry fruits were perfect additions to the cake. Try something different —

Here’s what you’re gonna need -

Preheat the oven to 150 C / 300 F

Grease & Line an 8 inch cake pan.

Squeeze the juice of half of a small lemon & grate the yellow skin all over to get the zest. Mix them & set aside.

Mix together & sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt & spices – TWICE. Passing the mixture through a sieve twice ensure the flour is lump free & incorporates air into it making it perfect for a spongy texture.

Add the chopped dry fruits & nuts

Mix well & set aside

Add oil & honey to a mixing bowl.

Beat well until well incorporated.

Add the plain yogurt (curd) and lemon juice + zest

Again, beat beat to form a smooth wet mixture.

Add the dry ingredients in batches

Mix well to make sure the flour is well incorporated. If the mixture is too thick, add a few drops of water & mix.

Pour into the greased & lined cake pan.

Bake in 150 C oven for 30 minutes or until it is fully cooked through. (Remember – the smaller the cake, the quicker it gets cooked. For this amount of batter, it should be done between 20-30 minutes. Keep an eye out)

Let it cool completely. Slice & serve.

Check out what the others are doing this week – Roshni, Priya S, Priya M, Radhika, Anusha, Veena & Jayanthi