Spicy Orange and Honey Cake
By corlear
Pain d’Epice a l’Orange
Legend has it that in 992 an Armenian bishop named Gregory took refuge in the town of Pithivier. He made his own spiced Armenian honey cake which he gave to his visitors having first cleansed their spirits with canticles and psalms. As they tasted it his guests thought they were enjoying the delights of paradise.
- 6
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 21/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 5 tbsp superfine sugar
- 2 tsp powdered aniseed
- grated rind of 1/2 orange
- grated rind of 1/2 lemon
- 1/3 cup honey
Preparation
Step 1
Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 7 inch cake pan with melted lard.
Warm 2 tablespoons of the milk and mix with the baking soda. Mix the flour, sugar, aniseed, orange and lemon rinds together, and add the remaining milk and the warmed honey. Stir in the milk and baking soda and beat well.
Pour into the pan, bake for 40 minutes then reduce the temperature to 325°F and bake for a further hour or until cooked. Cool on a wire rack.
This cake will keep for several days and can be served with butter.