Harvest Honey Cake
Autumn is my favorite time of year, and this cake is simply the perfect treat when there’s a chill in the air. It’s intensely flavorful, moist, and simple. Enjoy with a cup of tea, wrapped up in a scarf, sitting in a pile of leaves! :)
Want this recipe and 4 more? Grab a copy of my guide to cake HERE
Huge thanks to Taylor & Colledge for sponsoring my baking AND providing the best baking pastes in the world! You all are fantastic, and I appreciate you.
HARVEST HONEY CAKE
Serves up to 18
INGREDIENTS:
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup honey
3 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 tsp. Taylor & Colledge Almond Paste
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 cup fresh apple, small diced (optional)
4 tea bags that match the flavors of the cake***
PAM Baking Spray
NOTES BEFORE YOU BEGIN:
This cake is best when made with either Fuji or Honeycrisp apples. The apples are optional!
You will add 8 oz. of strong, hot tea to this cake batter
***I use Honey Vanilla Chamomile tea made by Celestial Seasonings
INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Heat oven to 325*F. Choose a cake pan.
2. Brew a strong cup of tea using your 4 tea bags and about 10 oz. (1.25 cups) of hot water. The bags will steal some of the liquid, so you want to make sure you’re left with 8 oz of tea! When you remove the tea bags, be sure to press or squeeze them to remove as much flavor as possible.
3. Add the flour, sugar, light brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg to the bowl of your mixer. Combine on low for 30 seconds to thoroughly mix.
4. Add in the vegetable oil, honey, eggs, almond paste, vanilla, lemon juice, orange juice, buttermilk, and apple. Mix on low (or by hand) for about 10 seconds. Continue to mix on low for 1 minute, using the first few seconds to steadily and carefully pour in the 8 oz. of hot tea. Don’t over-mix.
5. Coat the inside of your cake pan with PAM Baking Spray and add the batter. Bake until the top is no longer jiggly, then immediately remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes.
6. Turn out onto a sheet of parchment or foil, and allow to cool a bit before eating. Best served warm, but almost as wonderful cooled. Enjoy with a hot cup of the same tea you used in the batter!
+ Nordic Ware Bundt Pan - Took 65-70 minutes
+ Nordic Ware Bundt Quartet Pan - Took 30 minutes using 1 cup of batter each
+ Pan with 4 medium loaf compartments - Took 35-40 minutes using 1 cup of batter each
TIPS:
Make a glaze using 1 cup powdered sugar, 4-5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, 1/4 tsp. Taylor & Colledge Vanilla Bean Paste, a tiny pinch of salt, and a pinch of cinnamon. Simply mix until a glaze forms and drizzle over your cake! For an extra special touch, sprinkle some toasted almonds over the glaze.
If you can’t get a hold of Taylor & Colledge baking pastes, that’s ok - you can use 1 tsp. almond extract instead of the 1/2 tsp. in this recipe. However, I absolutely adore their products, and they DO make a big difference in a cake’s flavor!
This recipe produces almost exactly 8 cups of batter, which means you can make 1 whole bundt, 2 smaller cakes, 8 mini bundts, 8 small loaves, or up to 32 muffins/cupcakes. You could even make a layer cake with a fabulous cream cheese icing!