RICH HONEY AND RAISIN CAKE

I found this lovely cake recipe on a scrappy piece of paper, with the [partial] recipe scrawled over it! The paper was aged and fragile and the paper was tucked in an old folder, under another old recipe. Someone must have passed it to me decades ago and then I filed it away for future use!! I have absolutely no idea who gave it to me! Luckily it is now firmly in my repertoire and my husband, who loves honey, is addicted to it already!

Lightly oil and line the base of a 8” spring form cake tin. [you could use a 9” for a slightly shallower cake, but you may have to adjust the timings] Preheat your fan over to 160C

This cake does require a certain amount of preparation! Chopping raisins is a sticky, laborious task! Hey ho!, it took me about ten minutes, in smallish batches. But is essential for the yummy sticky nutty texture of this cake! It is sooooo worth it!

8 oz softened butter

6 oz soft light brown sugar [this was my choice]

¾ cup honey

3 large eggs

12 oz plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

pinch salt

1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste or extract

4 oz chopped nuts [I used pecans and walnuts]

8 oz chopped raisins

a little milk to mix

The cake is made using the creaming method, but then I had to guess the cup size? Was this before the recognised measures? I decided to use the proper cup measure, but in the end only used ¾ of a cup because a whole cup seemed such a lot! I used ordinary runny honey.

After creaming the butter, vanilla and sugar. Add the beaten eggs, one at a time, beat in the honey then add the dry ingredients and finally the fruit and nuts, adding a little milk if you think it needs it. I used about 2 dessertspoonfuls.

Tip into your prepared tin and bake…. I had no timings or temperature. But plumped for fan 160C. After half an hour or so, turning down to 140C. It was just perfect and firm after 1¼ hr in total. 

Very yummy and so delish.