Iced Honey and Spice Cake

30 minutes - 40 minutes

This recipe is from Delia's Cakes.

This is another cake that has a unique and different combination of punchy flavours – which makes it good for eating out-of-doors.

Great for a picnic or afternoon tea in the garden.

The Delia Online Cookery School: Watch how to make more cake recipes in our Family Cakes cookery school video lesson on this page.

Got a question on Delia's recipes? Ask Lindsey

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Delia's Honey Spice Cake

Asked by: WOTW

ICED HONEY AND SPICE CAKE (Delia Cakes & Delia Complete Cookery Course) - trouble dissolving the bicarbonate of soda in cold water. I have failed twice to dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in cold water as per this recipe. Eventually (after 5 mins) I gave up stirring, stirring, stirring and added the mixture (still with undissolved powder in it) to the cake mix. As a result the cake has not risen well, which is to be expected. Does anyone know how to dissolve bicarbonate of soda in cold water? Hot water is easier to dissolve the bicarb but results in a different chemical reaction. Help!!!!

Answered by Lindsey: Hello, Delia uses an old-fashioned kitchen tablespoon which is 20mls so you need 60mls of cold water, which may be a bit more than you measured out. It will not dissolve 100% but give it a good quick stir just before you add it to the mixture. This cake isn’t fairly dense and doesn’t rise very high Kind regards Lindsey

Method

First of all place a small bowl in a saucepan containing barely simmering water and warm the honey a little – but be careful, it mustn’t be too hot, just warm.

Next sift the flour and spices into a large mixing bowl, then add the sugar and the orange and lemon zest. Now add the butter in small pieces and rub it lightly into the flour, using your fingertips, until the mixture becomes crumbly. Next, lightly mix in the beaten egg using a large fork, followed by the warm honey. In a small basin mix the bicarbonate of soda with 3 tablespoons of cold water, stir until dissolved, then add it to the cake mixture and beat, quite hard, until the mixture is smooth and soft. Finally, stir in the mixed peel and spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, spreading it out evenly with the back of the spoon. Bake the cake near the centre of the oven for about 30–40 minutes or until well-risen and springy to touch.

Cool it for about 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to get quite cold.

Meanwhile prepare the icing by sifting the icing sugar into a bowl, then add the lemon juice gradually, stirring well with a wooden spoon until the mixture coats the back of the spoon. Pour the icing all over, letting it run down slightly at the sides. Then decorate the top with the pieces of ginger and store in a tin until needed.