Honey Cakes

Four cakes made with oil and honey for special occasions, not light, but VERY tasty. These cakes are
Tube pans are good for honey cakes because they help them cook evenly.

Wherever flour is called for, use whole wheat pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour.

You can frost with a light cream cheese icing for a festive day, but this is VERY good all by itself!

Golden Secret Carrot Cake

A long time Thanksgiving and Easter favorite. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a large tube pan.

Separate the 4 eggs called for, you will be whipping up the whites to fold in and add lightness to this rich cake.

Beat together:
2/3 C salad oil
1/2 - 2/3 C honey
4 eggs yolks

Add and beat:
1 t vanilla
1 t black walnut extract (this is the secret ingredient, and it is scrumptious)(almond is good, too)

Add and beat gently, til well mixed:
2 C unbleached all purpose or whole wheat pastry flour, that has been sifted with
2 t baking powder
2 t cinnamon
1 t ground cardamon (this is the other secret ingredient)
1/2 t salt

Fold in:
1 C chopped walnuts--preferably black walnuts(or chopped almonds)
3 large carrots, grated (about 2 C)

Then fold in:
4 stiffly beaten egg whites

Spread this thick batter in a tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees about 1 hour 10 minutes in an oiled and floured large tube pan. Cools best if you put the pan on a rack. Let cool before removing from pan.

Oatmeal Cake with broiled icing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Total cooking time is about 40 minutes, but you have to take it out and spread the icing on it before it is done. Oil and flour a 9 x 13 flat pan.

Soak together and beat until creamy:
1 C boiling water
1 C quick oats

Set aside. Mix together:
1 1/2 C honey
1/2 C oil

When thoroughly blended, beat in 1 at a time:
2 eggs
1 t vanilla

Sift together:
1 C unbleached all purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
1 t soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t cinnamon

Add oats to honey mix, then stir in flour, and bake 25 minutes in an oiled and floured 9"x13" pan.

While it's baking, mix:
1 stick soft butter
1/2 C honey
1 C nuts
2 egg yolks
1 C coconut
milk to spreadable thickness, if needed

Spread on cake, bake another 10 to 15 minutes to finish.

Applesauce Cake

This cake has improved protein because of the grain/soy/milk blend.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Sift together:
1 3/4 C unbleached all purpose or whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 C soy flour
1/4 C milk powder
4 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 1/2 T cinnamon
2 t clove
1 t ginger

Stir in:
1/2 C wheat germ

Mix together:
2/3 C honey
1/3 C oil
4 well-beaten eggs
1 3/4 C applesauce or crushed pineapple

Stir the liquid into the dry ingredients. Bake in an oiled, floured loaf pan about 1 hour.

Raisin Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil and flour a tube pan. The original of this great cake came out of Nebraska in the Depression years.

Soak in a saucepan:
1 C raisins
With water to 1/2" above their top, bring to a boil and cook till water is level with raisins.

Add:
3/4 C oil

Cool mix. Add:
1 C honey
2 t cinnamon
2 t soda
1 t salt
2 eggs, beaten

Mix together and stir in:
3 C whole wheat flour
2 t baking powder
2 T soy flour
2 T wheat germ

Mix well. Bake in a 9"x13" pan about 45-55 minutes, or a large tube pan about 10 minutes longer.

A double recipe takes a 13"x20" pan.

Hint: Cakes will be smoother across the top if you push the batter well up the sides of the pan and level it in the middle.