An old time
favourite!

My grandmother used to come to us every year with this honey cake. She baked it in a sheet pan, lined with a brown paper bag. I’ve kept the recipe, but baked in a beehive pan, for a special Yom-Tov effect. I had enough left over batter, to make 10 of the mini loaves.

• 1 whole seedless orange, cut in chunks (do not peel)
• 6 eggs
• 1½ cups sugar
• 1½ cups honey
• 3 cups flour
• 1½ tsp baking powder
• 1½ tsp baking soda
• ¾ cup strong coffee
• (or 1½ Tbsp instant coffee dissolved in ¾ cup boiling water)

Buttercream Frosting

(see beehive cake pan insert, or use ready made)

Honey Icing:

• 1 ½ cups icing sugar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1-3 tbsp soy milk

Royal Icing for Bees

• 1 tbsp. meringue powder
• 1 ¼ cup icing sugar
• 2 tbsp. water
• Yellow and black food colouring

(See beehive cake pan insert for instructions).

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease and flour the beehive pan with Wilton cake release, or a baking spray.
2. Place orange in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse with quick on/offs until finely minced. Set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, beat eggs with sugar until light, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except for orange and mix until combined. Add orange to batter and mix until combined.
4. Fill the pans with batter, spreading to the top edges of the pan, so batter is lower in the center.
5. Bake for 1 hour. (When you insert a cake tester, it will come out without any batter clinging to it.)

   Cool for 15 minutes in pan, then invert onto cooling rack, and cool completely.

   To assemble the cake: Stand one half of the cake upright; using a serrated knife, level off the flat side of cake by trimming off rounded dome; repeat with other half. Spread buttercream frosting over cut side of cake; gently press cake halves together to secure. Place cake on serving plate. Spoon honey icing over cake, covering side seams. Decorate with honeybees.