Celebrate and cherish the bees' extraordinary contribution with this ultimate honey cake or lekach – it is rich with dried fruit, nuts and a dash of brandy. If you want to spice things up a little bit more, try substituting the powdered ginger with 25g finely chopped crystallised ginger.
Ingredients
● 225g plain flour
● ¾ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
● 1 tspn ground cinnamon
● 1½ tsp-2 tsp dried ginger
● 120g margarine or butter
● 80g honey
● 60g golden syrup
● 120g soft brown sugar
● 125g luxury mixed dried fruit
● 100g chopped pecans or pistachios (optional)
● 2 free-range organic eggs
● 4 tablespoons milk or soya milk
● Rind of 1 whole lemon and the juice of ½ lemon
Method
● Preheat your oven to 150–170°C, gas mark 2–3 and line a 21cm cake tin.
● Sieve the flour, bicarbonate of soda and spices into a large mixing bowl.
● Melt the butter or margarine with the honey, golden syrup and soft brown sugar.
● Add the dried fruit and chopped nuts if using and leave to cool.
● Grate in the lemon rind.
● Beat the eggs with the milk and add the lemon juice. Add the liquid ingredients to the dry and quickly pour the cake batter into the lined tin - the bicarbonate of soda will begin to react immediately.
● Place in the oven. Bake for 1 hour until firm to the touch. Do not open the oven door or the cake may drop.
● (Optional) When cake is cooled, pierce with tooth picks adding 2 tablespoons brandy, apricot brandy or Kiddush wine.