Wonderfully Moreish Honey Loaf
This recipe is inspired from my many years of backyard beekeeping. Honey can be taken from the hive in many forms. Runny honey as pictured below is spun from the comb. Heather honey is pressed from the comb whereas ivy honey will crystallize and set. This type of honey is usually creamed to give a better mouthfeel and appearance.
Crystallized honey is also sometimes known as baker’s honey and would be ideal for this recipe as when you heat the honey, it will revert back to runny honey.
For me, Honey Loaf is best paired with a big mug of coffee any time of the day. It is a moist, dense cake, but not so much so that it wouldn’t absorb a mouthful of coffee and melt away into bitter sweetness.
HONEY LOAF INGREDIENTS
- BUTTER: Full fat butter used for flavour and cake moistness.
- LIGHT MUSCAVADO SUGAR: The sugar adds a light caramel undertone that doesn’t overpower the natural flavour of the raw honey.
- RAW HONEY: Use locally sourced, raw, natural honey. As an avid beekeeper i am rarely short of honey. Honeys can come in many flavours so you can experiment a little here. I use full season honey, honey I’ve harvested off the hives at the end of the beekeeping season. These honeys are unique to each year as their profile is base on all manner of variables throughout the season.
- PLAIN FLOUR: A mixture of flour is called for in this recipe as the cake is slightly denser than say a normal sponge cake. Plain flour is used to control the rise and texture by reducing the raising agent ratio in the self raising flour.
- SELF RAISING FLOUR: Use your favorite brand. Used to raise the cake and create a crumb structure.
- EGGS: Free range eggs are used for their richness and bright colour.
RECIPE
Honey Loaf
Ingredients
- 227 g butter
- 100 g light muscavado sugar
- 280 g raw honey
- 190 g plain flour
- 110 g self rasing flour
- 3 large eggs
Instructions
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and sugar until dissolved, then allow to cool.
- Preheat the oven to gas 3, 160°C or 325°F
- Sieve the flour
- Mix the honey with the butter and dissolved sugar and add to the flour to create a batter.
- Beat the eggs and add to the batter in three parts, beating to incorporate the eggs between each addition.
- Pour the batter into a lined 2 lb loaf tin
- Place in oven on middle shelf and check with a skewer after 1 hour.
- When skewer is removed clean then remove loaf to a cooling rack.
- Brush the top with honey to glaze.
- Enjoy warm.
Notes
If you like my Honey Loaf recipe, why not try out some of my other sweet recipes:
My Traditionally Spiced Apple Pie – The Grazing Foodie or my
Profiteroles with a Luxurious Chocolate Sauce – The Grazing Foodie