Almond Kamut Honey Loaf Cake
Honey cake has ancient origins, dating back thousands of years across various cultures. Its exact origin is challenging to pinpoint, as honey has been a cherished sweetener since ancient times. Many cultures, including those in Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, incorporated honey into their traditional cakes and desserts.
In Jewish tradition, honey cake holds special significance, particularly during Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. The sweetness of the honey symbolizes hopes for a sweet and prosperous year ahead. Traditional Jewish honey cakes typically include warm spices like cinnamon and cloves.
Today's recipe for the Almond Kamut Honey Cake is inspired by the rich tapestry of honey cake traditions across diverse cultures. Kamut flour adds a rich and buttery flavor to honey cake. Moreover, baked goods made with Kamut flour also often have a tender and moist texture.
Since we want to emphasize the flavor of honey in this cake, use good quality honey. I use organic, local wildflower honey in this recipe, because it has floral notes, herbal undertones, and hints of different blossoms, offering a more intricate taste compared to single-source honey. Please note that the characteristics of wildflower honey can vary significantly based on the geographical location and the specific wildflowers in the region.
This cake is what I would say a breakfast cake. It is not too sweet, packed with nutritious ingredients such as almond, honey, and kamut flour, and wholesome. It’s really delicious, enjoyed with a cup of tea or coffee.
I hope you enjoy today’s recipe. See you again next week!
Serves 6-8
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Level of difficulty: 1/3
Keep for 2 days at room temperature
Ingredients:
210g/ 1 1/3 cups kamut flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground fennel seeds
¼ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground allspice
4 cloves, ground
1½ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
2 eggs
58g/ ¼ cup sugar
162g/ ½ cup good quality wildflower honey, plus extra for serving
1 lemon, zested
115g/ ½ cup neutral-flavored oil, e.g. sunflower oil
100g/ ½ cup applesauce
100g/ 2/3 cup almond, roughly chopped
25g/ ¼ cup almond flakes
Steps:
Preheat the oven to 175°C/ 350°F. Grease a loaf tin with a bit of oil. Then, firmly press a parchment paper to ensure it extends beyond the two long sides so you can take the cake out easily later. Make sure to also grease the exposed sides so the cake won’t stick to the tin.
In a big bowl, add flour, all the ground spices, baking powder, and salt. Mix with a balloon whisk.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs loosely. Add sugar and honey and whisk for 30 seconds or so until the mixture gets thicker. Add lemon zest, oil, and applesauce, and whisk to combine.
Pour the liquid ingredients into the flour mixture and mix briefly just until you don’t see any white streaks of flour. Add chopped almonds and mix again just to distribute the nuts. Don’t overmix the batter or the cake will turn chewy.
Pour the batter into the loaf tin. Top with almond flakes and pop it in the oven. Bake for 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool down for 15-20 minutes before slicing it. Drizzle with some honey when serving.