There have always been many different honeys around, though buying them was usually more a local option. Today, boutique honeys line our shelves and the selection allows us to move on from the rudimentary clover honey to wild flower, Rewarewa, Manuka, honeydew and more. Honey has always had a affinity with whisky and these delicate spongy cakes are ideal decorated for special occasions using icing or served warm with custard or whipped cream for desserts.

Ingredients

• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup honey, Manuka or Rewarewa
• 75 grams butter, softened
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup self-rising flour
• ¼ cup whisky

Syrup

• ¼ cup whisky
• 1/4 cup honey

Icing

• 75 grams butter, softened
• 1 cup icing sugar
• grated rind 2 lemons

Method

1. Beat the sugar, honey, butter and eggs together until thick and creamy. Fold in the sifted flour with the whisky.
2. Divide evenly among 4 or 5, small cake tins (see Cook’s Tip). To make the syrup warm the whisky and honey to combine.
3. Bake at 160 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Remove from the oven and pierce each cake several times with a skewer and pour about 2 tblsp syrup over each cake. Allow to cool in the tins before turning out.
4. Wrap each cake in a little paper and tie with string. Pipe the icing on top and decorate as wished. Serve with yoghurt and or whipped cream.

Icing

1. Beat the butter, icing sugar and lemon rind together until light and fluffy.

Cooks Tips

Use 7-8cm small cake tins or muffin tins can be used in place of small cake tins. The mixture will make 4 Texas-sized-muffin cakes or 6 standard-muffin-sized cakes.