This sticky, sweet, walnut-topped cake is best served fresh and warm. The warmed flavours of honey and walnuts, along with the fragrant cassia spice are ideal partners to a steaming coffee.

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 cup warm milk
• 25 grams butter, melted
• 2 tblsp caster sugar
• 2½ tsp dried yeast
• 3 cups bread-making flour
• 1 egg, beaten

Topping Base

• 25 grams butter
• ¼ cup honey (manuka or rewarewa is nice here)
• 2 tblsp caster sugar
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Topping Filling

• 2 tblsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp ground cassia or cinnamon
• 50 grams butter, softened
• ½ cup raisins

Method

1. In a medium-size bowl, stir together the warm milk, butter, sugar and yeast. Set aside for 10 minutes until the yeast has dissolved and the mixture is frothy.
2. Sift the flour into a large bowl, make a well in the centre and pour in the yeast mixture along with the beaten egg. Mix together to make a soft dough. Turn dough out onto a board, and knead for 5 minutes until a smooth texture is reached. Set aside, covered with a warm cloth, while preparing the topping base and topping filling.
3. To make the topping base, melt the butter and honey together, then pour into the base of a greased and lined 24cm cake tin. Scatter over the sugar and walnuts.
4. Mix the sugar and cassia or cinnamon for the filling together. Roll the dought out to a 35cm x 30cm rectangle. Spread with the softened butter and sprinkle over the cassia sugar. Scatter over the raisins.
5. Roll up dough from the longer edges and cut into 11-12 pieces. Arrange these evenly on top of the walnut mixture. Cover with a warm cloth and place in a warm area for 30 minutes.
6. Bake cake at 190ºC for 35-40 minutes, positioned in the lower middle section of the oven, until it is well cooked in the centre. If the cake begins to brown too much, cover it with a piece of baking paper. Stand in the tin for 10 minutes before carefully turning out onto a cake rack. Take care as the topping will be very hot. Cool cake for 10-15 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving warm.

Cooks Tips

1 cup of chopped walnuts equals around 100 grams. Bread-making flour has a higher percentage of gluten (this is basically the protein in flour needed to help bread doughs hold their structure) than general-use flour. Different brands have various names, look for Elfin High Grade or Champion High Grade Flour.