Chocolate Honey Walnut Cake

Hello, happy Tuesday! Today I'm sharing a recipe from a cookbook my Aunt sent me for Christmas. It's the first recipe I've ever come across that combines honey and chocolate. Turns out it's a fantastic combo! No sugar is added except for the honey, and the chocolate flavor is rich and dark. I took the intensity a step further, because I believe chocolate cake must have frosting, and added a dark chocolate honey ganache. Then I sprinkled on some walnuts for crunch. Perfect finishing touch in my humble opinion. If you are not a fan of dark chocolate, this cake isn't for you, but if you are.... oh man. It is fabulous!

Here is an excerpt from Mollie Katzen's website that provides some good insight into making a honeycake:

"Baking cakes with honey can be tricky, because it is much heavier and, of course, wetter than sugar, so one has to take extra care that the texture of the finished product be light enough and has "enough crumb." To achieve this, we whip the honey separately at high speed with an electric mixer, until it is opaque. Two minutes is usually enough time. This incorporates air into the honey, increasing its volume, and drying it out some, so it can make a good cake. Please don't skip or skimp on this step"

Point taken, follow the instructions for this one!

Chocolate Honey Walnut Cake

from Mollie Katzen's Recipes "Desserts"

Nonstick spray for the pan

1/2 cup canola oil or softened butter

1 ounce (1 square) unsweetened chocolate

3/4 cup light-colored honey

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup chocolate chips

3/4 cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 350°F (325°F for glass pan). Spray a medium-sized loaf pan with nonstick spray.

Melt the butter an chocolate together over low heat. If using oil, melt the chocolate alone, then remove from heat and stir in the oil.

Place the honey in a medium-sized bowl, and beat at high speed with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes or until it reaches an opaque frothy consistency. Add the eggs one a at time, beating well after each. Stir in the vanilla.

Sift together the dry ingredients in to a separate medium size bowl.

Beat the melted chocolate mixture into the honey-egg mixture.

Fold in the dry ingredients, 1/2 cup pecans (set other 1/4 cup aside) and chocolate chips, and stir until well combined.

Spread into the prepared pan.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until a knife inserted all the way into the center comes out clean. Cool before glazing and slicing (seriously or else you will have crumble cake).

Chocolate Honey Glaze

Adapted from Nigella Lawson

1/8 cup water

1/4 cup honey

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Mix all ingredients together, pour over cooled cake.

Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup walnuts.

I would love to know your favorite unusual flavor combos, let me know in the comments!

Tasty Tuesday!

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