HONEY CAKE

WE HAVE JUST SPENT THE MOST WONDERFUL 2 WEEKS HOLIDAY IN MADEIRA. THE BEST HOLIDAY YET. THE GEOREOUS SCENERY FRIENDLY PEOPLE LOVELY WEATHER AN ABSOLUTE DREAM.
WE ALSO LOVED THE DARK HONEY CAKE BUT CAN NOT FIND THE RECIPE DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO MAKE THIS CAKE.
WE SHALL RETURN TO MADEIRA BUT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE THE
CAKE AS A HAPPY MEMORY OF OUR VISIT.
HOPING SOMEONE CAN HELP THANKS
TREVOR ANDREWS

Many of the Madeira Honey Cakes are actually baked from sugarcane syrup and not honey ! Despite it being called a honey cake. However, it is called precisely that because historically honey was used as the ingredient that would later be replaced by the popular local produce of sugar and its syrups.Try this recipe:2 kg of flour
1,5 litres sugarcane syrup
500 grs butter
1 kg sugar
500 grs Almonds
1 1/2 tablespoons of baking soda
1 tablespoon nutmeg
15 grams of Brazilian glove bark
*(yes, I know, where are you going to get this...)
15 gratings of Common Clove
Walnuts to taste
1 kg of bread dough
100 grs of raisins
50 grs of aniseed
70 grs cinnamon
500 grs citron
Zest of two oranges
and squeeze the oranges for their juices to addMix it all up. Divide into easy handle size baking tins. Make pretty with the Almonds and pop into the oven. Many of the traditional Madeira Cakes are baked over a hearth with firewood. However, you can bake this at a mediumish temperature in an ordinary oven for 30 minutes. It must smell or bake such that the top of the cake only slightly gets hard. The richness of the cake will almost cook itself if you will.Good Luck

Since visiting Madeira last summer I, too, have been trying to find a recipe for this wonderful cake. Thanks a lot - I will try it out soon. I think I'll omit the Brazilian glove bark !! The cake reminded me a bit of Yorkshire Parkin - same texture and spices.
I'll let you know how it turns out.