Galician Honey Cake – Recipe

Galician honey cakes have been a theme in the Midlife Recorder series since book three. (Ties that Bond in Gretna Green). They return in Half an Orange in Gretna Green. Does Niki finally get to taste one? You’ll have to read it to find out. 😂

This is a simple, traditional-style honey cake with a few extra ingredients that give it a deliciously Galician twist.

Ingredients
125g all-purpose flour (1 cup)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
170g butter, room temp (3/4 cup)
150g caster Sugar (3/4 cup)
3 medium eggs
60ml milk (1/4 cup)
200g caster Sugar, for the syrup (1 cup)
350g honey (1 cup)
175ml water (3/4 cup)
1 tsp lemon juice

This recipe serves approx. 8 people

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (356ºF) and grease the tin.
2. First, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon together in a large bowl and then set aside for later.
3. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 150g of sugar until light and fluffy. Then beat in the eggs, one at a time.
4. TIP: If you want it to be just like the ones Niki didn’t get to taste in Ties that Bond, add the zest of one of Alphonse’s favourite oranges. 
5. Fold in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing until incorporated.
6. Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool for 15 minutes.

To make the syrup

1. In a saucepan, combine the honey, 200g of sugar and water. Bring to a simmer and leave simmering for 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice, bring it to the boil and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Soaking the cake

1. Spike holes into the cooled cake and slowly drizzle the honey syrup over the top – allowing it to absorb into the sponge.
2. Galicians often add Orujo to their honey. A tablespoon of brandy is a suitable substitute.

All credit to ‘What Katy Said‘ for this wonderful recipe and photos. I can’t recommend that site enough.

Want another recipe?

If you’re in the mood for food, there are some other recipe pages on my site:

Juniper offered her recipe for Spilling the Tea Pâté as featured in the Valkyries are Flying, a short novel/long novella in Spilling the Tea in Gretna Green.
Also, her incredible Sourdough Discard Crackers,
So I bit her hand off on behalf of us all.
You can try the Pâté here and the Crackers here.

But if you’re more in the mood for Galicia, here’s the entire Behind the Books – ‘The Real Galicia‘ page.