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Spiced Honey-Chocolate Cake

Servings: 12-14
Comments:
A tender, moist and lightly spiced honey-chocolate cake that will definitely please the chocolate lover's at your Rosh Hashanah dinner. Makes a sweet and "oh so yummy" ending to your meal. I am sure that at least a few of your guest's will ask for this scrumptious New Year's cake recipe before they leave.


Ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup honey (preferrably clover honey)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)
3 large eggs
1 cup water or cola beverage (such as Coke or Pepsi)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, pecans or slivered almonds (optional)

Topping: (optional)
Fresh Raspberries
Homemade chocolate sauce or store-bought ready-made chocolate syrup
Confectioners' sugar


Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 C). Grease well a 10-inch tube, angel food or bundt style cake pan. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground cloves and allspice. Set aside.

In bowl of electric stand mixer (or a hand mixer may be used with a large mixing bowl), combine honey, oil, and both sugars. Beat mixture on low to medium-low speed for 1 minute.

Add in the eggs, water (or cola, if using) and vanilla and beat for 2 to 3 minutes on low speed. Slowly add in the flour mixture and beat on medium-low speed for another 2 minutes until batter is smooth and well combined, scraping down sides and bottom of bowl as needed (you want to make sure all of the honey and other ingredients are well combined, not sticking to the bottom of mixing bowl).

With a wooden spoon, fold in chocolate chips and chopped nuts (if using), then pour batter into prepared tube or bundt pan and bake in preheated 350 degree F (180 C) oven for 50 to 65 minutes or until cake tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean (without any moist crumbs).

Remove from oven and let cake cool in pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto wire rack and let cake cool completely. When cake has cooled, transfer to a serving plate or platter.

If desired, place several raspberries over top of cake, drizzle with chocolate sauce or ready-made store-bought chocolate syrup and dust cake with confectioner's sugar just before serving.

Makes 12-14 servings.

Photograph taken by Diana Baker Woodall© 2004


Source: DianasDesserts.com
Date: September 15, 2004