Chocolate Fig Honey Cake

Ingredients

• 1-1/3 cups liquid honey (325 mL)
• 1 cup strong tea (250 mL)
• 1 tbsp grated lemon or orange rind (15 mL)
• 2-3/4 cups all-purpose flour (675 mL)
• 2 tsp baking powder (10 mL)
• 2 tsp cinnamon (10 mL)
• 1/2 tsp baking soda (2 mL)
• 1/2 tsp each ground ginger and allspice (2 mL)
• 1/4 tsp salt (1 mL)
• 1 cup diced dried figs (250 mL)
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil (50 mL)
• 1 tbsp vanilla (15 mL)
• 1 cup granulated sugar (250 mL)
• Drizzle:
• 3 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

Directions

In small saucepan, bring honey just to boil; remove from heat. Stir in tea and grated lemon rind; set pan aside and let cool slightly.

In bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, ginger, allspice and salt; stir in figs. Set bowl aside.

In large bowl, beat eggs until pale and frothy, about 5 minutes. Beat in oil and vanilla. Beat in sugar, 2 tbsp at a time, until slightly thickened and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Alternately fold in flour and honey mixtures, making 3 additions of flour and 2 of honey, to make thin batter.

Pour batter into greased 10-inch (25 cm) tube or Bundt pan. Bake in centre of 325:F (160:C) oven for 60 to 70 minutes or until cake tester inserted into cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan on rack for 30 minutes. With knife, loosen edges of cake; turn out onto rack and let cool completely.

Drizzle: Melt chocolate in bowl over hot (not boiling water). Dip tines of fork into chocolate; drizzle over cake.

Yield: 12 to 16 servings

Submitted 6/13/05.
Source: By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen
Submitted By: Meryl
starmer@prodigy.net
Chocolate Fig Honey Cake