Greek Citrus Honey Cake Food

GREEK HONEY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch square pan. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and orange rind. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated. Stir in the walnuts.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool for 15 minutes, then cut into diamond shapes. Pour honey syrup over the cake.
• For the Honey Syrup: In a saucepan, combine honey, 1 cup sugar and water. Bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.

CITRUS AND HONEY CAKE

Steps:

• For the frosting: Beat the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until combined. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and continue to mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the honey and mix until smooth.
• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and lightly flour three 8-inch round cake pans.
• Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Mix together the buttermilk, honey and vanilla in a second medium bowl.
• Beat the butter and white sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the orange zest and then the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Gradually add the dry and wet ingredients, alternating, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined, being careful not to over mix.
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 to 15 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.
• Place one cake onto a serving plate or cake stand and top with about 1 cup of honey cream cheese frosting. Repeat with the second cake, 1 cup more frosting and then the last cake. Crumb coat and frost the cake with the remaining frosting. Refrigerate until the frosting is set, about 20 minutes.
• For the chocolate ganache drip: Place the disks into a heat-resistant bowl (glass or metal). Warm the heavy cream in a saucepan over medium-high heat until it just starts to boil. (I always look for small bubbles forming around the edge and a soft boil starting in the middle.) When you see that it's just starting to boil, pour it into your bowl of disks and let sit for 1 minute. Whisk the ganache until it's uniform in consistency and there are no bits of the disks left on your whisk. Cool the ganache at room temperature for about 30 minutes (or until the ganache itself is room temperature).
• To decorate: Melt the pale yellow melting chocolate disks over a double boiler. Lightly grease a small sheet of bubble wrap with nonstick cooking spray. Spread the melted chocolate over the greased bubble wrap with an offset spatula to spread into an even and thin layer. Place into the refrigerator just to set, about 15 minutes.
• Gently pull the bubble wrap to remove the chocolate, then break it into large shards. Put the ganache in a squeeze bottle and drip it down the edge of the cake. Squeeze a small amount on top of the cake and spread to cover (or leave the top uncovered). Decorate the cake with orange slices that've been brushed with honey, along with shards of "chocolate honey comb" and yellow and orange candy balls.

CITRUS HONEY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 9-inch springform pan and line with parchment.
• Cover the oranges with water in a large saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and continue to simmer for 1 hour. Add the lemon and continue simmering another 45 minutes. Drain and discard the water. Set the citrus aside to cool.
• Add the sugar, honey and 3 of the eggs to a large bowl and beat with a handheld mixer on medium high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add 1 1/2 cups of the almond flour, the remaining 2 eggs, baking powder, cinnamon and cloves and salt; mix together on medium speed just until combined. Add the remaining almond flour and again mix on low speed just until combined.
• Quarter the cooled lemon and oranges and add to a food processor. Process until smooth. Fold the citrus puree into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until deep golden brown and the cake springs back to the touch, 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool about 10 minutes.
• Invert the pan onto a cake plate or serving platter; open the springform pan and carefully remove the ring. Remove the parchment and place a doily or stencil on top and dust with confectioners' sugar to create a design just before serving. Garnish with edible flowers and serve.

REVANI (GREEK CAKE USING SEMOLINA)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• Butter and flour a 13 X 9 inch pyrex baking pan.
• Sift flour, baking powder and salt.
• In large electric mixer bowl, beat egg whites until frothy.
• Gradually beat in 1/2 cup of the sugar.
• Continue beating until very stiff and glossy.
• Set meringue aside.
• Beat egg yolks, remaining sugar, and butter until very light and fluffy.
• Add orange rind and vanilla.
• Beat in dry ingredients alternately (slowly, on a low speed) with orange juice and semolina until incorporated.
• Fold in meringue.
• Turn into prepared pan and sprinkle with almonds.
• Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until it tests done.
• Cool.
• For syrup: Boil sugar, water and cinnamon stick for 8 minutes.
• Add brandy and remove cinnamon stick.
• Pour hot syrup over cooled cake.
• Cool and cut into squares.
• Serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

GREEK HONEY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch square pan. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and orange rind. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the milk, mixing just until incorporated. Stir in the walnuts.
• Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool for 15 minutes, then cut into diamond shapes. Pour honey syrup over the cake.
• For the Honey Syrup: In a saucepan, combine honey, 1 cup sugar and water. Bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.

GREEK HONEY & LEMON CAKE WITH A TWIST

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 200C/400F Lightly grease and line a 7 1/2 inch square deep cake tin.
• Place margarine/butter and 3 tablespoon honey in a saucepan and heat gently till melted.
• Reserve 1 tablespoon lemon juice, stir in the rest with lemon rind and milk.
• Combine both the lemon mixture and butter mixture together.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and nutmeg, add to the wet mixture.
• Add the semolina flour into the mixture.
• Fold egg whites evenly into the mixture.
• Spoon into cake tin and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
• Bake for 25-39 minutes, till golden brown.
• Mix the reserved honey and lemon juice and drizzle over the cake while it is still warm.
• Cool in the tin, then cut into fingers to serve.