Honey Cake to Celebrate Honey Bees RECIPE AND IMAGE FROM TASTE OF HOME
National Honey Bee Awareness Day is August 21, and what better way to acknowledge the little pollinators that gift us our food than with a cake that highlights their product? Honey is actually a byproduct of a honey bee’s pollinating duties. It’s a sugary secretion from a bee’s consumption of the nectar of flowering plants. When the nectar is consumed and stored within a bee’s extra stomach called a
“crop,” enzymes within the crop take action and begin to break down the nectar sugars. This function occurs so that it can be stored long-term within the hive during the winter months. And while this may not sound quite as appetizing as honey is, it’s all part of nature—and intended to be enjoyed! So, celebrate the complex magic that is honey and honey bees with this traditional honey cake.
Serves 12 Ingredients and supplies:
U
• 2 teaspoons baking powder • 1/2 teaspoon salt • Assorted fresh fruit and additional honey • Chopped nuts of your choosing, optional
T CON E P T S TE E T S PMC 1823
bm
i
c
,
e,
us
FL
Ze su
it
te
of s db e l y Deb or ah Char
n Ve
This is Zeus. Zeus lives in Venice with his momma. He loves to go out for walks and loves to watch TV. This is Zeus with his glasses watching TV.
Lifestyles After 50 • August 2021 • 14
add to butter mixture. Transfer batter to prepared skillet.
2. In a large bowl, beat butter and honey 3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, minutes. Cool completely in pan beating well after each addition. Beat on a wire rack. Serve with fruit, in yogurt and vanilla. In another bowl, additional honey and, if desired, whisk flour, baking powder and salt; chopped pistachios.
T
C
• 1/2 cup butter, softened • 1 cup honey (preferably local or wildflower) • 2 large eggs, room temperature • 1/2 cup plain yogurt • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract • 2 cups all-purpose flour
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9-inch cast-iron skillet.
