Honey Cake with Rum & Butter Bananas

Honey Cake with Rum & Butter Bananas

I don't know why I love this honey cake more, because it is so moist and delicious or because it is so quick and easy to make. I am a big fan of one bowl cake recipes and this one is among the best I've ever tried. One bowl cake recipes are proof positive that there is no good reason to resort to cake mixes when for the sake of a little extra measuring of ingredients, they are no more difficult to accomplish than a mix.

The rum and butter bananas are equally easy to prepare and take just a few minutes away from the table for you to serve these fragrant warm bananas to your guests over this great honey cake. I've also often served these warm over very good quality vanilla ice cream for an equally impressive dessert.

Originally published on July 21, 2010.

Honey Cake

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup warm strong green tea
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a bundt pan or 2 loaf pans.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cloves and allspice. Make a well in the center, and add oil, honey, white sugar, brown sugars, eggs, vanilla, green tea and orange juice.

Mix together with a whisk or on low speed in an electric mixer just until all the ingredients have been well blended together. Do not over mix. Pour batter into prepared pan/s and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Baking times will vary depending on the size of the baking pans; the toothpick test is the best way to tell if the cake is fully baked.

Rum and Butter Bananas

• 6 large bananas, ripe but not over ripe, sliced in 1/4 inch slices
• 1/2 cup dark rum
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract (or the seeds from one vanilla pod)

Melt butter and brown sugar together in a large saute pan and cook together for a few minutes over medium high heat until it begins to bubble and foam up. At this point add  the bananas rum and vanilla and cook for only a couple of minutes more until the sauce slightly thickens. Serve warm over the honey cake.