Day 89! Kuwait - Arabic Honey Cake-كعكة العسل العربية - Up Next, Kyrgyzstan

Arabic Honey Cake كعكة العسل العربية

Holiday season is upon us, and my stove has been running 24/7, so rather than disrupt the baking flow, I decided to keep going. Besides, I love, love, love Middle Eastern pastry. Soaked in honey, rich in nuts and most often served with strong dark coffee, I'm betting that this Arabic Honey Cake will be even better tomorrow when the cake has fully absorbed the honey-caramel topping. And, because Middle Eastern pastry is so sweet and dense, one only needs a small amount to satisfy even the most extreme sugar craving.

Located in the Northeastern portion of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia, Kuwait is bordered by Saudia Arabia and Iraq and sits on the Persian Gulf. Kuwait boasts the 5th largest oil reserves in the world, and is the 11th richest country in the world as well.

Kuwait's cuisine is influenced by Indian, Persian, Mediterranean and Najdi traditions. Lamb, chicken and fish are most often eaten, but pork is forbidden in the Islamic country. Romaine lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes and red onions are typical salad vegetables. Like many Middle Eastern countries, cardamom, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and paprika are commonly used spices. Rosewater and tamarind syrup are used to scent and sweeten pastry as well.

Butter, eggs, sugar and flour make the basic batter

The cake is baked for about 12 minutes
to a lovely, spongy consistency

Almonds, honey, sugar and cinnamon are boiled to a
beautiful golden-caramel color, then poured on the
hot cake, which is returned to the oven for
another 15-20 minutes

The cake absorbs the honey-nut mixture perfectly
while the sugar creates a sublime caramel topping

Arabic Honey Cake (Adapted from recipes.wikia.com)

• 1/3 cup butter
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. flour

Topping

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Butter a 10-inch spring form pan. Preheat over to 400F. Beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla until it whitens. Add the melted butter and mix well. Sift the flour and baking powder together and add to the batter, mixing gently. Pour in the prepared pan and bake 10-12 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the topping. Melt the butter on medium heat. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Pour the topping gently on the cake and return it tot he oven for another 15-20 minutes. Let cool and then serve with coffee.

Final Assessment: This is a rich, delicious and filling cake. We served it with coffee after dinner and it was perfect. I think it'll be even better tomorrow morning :)

Tea-infused Hot Cocoa Recipe

I'm not much of a coffee drinker but I love hot chocolate and I love tea. I enjoy the richness of hot chocolate, but sometimes it's a bit too much. I certainly couldn't drink it everyday. I have tried quite a few chocolate flavored teas and while some of them are pretty good, I've discovered a more satisfying solution. I make hot cocoa with equal parts tea and milk.

On the surface this might seem like a weird thing to do, combining cocoa and tea but it's really quite delicious. I learned from chocolate authority Alice Medrich that the fat in dairy products coats your tongue so the flavor of chocolate is sometimes muted in very creamy preparations. She said you can make cocoa with hot water, but I have found that tea provides an amazing addition of flavor. I like a little bit of milk to add some texture. The result is a beverage that is richer and more viscous than tea and milk, but not quite as cloying as hot cocoa can be. In the Winter, I could drink it just about everyday!

The types of tea that work with chocolate vary. I've tried it with herbal, green and flavored black tea. I like it with Earl Grey, herbal peppermint tea, but my hands down favorite is with jasmine tea. I've had chocolate confections that were flavored with citrus, peppermint and jasmine so I was fairly certain each of those flavors would work nicely. But it's certainly worth more experimentation. There could be other types of tea that are wonderful with cocoa too maybe chai or vanilla tea? Let me know what types you try!

Note: The amount of cocoa will vary based on the brand you use. You want to use enough cocoa to make a cup, but replace part of the milk or water with tea. You could also use a sweetened cocoa if that's what you have on hand just adjust the sugar to your liking.

Tea-infused Hot CocoaMakes 1 serving

Ingredients

1 teaspoon tea or a tea bag
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (I am currently using Hershey's)
1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar, or to taste
1/2 cup milk (I use whole milk)

Instructions

Make a cup of strong tea as directed, use a little less than the usual amount of water, no more than 6 ounces. In a small saucepan whisk together the cocoa powder, sugar and a few tablespoons of brewed tea, to make a smooth paste with no lumps. Whisk in the milk and about 1/2 cup of tea. Heat gently until hot, but do not boil, serve.

Enjoy!