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1
Heat the Oven and Ready the Tin
5 Mins • Hands On
Oven 160°C (320°F)
Heat the oven to 160°C (320°F). Grease a 23 x 13 cm loaf tin with a little butter, dust it with flour, and tap out the excess, or line it with baking paper.
A light tin browns the dark loaf evenly; a dark tin can burn the edges before the middle is done.
Done when: Oven at 160°C (320°F); tin greased and floured.
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2
Warm the Honey, Molasses and Butter
5 Mins • Hands On
Warm, about 50°C (120°F)
Put the 150 g of honey, the 100 g of molasses and the 80 g of butter in a small pan over low heat. Stir until the butter has melted and the mixture runs freely, then take it off the heat and leave it to cool for 5 minutes.
Do not let the honey boil — boiling darkens the flavour and can make the cake bitter.
Done when: Butter melted; mixture warm and runny, not hot.
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3
Beat in the Eggs, Milk and Vanilla
5 Mins • Hands On
Room temperature, about 21°C (70°F)
Pour the warm honey mixture into a large bowl. Beat in the 2 eggs one at a time, then the 120 ml of milk, the vanilla and the lemon zest. Mix until smooth and glossy.
If the honey mixture is still hot it will scramble the eggs — it should feel warm on your wrist, not hot.
Done when: Batter smooth, dark and glossy.
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4
Fold in the Flour and Spices
5 Mins • Hands On
Room temperature, about 21°C (70°F)
Sift the 300 g of flour, the baking soda, the cinnamon and the salt over the bowl and fold gently with a spatula until just combined — a few small lumps are fine.
Stop folding as soon as the flour disappears; over-mixing makes a tough, heavy loaf.
Done when: Batter just combined, thick and dark.
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5
Bake Until a Skewer Comes Out Clean
50 Mins • Oven
Oven 160°C (320°F)
Pour the batter into the tin and smooth the top. Bake 45–50 minutes until the loaf is dark, firm and springy, and a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean, with just a few moist crumbs.
If the top darkens too fast, lay a sheet of foil loosely over it for the last 15 minutes.
Done when: Skewer clean; loaf firm and springy to the touch.
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6
Cool, Glaze and Slice
15 Mins • Hands On
Cooling, about 21°C (70°F)
Leave the loaf in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a rack and cool completely. Whisk the 30 g of powdered sugar with the 15 ml of milk until smooth, drizzle it over the cold loaf so it drips down the sides, and leave it to set before slicing thickly.
Glaze a cold loaf — on a warm loaf the glaze melts and slides straight off.
Done when: Glaze set; slices thick and even.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Turn the loaf out onto a rack, cool completely, drizzle with the thin white glaze, and slice thickly once the glaze has set.
Paraguay
1h 5m
